San Antonio – A study released by the Texas Public Policy Foundation (TPPF) shows Texas has received a disproportionately small amount of federal funding for border infrastructure needs while NAFTA fueled traffic congestion and air pollution has skyrocketed along Texas border cities. In relation to traffic volume, Texas has received 1/34th what New Mexico has...
Press Release February 27, 2001Austin – With mounting concern over urban sprawl, the Texas Public Policy Foundation (TPPF), a free market state research institute, has endorsed the Lone Mountain Compact which defines principles for preserving freedom and livability in America’s Cities and Suburbs and which is critical of so-called “smart growth” land use regulations. Signed by more than 100...
Press Release January 4, 2001Austin – A new survey of Texas teachers conducted by Dr. John Pisciotta, Associate Professor of Economics at Baylor University and released by the Texas Public Policy Foundation indicates that the problem of teacher recruitment and retention in Texas will not be solved by addressing pay or benefits. When considering declining teacher morale, pay and...
Press Release December 7, 2000Austin – An analysis released today on the light rail proposal of Capital Metropolitan Transit of Austin indicates that Austin’s traffic congestion problems of the future could be eliminated with bus alternatives to light rail. The report entitled Options Ignored, Opportunities Lost: An Analysis of Affordable Transportation Options for Austin points out that Capital Metro...
Press Release October 13, 2000p>The Texas Public Policy Foundation announced today the opening of its new Austin office, giving it a permanent presence in the state capital. The office will be staffed by TPPF's new Communications Director Lee Adams, currently Chief of Staff for State Representative Elvira Reyna ( R – Mesquite) (District 101- Dallas (part)). The new TPPF...
Press Release October 9, 2000Austin — The Texas Public Policy Foundation (TPPF) today released an analysis of the Capital Metropolitan Transit Agency light rail proposal. Key findings: Capital Metro and CAMPO projections indicate that light rail will carry, at most, 0.5% of travel in the Austin area in 2025. This very small share of travel is in contrast to...
Press Release September 27, 2000Based upon Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) and Texas Transportation Institute data, it is estimated that the existing light rail lines are removing approximately 0.1 percent of traffic volume in the Dallas area (not Dallas-Fort Worth). This represents 2.3 percent of the 1995-7 average daily increase in vehicle miles (latest data available). This means that...
Press Release August 15, 2000Dallas – An analysis released today indicates that the DART plan to sell $2.9 billion in 30-year bonds to accelerate construction of light rail is based upon flawed assumptions that could lead to serious financial problems in future years. On August 12, DART will ask the voters in its service area to approve the issuance...
Press Release July 19, 2000Dallas DART (Dallas Area Rapid Transit) has failed to disclose the complete cost of its proposed $2.9 billion light rail bond financing the subject of the August 12 DART election. If the election passes, DART will issue 30 year bonds to advance the construction schedule of light rail by approximately five years. DART data indicates...
Press Release July 13, 2000San Antonio – The Texas Public Policy Foundation today released a study that promotes fundamental reform in public school teacher compensation and repudiates State funding of public school teacher health benefits. Teacher Compensation: Emerging Trends for Texas calls for a fundamental rethinking in how public school teachers are paid in Texas. The study points out...
Press Release July 11, 2000The Dallas Area Rapid Transit Authority (DART) recently announced their pursuit of up to $4 billion in bond debt to accelerate light rail construction by five years. This may prove to be a very short-sighted policy decision. The bond interest payments and the $800,000 cost of the election will be paid for out of existing...
Press Release June 5, 2000San Antonio – The much heralded Weinstein-Clower April 1999 analysis of the economic impacts of light rail in Dallas has been shown to contain significant errors and problems with its methodology. One of the authors of this study, Bernard Weinstein of the University of North Texas, was recently in San Antonio as a guest of...
Press Release May 3, 2000