Honkin' Mad

Traffic monster

A college student got busted for creating this. Honkin' Mad! thinks he should get extra credit ...

Orange Barrel alert on Rosedale Street

The two-year project includes expansion of Rosedale to six lanes with medians.

Texas' power to build toll roads up in the air

The Texas Lege makes quick work of a couple of issues in the special session but is still hung up on comprehensive development agreements for toll roads.  

Texas attorney general allows North Tarrant Express toll lane contract

Texas AG Greg Abbott's concerns about the private contract led by the U.S. Arm of Spain-based Cintra have been assuaged. As a result, plans to expand Northeast Loop 820 in Haltom City and North Richland Hills, Texas 121/183 in Hurst and Bedford and eventually Interstate 35W in Fort Worth are moving foward for possible construction next year.

The greatness of an Orange Julius

Enjoyed the greatness of an Orange Julius today while riding the T buses to Ridgmar Mall, which has an Orange Julius/DQ stand at its food court. Hadn't had one of these frothy slices of heaven since probably the early 80s. It just doesn't get any better. All you Smoothie King and Jamba Juice fans need to visit Orange Julius in Fort Worth and learn a little something about your fruit drink heritage.

The T's main west side transfer station is at Ridgmar Mall, by the way, so anyone on a bus in that part of town with $3.29 in their pocket can enjoy a medium size original ...

July 4th schedule changes for Fort Worth buses and trains

The Fort Worth Transportation Authority (the T) often asks newbies to try transit. But this week the schedule is tweaked so much by the Fourth of July it may be hard for long-time users to follow.

Normally, Independence Day causes only one day of scaled back service, but this year the holiday falls on a Saturday and many businessses are giving workers Friday off. So the changes are spread across the long weekend.

• On Friday,  T buses and mobility impaired service will operate on a regular schedule. But the Trinity Railway Express will run a modified Saturday schedule -- basically, that's a Saturday schedule with extra morning trains. 

• On Saturday, T buses and mobility impaired service will operate on a Sunday schedule. Downtown Molly the Trolley service and buses to the Fort Worth Zoo will follow a normal Saturday schedule. Trinity Railway Express will not operate.

• On Sunday, keep in mind that the T always runs on a Sunday schedule (thus the name, right!?!) and the Trinity Railway Express doesn't run ... This is true for virtually all Sundays.

More: www.the-t.com or call 817-215-8600.

-- Gordon.

TxDot in the thick of today's special legislative session

A perhaps not too extreme makeover of the Texas Dept. of Transportation gets underway today during a special session in Austin.

Cash no longer accepted on President George Bush Turnpike

Your cash is no longer good on the President George Bush Turnpike. The North Texas Tollway Authority is converting the toll road to all-electronic beginning at 12:01 a.m. Wednesday.

Read more about it ...

Most frequent users already use TollTags, which affix to a windshield and automatically deduct tolls. Those who don't have TollTags are invited to just drive on through -- and a ZipCash bill generated by surveillance cameras will be sent in the mail to the vehicle's registered owner.

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National Lampoon's 'Stay-cation'

Honkin' Mad! is back after two weeks of R&R. As of today, the nonstop flow of news and entertainment you've come to expect is back in full force. Sorry that the content has been a little thin during my vacation -- but hey, this blog is basically a one-man show, and when the one man unplugs ...

A big thanks to the loyal readers who keep coming back to HM for their fix of traffic news from Dallas-Fort Worth and the rest of the world.

As for my vacation, it was remarkably unremarkable. I didn't do much of anything (which, by the way, I'd highly recommend). Mainly, I got reacquainted with my yard and spent lots of time with the wife and kids. Highlights:

• Took my daughter to her first concert -- Boys Like Girls (They're actually pretty good).

• Went to Six Flags over Texas twice, and won a giant stuffed Tasmanian Devil at the ball toss game.

• Caught a ball in the stands at a Fort Worth Cats game, and gave it to my boy.

-- Gordon.

'Hey, Up Yours, Pal!'

Dallas-Fort Worth drivers are big meanies, according to this report.

Are you honkin' mad about traffic in DFW? Tell us about it in our poll.

Free money to get your smog belcher off the road!

Texans may quality for the 7-year-old AirCheck Texas voucher program, as well as a proposed federal law to pay people cash for clunkers.

Basswood closing for railroad track work

Basswood Boulevard is one of the main east-west roads through Park Glen in far north Fort Worth. But on Sunday, motorists will have to find another way to scoot between Fort Worth, Keller and Watauga. Basswood will be closed for much of Sunday so the Union Pacific Railroad can upgrade its tracks. Detours will be posted.

