TxDOT Mission

Work with others to provide safe and reliable transportation solutions for Texas.

TxDOT Goals

• Maintain a safe system
• Address congestion
• Connect Texas communities
• Best in class state agency

TxDOT Values

• Trust
• Integrity
• Responsibility
• Excellence
• Service

In this issue

• Commission Meeting Actions
• Task Force to Support Energy Industry, Preserve Roadways
• TxDOT Podcast: Andy Keith, Texas Safety Rest Areas
• Motorcycle Safety Campaign Launched
• Don't Mess with Texas Trash-Off

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April 2, 2012

Here's our roundup of Texas Department of Transportation news and events. If you have any questions, comments or just want to know more about something you read here, send a message to AskTxDOT@txdot.gov.

Commission Meeting Actions

The Texas Transportation Commission convened March 29 for its regular monthly meeting and took the following actions:

• Authorized the creation of a surface transportation corporation to develop the Grand Parkway (SH 99) in Harris and Montgomery counties.
• Authorized increasing the speed limit to 80 mph on segments of SH 130 and SH 45SE in Travis and Williamson counties.

The Commission also discussed a staff update on the recent receipt of qualification submittals from teams interested in entering a design-build contract for the Dallas Horseshoe Project, the Texas Rural Transportation Plan and a report on the 2014-15 Legislative Appropriations Request.

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Growth in the energy sector contributes to the state's economic prosperity and impacts county road conditions.

Task Force to Support Energy Industry, Preserve Roadways

TxDOT recently formed a work group to support the state’s booming energy exploration and address related highway needs and will lead a multiagency task force made up of representatives from the Texas Department of Public Safety, the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles, the Texas Railroad Commission, counties and the energy sector to study the situation.

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TxDOT Podcast: Andy Keith, Texas Safety Rest Areas

In recent years, TxDOT has updated the state's safety rest areas to provide more services and a safer experience for Texas travelers.

The TxDOT Podcast keeps you updated on the latest transportation news and issues, and new episodes are published every Friday on the TxDOT website, www.txdot.gov.

In this week’s episode, we talk with Andy Keith, TxDOT Safety Rest Area program manager, about the ever-growing collection of unique-yet-functional roadside monuments to all things Texas. Episodes are also available on iTunes.

Listen to Podcast »

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Motorcycle Safety Campaign Launched

TxDOT is urging motorists to pay closer attention to the growing number of Texans riding scooters and motorcycles on state highways. The Share the Road motorcycle safety awareness campaign runs through mid-May and is designed to remind drivers to look twice for motorcycles, especially at intersections and when changing lanes. In 2011, Texas had 470 motorcycle fatalities, 16 percent of the state's traffic deaths.

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Don't Mess with Texas Trash-Off

More than 75,000 volunteers participated in the 2011 Don’t Mess with Texas Trash-Off.

Register now for the Don’t Mess with Texas Trash-Off, set for April 14. Organizers who register their events before April 6 will receive free supplies, promotional items and incentives. The annual event is the state’s largest one-day cleanup and is part of a partnership between TxDOT and Keep America Beautiful. In 2011, more than 848 Trash-Off events were held across the state, featuring 75,872 volunteers. In all, 6,172 miles of highway were cleared of litter and debris, totaling close to six million pounds of trash.

Register »

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All inquiries may be directed to AskTxDOT@txdot.gov.