Sunset Commission Blasts TxDOT

From the Staff report:

"The Sunset review of the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) occurred against a backdrop of distrust and frustration with the Department and the demand for more transparency, accountability, and responsiveness. Many expressed concerns that TxDOT was 'out of control,' advancing its own agenda against objections of both the Legislature and the public.

"Sunset staff found that this atmosphere of distrust permeated most of TxDOT’s actions and determined that it could not be an effective state transportation agency if trust and confi dence were not restored. Significant changes are needed to begin this restoration; tweaking the status quo is simply not enough.

"This report proposes decisive action to address TxDOT’s problems by establishing what is in effect a four-year “legislative conservatorship” to return control over transportation policy to the Legislature, where it belongs."

Gulf Coast Institute comments

Texas needs a holistic transportation plan pdf

Material from the Texas Sunset Commission Report

Texas Sunset Commission Staff Report pdf

Texas Department of Transportation Self Evaluation Report pdf

How to Participate in the Sunset Process web page

Online Comment Form web page

Written Comments Received Regarding Sunset Report web page with links to pdfs of all comments
Over 130 people sent in comments before the deadline about a month before the July 14th hearing to have their comments published here online and read by the Sunset staff before the hearing. Some of the comments of note are listed below. Interested citizens and groups can still submit their comments as the report moves from Sunset Staff to the Commission to the Legislative Committees and finally to the Texas House and Senate during the legislative session in Spring 2009.

Citizens' Transportation Coalition Comments pdf

Lone Star Chapter of the Sierra Club and Houston Regional Group of the Sierra Club Comments pdf

Geri Wells' Comments pdf

Chronicle stories

Upcoming Sunset report cites "distrust and frustration" with TxDOT

Governor wants to keep power to appoint TxDOT head