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AG Greg Abbott says TxDot is 'trying to get around the constitution'

Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott just told the Star-Telegram that the Texas Department of Transportation "is trying to get around the constitution" by refusing to change contract language for the North Tarrant Express project.

North Tarrant Express includes the expansion of Loop 820, Texas 121/183 and eventually Interstate 35W. But in a phone interview a few minutes ago, Abbott said the conduct of transportation department lawyers is "clearly putting the contract in danger."

The key problem is, the transportation department is refusing to insert language in a 52-year agreement with the private developer that makes it clear state funds are subject to appropriation every two years by the Legislature.

The developer is NTE Mobility Partners, a team led by the U.S. arm of Madrid-based Cintra.

The same dispute between the AG and transportation department likely will come up when it comes time to review the LBJ Managed Lanes project in Dallas.

In Tarrant County, the North Tarrant Express is a whopping project totaling nearly $2 billion. It represents freeway work that has been needed for two decades, but that the transportation department alone could not afford.

So, after a lengthy bidding process that ended in January, Cintra and the other members of NTE Mobility Partners agreed to put up $300 million in equity and $1.1 billion in debt (including federal and bank loans and private activity bonds), in return for the right to build the North Tarrant Express project and collect tolls on proposed new express lanes for 52 years.

In return, the transportation department would contribute $570 million in public funds to the project.

But the Texas Constitution doesn't allow the transportation department to make that commitment, Abbott said. While some of those dollars are in hand, the bulk of that money would have to come in future years, based upon appropriations from future legislators, he said.

"We have told TxDot what they had to do in these contracts in order to get them to comply with the Texas Constitution," Abbott said. "For about a month now, TxDot lawyers have repeatedly come back to our office with angles and attempts to get around the constitution. At first we thought they didn't understand the constitution. Then we thought they were trying to play games. Now we can't understand what they're doing. Their conduct is clearly putting the contract in danger. Their conduct has been inappropriate."

The delays could lead to yet another postponement of the proposed expansion of Northeast Loop 820 in North Richland Hills and Haltom City, Texas 121/183 in Bedford and Hurst and eventually I-35W in north Fort Worth. Or, at the very least, it could lead to financial penalties that cost Tarrant County some of its highway funds. When the transportation department and developer reached a conditional agreement in late January, they predicted the attorney general's review would take 60 days.

Instead, nearly 150 days later, the two sides have had to extend the agreement to avoid having financial penalties kick in.

Transportation department officials declined to elaborate on the status of the agreement, except to say that they're making progress. Maribel Chavez, the department's Fort Worth district engineer, disputed the assertion that the project is being "held up."

"The Attorney General is required to do a thorough review and thorough analysis," she said. "It won't be concluded until we address whatever questions they have."

Business leaders along the I-35W corridor are flabbergasted that the long-awaited project is enduring yet another delay.

"Where has everybody been the last six years? For it to get all the way to the goal line, and the attorneys for all parties to not resolve this, is shocking," said Mike Berry, president of Hillwood Properties. The company is developing the Alliance Airport-area, and considers I-35W its backbone and main transportation connection to the outside world. "It's a fundamental premise of a business deal. They've been talking about it for six years, yet went ahead and awarded a concession and executed a contract and now they're saying they don't have language the parties can live with and the attorney general can bless?"

-- Gordon Dickson

gdickson@star-telegram.com

Loop 820, Texas 121/183, LBJ Freeway widening could again be delayed

A dispute between the Texas Department of Transportation and state attorney general's office threatens to once again delay the North Tarrant Express project, which includes the widening of Loop 820 in Northeast Tarrant County.

The dispute also could delay expansion of LBJ Freeway in Dallas.

The Regional Transportation Council has just voted during a meeting in Arlington to send a letter to AG Greg Abbott, asking his office to cease any delays on the North Tarrant Express.

The project includes construction of new toll and nontoll lanes between Interstate 35W and North East Mall, plus expansion of Texas 121/183 in Bedford and Hurst. The project is to be managed by a group of private developers known as NTE Mobility Partners, which is headed by the U.S. arm of Spanish firm Cintra. However, state law enacted two years ago requires that the AG's office review agreements between the state transportation department and private developers before any work can begin.

The AG's office objects to the wording in the agreement between the transportation department and NTE Mobility Partners, according to a May 28 AG letter to transportation department executive director Amadeo Saenz Jr. The AG is concerned that the project commits the transportation department to spend public money over a longer period of time than the agency is allowed under state law.

Tarrant County Judge Glen Whitley is livid, noting that if the dispute causes further delays to North Tarrant Express, the Fort Worth area could lose some of its highway funding, under financial penalties spelled out in a preliminary agreement signed in January. Under that agreement, the project was expected to clear this hurdle with the AG's office by April.

