North Texas needs a voice on roads

As the traffic in North Texas weaves its way through a forest of traffic cones, or sits in a long line waiting for a backup to unclog, it seems even more crucial for the region to have a strong advocate on the powerful Texas Transportation Commission.

Unfortunately, we don’t.

It’s been more than a month since Victor Vandergriff, an Arlington businessman and Fort Worth resident, stepped down from the five-member commission after clashing with Gov. Greg Abbott and Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick over how to pay for highway expansions.

Vandergriff has said he wasn’t forced to step down, but he clearly supported having managed lanes mixed into the freeway system because the tolls those roads raised helped pay for, and speed along, projects that were needed to keep the region’s population going down the road.

But Abbott and Patrick oppose that approach, saying they want to reduce the state’s reliance on toll roads and that voters approved propositions in 2014 and 2015 that pumped billions into new infrastructure, but not paid lanes. Abbott told the commission not to use tolls to pay for projects.

Vandergriff thought it was time for him to exit. “Obviously, I’m frustrated we can’t get projects moving as fast as we could or should. It’s just time for new blood,” Vandergriff told the Texas Tribune when he stepped down..

Which leaves us anxiously waiting for Abbott, who appoints the commission’s members, to pick someone to replace Vandergriff.

Political observers speculated that this region’s next appointee will likely come from the east side of the Metroplex, since someone from Fort Worth has held the seat for years. Before Vandergriff, Dallas/Fort Worth Airport Board Chairman Bill Meadows served on the board.

The governor’s office would only say Friday that they are working quickly to find the best person.

But hopefully, whoever the governor appoints, will recognize that for years this region has used a mixture of toll fees, private investment and state funding to pay for projects that the state alone simply couldn’t afford. This funding formula has already provided more than $4 billion for the entire North Texas Express project.

Losing Vandergriff definitely was a blow. We couldn’t have missed him more as we recently dodged orange cones or endured traffic jams. But it doesn’t have to be crippling if the governor appoints someone who has driven a mile or two on our North Texas roads.

This story was originally published March 16, 2018 at 7:12 PM with the headline "North Texas needs a voice on roads."