U.S. Rep. Says Ban Trucks From Houston's Katy Freeway

A U.S. Representative from Texas wants to solve the problems of Houston's crowded Katy Freeway by using toll lanes and banning tractor-trailers.

Rep. John Culberson, who represents Texas' seventh district and is a member of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, writes in Houston Energy magazine that expanding the Katy Freeway is his top local legislative priority.
Last April, the Texas Transportation Commission began negotiations with the Harris County Toll Road Authority to determine the feasibility of creating four toll lanes down the center of the Katy Freeway. Culberson supports the idea of the toll lanes, predicting that their use, along with 24-hour construction techniques, can cut the time of completion from the original estimates of 10-12 years to only six years.
Culberson says he is also working to pass legislation dedicated to truck toll lanes, and to require trucks moving through Houston to use I-69 to further ease congestion. "I want to get trucks off west HoustonÍs main thoroughfare and make them travel around the city to make our city roads safer," he writes. "I will also increase railroad use to further eliminate trucks from using our streets."