February 28, 2005

Bay Area Transportation Partnership

The Bay Area Transportation Partnership Long Range Planning Committee on Thursday unanimously voted to support the City of Galveston's downtown transportation terminal, which also received a favorable vote from the Houston-Galveston Area Council Transportation Policy Committee on Friday. Listen  Download

"The terminal currently serves, and has served in the past, and will increasingly serve in the future, as a rail link between the League City area and downtown Galveston," said Michael Worthy of Island Transit, referring to the excursion trains to the Galveston Island Railroad Museum and Terminal, which is across 25th Street from the proposed downtown transportation terminal.  "Union Pacific Railroad recently approved the City of Galveston to conduct additional railroad passenger demonstration projects."

Rick Beverlin of The Goodman Corporation added that the terminal will serve the extension of the Galveston Trolley to the University of Texas Medical Branch and will serve as an intermodal access to the mainland and other parts of the island."

Robin Sterry of the Grand Parkway Authority updated the BATP committee on the Grand Parkway project.  Listen  Download

"The original concept began in the '60s," she said, recalling the history of the project.  "They envisioned a connectivity of regional parks for the region."

Sterry said the Grand Parkway will encircle the Greater Houston Metropolitan Area, except that there will not be a new bridge across Galveston Bay.

"We will use the existing facility along 146 there," Sterry said.

She said that identifying the corridor for the Grand Parkway through Bay Area Houston is difficult.

"We have to be compatible with the local planning agencies, we look at cost effectiveness, and we just try to address all of these issues," Sterry said, adding that a toll system will likely be included in the project.

"The Texas Transportation Commission has directed Grand Parkway and all highways throughout the state of Texas that are adding capacity to look at toll viability," Sterry said.  "Grand Parkway will be a toll road."

Lily Wells and Lynn Spencer of the Houston-Galveston Area Council updated the committee on the Draft 2025 Regional Transportation Plan and the Draft 2006-2008 Transportation Improvement Plan.

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