Today, Congressman Michael C. Burgess, the only Texas Republican Congressman on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, considered the six-year surface transportation reauthorization bill (H.R. 3550) during the full committee mark-up. The committee substituted a 900-page "manager's amendment" for the introduced bill and then considered committee members’ amendments. The manager's amendment downsized the bill by about $100 billion to $275 billion moving it closer in-line with the transportation reauthorization proposals of the Senate ($318 billion) and the White House ($259 billion). Congressman Michael Burgess continued his lobbying efforts to ensure that North Texas receives much-needed transportation dollars. Several key concepts Burgess stressed during committee negotiations were included in the manager’s amendment. Title I, Section 1501 includes his concept of the RAPID Act (H.R. 2864), which allows highways to be constructed in commonsense increments as they are needed by streamlining the design-build process. Introduced with Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson, the Congressman’s “Borders-Corridors” legislation (H.R. 2220) and concepts, which provides allocations to states and metropolitan planning organizations for constructing corridors of national significance, economic growth, and international or interregional trade was included in Title I, Sections 1301 and 1302. Currently, Majority Leader Tom DeLay’s SHARE legislation, which works to bring a higher rate of return on transportation dollars for donor states like Texas, is still being debated amongst House and Committee Leadership. Congressman Burgess is working with both House and Committee Leadership to ensure Texas receives its fair share by imposing a 95% rate of return. “The United States has benefited greatly from having a strong transportation network, but we are approaching a crossroads,” stated Congressman Michael Burgess. “I hope that our work on transportation reauthorization is one step closer to finding solutions to this impending problem. I believe H.R. 3550 is bringing us closer to our policy goals in North Texas to achieve our region’s goal of efficient, seamless transportation corridors and combat congestion.” Congressman Burgess was successful in securing three New Starts transit designations for North Texas until Title III, Section 3037. The designations include Denton County Transportation Authority, Fixed Guideway Project; Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART), Beltline to DFW Airport; and Fort Worth Trinity Railway Express Commuter Rail Extension. Rep. Michael Burgess has several key District priority projects included in the committee’s bill which total over $45 million for North Texas. From committee, the bill will go to the House floor for a vote and then onto a conference committee where a final bill will be finalized. All projects and bill language are subject to change. Project Descriptions - Dollars *Widen from 4 to 6 lanes I-35E from Lake Lewisville to Loop 288 $14 million *Widen US 380 West from 2 to 4 lanes from the Denton, Texas city limits to western Denton County line $5 million *Relocation of FM 156 at Alliance Airport $5 million *Add shoulders to FM 156 from Ponder, Texas to Krum, Texas $4 million *Widening FM 423 $8 million *SH 114/SH 170 in South Denton County $2.5 million *SH 114/SH 121 “Funnel Project” – Preliminary Engineering Study $4 million *Tower 55 CMAQ Congestion and Preliminary Engineering Study (in coordination with Congresswoman Kay Granger) $2.5 million *FM 2499, Section 4 $1 million *Improvements to I-35E/I-635 Interchange $1 million