TxDoT cuts funding for plants along Central Expressway in Dallas

by PegNews wire

This is one of North Texas' native grasses. Say goodbye to the green sanctuary while sitting in traffic on 75.

The Texas Department of Transportation told city officials Monday that they will no longer maintain the plants on Central Expressway between 635 and downtown. Apparently there was no maintenance agreement previously agreed upon between the city and the state but TxDoT watered the foliage anyway. The City of Dallas does, however, have options. They can pay the $750,000 a year it costs to maintain the plants, they can pay $350,000 a year to replace the plants with native grasses or for no extra charge TxDoT will fill the space in with metal and concrete. Isn't that nice. Option B doesn't sound too bad until you realize that grasses native to Dallas are ugly.

Posted by Laura S.

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Scott Doyle, says:

Don't worry, I'm sure <a href="http://www.pegasusnews.com/news/2008/feb/07/dallas-state-senator-proposes-higher-gas-taxes/">Senator Carona</a> will just tack a couple more cents onto his already ridiculous gas tax increase to pay for it. We're good.

Needs more <a href="http://www.pegasusnews.com/news/2007/feb/17/bill-legislature-halt-tollway-building/">Representative Garnett Coleman</a> on the case.

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1 year, 9 months ago
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Scott Doyle, says:

Hmmm, seems Garnet only has the one 't', per <a href="http://www.house.state.tx.us/members/dist147/coleman.htm">the House's site</a> and <a href="http://www.garnetcoleman.com/Garnet/Home/Home.html">his personal site</a>.

Sincere apologies, Mr. Coleman. I just called it like I saw it in the linked article.

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John McClelland, says:

Knowing the City Council, they will sneak the plant watering into a bond issue somewhere. It will probably be labeled "road maintenance improvements".

But seriously, it would probably be best to replace the plants with something that doesn't require watering in the first place. I am not too particular about foliage in my roadways.

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Teresa Gubbins, says:

they first announced this <a href="http://www.pegasusnews.com/news/2007/apr/08/greenery-being-removed-central-expressway-dallas/">back in april</a>. i like that the kneejerk city council gets huffy about it every time it's brought up. it's one of those feel-good issues they can raise a stink about, and TxDOT makes an awesome villain

i have nothing but the utmost sympathy for those plants stuck in the middle of the freeway. that's gotta be a crappy life, choking through the carbon monoxide when what they really crave is carbon DIoxide. all so that motorists can feel good about seeing some "greenery" (more like BROWNery, zing) as they haul ass down 75. those plants would be better off in an abandoned lot somewhere