God this would so never happen in California -

Texas Thinking Big on Transportation

HOUSTON — Do not mistake the Trans-Texas Corridor for a mere superhighway.

As imagined by Texas Gov. Rick Perry, the $175-billion project will be a transportation behemoth of mind-boggling proportions: 4,000 miles of mostly toll lanes perhaps a quarter-mile wide, capable of carrying cars, trucks, and high-speed freight and commuter trains.

There would be room underground for oil, water, electric and gas pipelines, and the whole works would be built largely with private money.

...The linchpin of the plan is its financing: Though the state would own the right of way to the roads, private contractors would pay to build them. In return, the contractors could charge concessions — such as tolls — for as long as 50 years. Similar projects in other countries have been financed this way, Krusee said, and it is how the Texas Department of Transportation intends to do it.

This would strike out in California on so many levels -

• New roads?    "Hell no, we should all be riding the bus!"
• New energy pipelines?   "Hell no, oil companies are already rich enough!"
• Toll Roads?   "First class roads for the rich, second class roads for the people!"
• Privately owned?  "You've got to be kidding me!"

Out here, we spend $70M just studying and veto-ing plans to add a few thousand *FEET* to our friggin' airport runways.    Much less thousands of miles of new roadway.   Bravo Texas.