Interesting article. Below are two items from that article that caught my attention:

* "Of course, transportation planning leads to controversies in El Paso."

* "After the state approved the creation of toll lanes on the border highway, several elected officials opted to come out against them because they claim the tolls target some of the poorest people in El Paso living in the Lower Valley."

-- COMMENT: Believe if you check earlier MPO meeting minutes, you will find many of these same people questioned if people would really pay tolls, back when this $1-billion plan was approved. They agreed to compromise in order to move the plan forward knowing it was a needed DEVIL'S COMPROMISE. Time will tell if their concerns were correct.

-- Reference the trucking industry, check past El Paso TIMES files and you will find an article by former reporter Louie Gilot, plus an editorial of concern, about placing tolls on the international free bridge. So if truckers won't or can't pay tolls on the international bridges, are they really going to pay tolls to use the Border Highway? Basically, will you have a revenue shortfall?

* "And plans to build a commuter international port of entry were thwarted by the Ysleta Independent School District because school board members there thought the proposed bridge would bring traffic, crime and even smog into the neighborhoods their campuses serve."

-- COMMENT: This area is NOT EVEN AROUND the Fort Bliss/Biggs Field military complex, so why was it even discussed as part of this study?