Well, if the proposed Blacklands Corridor is not dead, it is certainly on life support. It looks like only TxDot can save it, and I think that is unlikely.
It's failure is pretty understandable. First, the developers made absolutely deplorable assumptions about the Texas people. Their attitude seemed to be that they were wanting the citizens to support giving up their land for the tollway, help the developer's profit motives, and not need give anything in return. They further brandished around the Imminent Domain hammer in a form of threat. They offered to give absolutely nothing in return for the confiscated land. You know, I wasn't born in Texas, but I've been here over 50 years. I know this. Only a fool would attempt to take something from a Texan and offer nothing in return; particularly when a threat is "hinted." That is a receipe for at least a fist fight. The turnpike executives should have been smarter than that. They weren't.
However, only the small problem was fixed. The big one was not.
In order for we in North Central Texas to continue to enjoy the fruits of prosperity, the metroplex must continue to prosper. It must not stagnate, or worse, reverse it's plight, such as Detroit. It must continue to grow and create well paying jobs. It must develop a superb lifestyle. Most people don't live in the whole city, but just part of it. The Murphys, the Wylies, the Rockwalls, and the Rowletts can create their own personalities, depending on the ingredients available to them. This growth and prosperity would most assuredly produce another 200,000 residents in the northeast corner of the metroplex over the next 20 years. That is where the vacant land is. When this land fills up with homes, the traffic situation will be horrendous unless some planning is done now. Highways #78 and #544 are inundated to the north. I-30 is like LBJ during rush hours. Rowlett is a joke on Lakeshore Parkway during rush hours just before entering the Bush Tollway. The stop light salesman made a fortune selling stoplights on Lakeshore Parkway........then forgot how to time them. These bottlenecks are just a preview of what's to come.
The Blacklands Corridor apparently has been defeated. There were circumstances under which I think the toll way would have been acceptable. Unfortunately, the developers did not come forward with the right conditions to properly allow the communities they needed to participate in the rewards. They didn't bring anything of value to the table. They didn't have anything to trade. Understandably, they got beat down.
But, the real problem did not go away. In fact, I know nothing on the horizon that attempts to mitigate the coming logjam.
It's failure is pretty understandable. First, the developers made absolutely deplorable assumptions about the Texas people. Their attitude seemed to be that they were wanting the citizens to support giving up their land for the tollway, help the developer's profit motives, and not need give anything in return. They further brandished around the Imminent Domain hammer in a form of threat. They offered to give absolutely nothing in return for the confiscated land. You know, I wasn't born in Texas, but I've been here over 50 years. I know this. Only a fool would attempt to take something from a Texan and offer nothing in return; particularly when a threat is "hinted." That is a receipe for at least a fist fight. The turnpike executives should have been smarter than that. They weren't.
However, only the small problem was fixed. The big one was not.
In order for we in North Central Texas to continue to enjoy the fruits of prosperity, the metroplex must continue to prosper. It must not stagnate, or worse, reverse it's plight, such as Detroit. It must continue to grow and create well paying jobs. It must develop a superb lifestyle. Most people don't live in the whole city, but just part of it. The Murphys, the Wylies, the Rockwalls, and the Rowletts can create their own personalities, depending on the ingredients available to them. This growth and prosperity would most assuredly produce another 200,000 residents in the northeast corner of the metroplex over the next 20 years. That is where the vacant land is. When this land fills up with homes, the traffic situation will be horrendous unless some planning is done now. Highways #78 and #544 are inundated to the north. I-30 is like LBJ during rush hours. Rowlett is a joke on Lakeshore Parkway during rush hours just before entering the Bush Tollway. The stop light salesman made a fortune selling stoplights on Lakeshore Parkway........then forgot how to time them. These bottlenecks are just a preview of what's to come.
The Blacklands Corridor apparently has been defeated. There were circumstances under which I think the toll way would have been acceptable. Unfortunately, the developers did not come forward with the right conditions to properly allow the communities they needed to participate in the rewards. They didn't bring anything of value to the table. They didn't have anything to trade. Understandably, they got beat down.
But, the real problem did not go away. In fact, I know nothing on the horizon that attempts to mitigate the coming logjam.
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