The fight goes on over La Entrada

Alpine kindergarten students raise their sweet little voices in song Friday at the Christmas program that attracted family and friends.

Two activities are well along in opposition to the proposed La Entrada al Pacifico trade corridor.

First, Big Bend residents have been critiquing the work of the consulting engineering firm, HDR Consultants, contracted by the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) to prepare a feasibility study on La Entrada and ultimately to make recommendations on the proposed trade route.

Second, many residents are putting together petitions opposing the disruption to our lives in the Big Bend and submit those petitions to TxDOT.

Freight-growth

The first and crucial part of the study is determining how much truck traffic we will have coming through the Big Bend if the Mexican portion of La Entrada is done. What is being studied now concerns how much more freight can be expected through the Presidio Port of Entry.

The impact of trucks coming through our cities depends upon how much truck traffic will come through. We all know we don't want trucks coming through our towns - that's a given.

But how MUCH damage such trucks would do depends on how many trucks come from Mexico. Some people are tired of meetings being delayed, but all the delays in moving forward in the feasibility study are good delays, necessary delays, if we hope to have information to fight the truck corridor.

The first part of the study, freight growth projections, must be done as accurately as possible.

There are, of course, real questions on whether any of the improvements to the Port of Topolobampo will ever be done, whether the Asian goods will ever come into Texas through Presidio, whether there is money and the will in Mexico to pour the necessary money into all the improvements that would be needed - not even just the port but the road. What is the likelihood of trucking firms choosing a La Entrada route?

This part needs to be done right. Most of us are not statisticians. But some of us are and we will keep pressing for accuracy.

Yes, we want alternative routes identified if needed, and we certainly want impact studies done if the numbers warrant it.

But first the freight study must be done right. Do not forget that the proposed La Entrada route is in federal and state statutes. Any alternatives will be in addition to the designated route. What we want is a recommendation of "no build" if possible. We need to get this part right.

Brian Swindell, head of the HDR team, said on Dec. 14 that the revisions are close to finished and the results will be sent to the Technical Advisory Committee this week. Included in the materials will be the responses to the issues we raised in the October meeting in Alpine and the responses from a similar meeting the next day in Odessa.

After review by the committee and any further adjustments needed, a public meeting will be arranged sometime early next year out here. Even though there has not been much visible activity, much has been going on in preparing and revising the statistical study. We can be proud of our citizens who have worked hard to get the statistical study done accurately.

When a public meeting has been set up early next year and the statistical study put on the web for all to see, we will all have a chance to respond. The newspapers and radio outlets will be notified, and we should plan on coming out in numbers to that meeting.

Petition presentation

Peggy Thurin of the Advanced Planning Division of TxDOT in Austin has agreed to come out to Alpine around mid-January for a presentation of petitions to TxDOT.

While details of the meeting have not been finalized yet, awaiting a precise date, people who have collected petitions need to gather them for that meeting.

The Stewards of the Big Bend have gathered many petitions over the last six months both in the Big Bend area and around the state. Just this fall there have been special occasions held by community groups gathering names. Statewide, the Lone Star Chapter of the Sierra Club sent petitions in its fall magazine, and those have been coming back.

Petitions have been collected at the Chinati Open House, and a group of students formed the ReViva Collective and collected names at ArtWalk in November and elsewhere. Estimates as to total collected run between 1,500-2,000 signatures. Anyone having petitions should call Susan Curry at 432-837-0735 to participate in the handover ceremony.

The fight goes on.

Fran Sage, an Alpine resident, is an environmental activist in the Big Bend and frequent contributor to the Avalanche.