Senate Committee on Transportation & Homeland Security

 Public Hearing, may 3, 2010 – 9:00AM 

george r. brown convention center, Houston, Texas, Suite 371 A-F

I. Convene

                               1.                        Call to order

                               2.                        Opening remarks by Committee Members

                               3.                        Opening remarks Scott Belcher, President & CEO, Intelligent Transportation Society of America

II. Quarterly update: Texas Department of Public Safety

                               1.                        Steve McCraw, Executive Director 

III. Quarterly update: Texas Department of Transportation

                               1.                        Amadeo Saenz, Executive Director

IV. Interim Charge 12: Study and make recommendations for legislation to inform Texans about best practices for hurricane preparation, response, and recovery, including information about basic state operations and pre-designated locations for PODs (Points of Distribution) across the state. Establish procedures and penalties for noncompliance by local jurisdictions that hinder response and recovery efforts.

                               1.                        Dr. Carol Lewis, Principal Investigator, Department of Homeland Security (DHS) National Transportation Security Center of Excellence for Petro-Chemical Transportation (NTSCOE-P), Texas Southern University

                               2.                        Steve McCraw, Executive Director, Texas Department of Public Safety

                               3.                        Jack Colley, Assistant Director for Emergency Management, Texas Department of Public Safety

                               4.                        COL. Dan Steiner, J2/J3 Director, Texas Military Forces

                               5.                         LTC. (RET) Ruben Alonzo, Director of State Operations, Texas Military Forces

                               6.                        Tom Boggus, Director, Texas Forest Service

                     7.                 Bob Koenig, Incident Management Training Coordinator, Texas Forest Service

                               8.                        The Hon. Wes Suiter, Angelina County Judge

                               9.                        The Hon. Lyda Ann Thomas, Mayor of Galveston

V. Interim Charge 8:  Evaluate the Texas Department of Transportation's policy for permitting overweight vehicles and recommend ways to ensure overweight vehicles do not cause significant damage to the State's roadways and bridges.  Examine the limited operation hours and staffing of highway weight stations across the state and consider whether expanded operations or other alternatives would improve compliance with weight restrictions.

                               1.                        Dr. Peter Sweatman, Director, University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute

                               2.                        John Barton, Assistant Executive Director for Engineering Operations, TxDOT

                               3.                        Steve McCraw, Executive Director, Texas Department of Public Safety

                               4.                        Charles McMahen, Public Member, Sunset Advisory Committee

                               5.                        Dick Landis, President & CEO, HELP, Inc.

                               6.                        John Esparza, President/CEO, Texas Motor Transportation Association (TMTA)

                               7.                        Tom Paben, State Director, District 11, Texas Farm Bureau

                               8.                        Josh Winegarner, Texas Cattle Feeders Association

                               9.                        Tony Rattei, US Custom Harvesters/Western Peanut Growers Association 

                            10.                        Charlie Gee, President, Texas Logging Council    

VI. Interim Charge 1:  Recommend ways to maximize the contribution of alternative transportation modes and evaluate what impacts they have on congestion and air quality. Identify statutory barriers to reducing transportation’s impact on air quality and preventing any restrictions on or loss of federal funds due to air quality.Study the incidence of fraudulent automotive emissions certifications in the state and recommend changes in enforcement which will increase the effectiveness of state emissions regulation and assist in attainment of federal air quality standards.

                               1.                        John Barton, Assistant Executive Director for Engineering Operations, TxDOT

                               2.                        Mike Heiligenstein, CEO Central Texas RMA

                               3.                        Alan Clark, Director, Houston-Galveston Area Council

                                4.                        Joe Zietsman, Director, Center for Air Quality Studies, Texas Transportation Institute

                               5.                        The Hon. Rob Quartel, Chairman & CEO, NTELX

                               6.                        Louis Neudorff, ITERIS Corporation

                               7.                        Dan Dickerson, President, Association of Commuter Transportation

                               8.                        Barry Goodman, Texas Transit Association (urban approach)

                               9.                        John McBeth, Texas Transit Association (rural approach)

                            10.                        Robin Stallings, Texas Bicycle Coalition  

                            11.                        Robin Holzer, Chair, Citizens Transportation Coalition (CTC)

                           12.                        Guy Hoffman, Inspection & Maintenance, and Gasoline Programs, Chief Engineer's Office,  Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ)

                            13.                        Donna Huff, Air Quality and Planning Division, Chief Engineer's Office, Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ)

                            14.                        Steve McCraw, Executive Director, Texas Department of Public Safety

                            15.                        Sgt. Jerry Kitchens, Dallas Sheriff, Clean Air Task Force

                            16.                        Chris Klaus, Senior Program Manager, Air Quality Planning & Operations, NCTCOG

VII. Public Testimony

        Please limit remarks to 3 minutes or less and please give any handouts to committee staff.

VIII. Recess