High water delays possible on Trinity Railway Express line

High water has been reported on the Trinity Railway Express, the commuter line from downtown Fort Worth to Dallas. Riders are asked to be patient, as delays are possible this afternoon while workers carefully check the tracks.

Right now, the high water is between CentrePort and Medical/Market Center stations, according to officials at Dallas Area Rapid Transit. DART co-owns the TRE with the Fort Worth Transportation Authority (the T).

About 10,000 riders per day use TRE, including many Tarrant County residents who work or go to school in Dallas. DART also operates an electrified light-rail system that has been experiencing delays today because of power outages, so be patient there, too.

-- Gordon.

Gov. Perry asked to give bicycles a little elbow room

Cars would be required to keep 3 feet away.

Picking up trash on freeways

Debris crews could be banned from working during rush hour. 

Arlington police say traffic flowed well

Arlington Police Department News Release

Cowboys Stadium traffic flowed smoothly for the George Strait concert Saturday night. Inbound traffic to the Entertainment District had no major back-ups thanks in large part to people planning ahead and arriving early.

Before George Strait left the stage at 11:24 p.m. plenty of cars were already on the roadways, because of people who left the event early.

But by 12:45 a.m. traffic around Cowboys Stadium was free-flowing and the roads were pretty clear.

Many of you have asked for the arrest numbers attributed to the Cowboys Stadium crowd.

It appears that there were 19 public intoxication arrests, 1 DWI, and 1 assault arrest.

Whatcha complainin' about?

If Blake Shelton didn't like the traffic on the way into Cowboys Stadium, he oughta try hanging around 'til about 11 tonight and leaving with 60,000 other people.

I did loops around the stadium and entertainment district for the past 2 1/2 to 3 hours, and ... let's just say I've seen worse.

-- Gordon.

Long walk for a $10 parking spot

Parking was available for $10 in an office strip center on Randol Mill Road, just east of Six Flags Drive and west of Texas 360.

"People underestimate the value of getting out quickly," said parking lot attendant Patrick Kiely, noting that the on-ramps to Texas 360 are just one trafffic signal away.

Now, these $10 spots are more than a mile away from the stadium, a walk of more than 20 minutes. That's asking customers to do a lot of boot-scootin' before the show even begins.

But Kiely said a shuttle bus was being offered for those who didn't want to walk.

Prices falling on Division St.

A bunch of businesses along Division Street immediately south of Cowboys Stadium originally wanted to charge $35 for parking, to slightly undercut the $40 price tag at the official stadium lots. But they've since dropped their prices to $30, and there's lots of space left.

Free pizza if you park here

A person outside Cici's Pizza on Collins Street -- right across the street from the Cowboys Stadium west entrance -- is holding a sign that reads:

"Safe Parking $60 Includes Free Pizza"

$60? Geesh! Last time I ate at Cici's, the buffet was in the neighborhood of $5.99.

Make room, everybody!

Don Crowson is Arlington's assistant fire chief. He's watching the traffic situation from the Arlington PD war room, too. If there's a major incident and he needs to clear a lane on an Arlington road for some fire trucks or ambulances to get through, no problem. He gives the order and the traffic signal engineers make it happen. Although, hopefully it won't happen tonight ...

(The pic is from Crowson's most recent promotion to asst. chief)

One of Arlington's most powerful men (tonight, at least)

Mike Blake is Arlington's intelligence transportation system coordinator. That's an awful fancy name. What it means is, Mike and a couple of co-workers are spending today and tonight locked in a war room of sorts in the Arlington police HQ. They're watching stadium-area traffic and if they see an area backing up they can change the traffic signals with a few key strokes. Wow, now THAT'S power!!!!

Latest traffic info for the George Straight/Reba/Lee Ann show ...

I'll be keeping an eye on traffic in the Arlington entertainment district all tonight, until all the post-concert traffic has cleared.

-- Gordon

  

Post concert traffic at Cowboys Stadium is gonna be tricky

... especially if you're headin' west after the show.

GPS might not get you to George Strait concert at Cowboys Stadium

Stadium officials say GPS devices don't have the latest info on how weave in and out of stadium traffic.

Fight not over for Dallas-Fort Worth commuter rail plan

If a special session is called, North Texas leaders say they want the local option transportation issue back on the agenda.

Commuting with Sarah Fisher

Indy racer Sarah Fisher cruises downtown Fort Worth with a reporter.

Garbage truck driver does good deed

Garbage service gets a bad rap in Fort Worth, but just now outside my house I saw the operator of a Waste Management bulk hauler climb into the back of his truck to free a bird that somehow had gotten entangled between an old mattress and a pile of broken wooden pallets. Hope lots of good karma is headed that guy's way ...

The truck looked like this loader crane, except it was green: