Texas lawmakers send bill to governor that would eventually outlaw red-light cameras
The legislation includes a provision to allow local governments to continue operating cameras until they finish out any contracts in effect as of May 7. Full Story
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![A red light camera at the intersection of I-35 and 11th St. near downtown Austin on May 6, 2019.]()
Credit: Miguel Gutierrez Jr. / The Texas Tribune -
Texas Senate passes bill to kill program that critics say can trap poor people in a cycle of debt
The bill to end the unpopular program, which adds annual surcharges on top of traffic fines — and prompts the suspension of millions of driver's licenses — is headed for Gov. Greg Abbott's desk. If he signs it, pending surcharges will be dropped. Full Story
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![A Dallas police car on patrol.]()
Credit: Cooper Neill for The Texas Tribune -
Texas high-speed rail plans dodge bullet after lawmakers strike provision aiming to delay the project
Legal battles over whether the developer can use eminent domain still loom over the project. Full Story
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![The Japanese Shinkansen is a high-speed train used by JR Central in Japan. A private company is planning to build a rail line between Dallas and Houston using the same trains.]()
Credit: Norihiro Kataoka -
Some see a plan to expand I-35 as a betrayal of Austin’s environmental values
Supporters say the $8 billion plan for one of the state’s most notorious stretches of highway is necessary to fight congestion. But critics say new lanes won’t end traffic — and worry the plan undercuts Austin’s goal to reduce single-occupancy car trips. Full Story
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![I-35 tops the 2015 list of the 100 most congested roadways in Texas compiled by the Texas A&M University Texas Transportation Institute.]()
Credit: Shelby Knowles for The Texas Tribune -
Red-light cameras could be removed from Texas intersections after House vote
But an amendment to the bill could keep the devices in place until cities' contracts with vendors expire. Camera proponents say they make intersections safer, but critics say they undermine due process. Full Story
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![A red light camera at the intersection of I-35 and 11th St. near downtown Austin on May 6, 2019.]()
Credit: Miguel Gutierrez Jr./The Texas Tribune -
Texans could soon know more about how much money toll agencies spend after debt and maintenance costs are paid
The legislation wouldn't remove tolls from roads that have had their construction costs paid off. But its author calls the required disclosure of revenues and expenses an act of transparency. Full Story
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![A toll road in Austin on Dec. 17, 2017.]()
Credit: Shelby Knowles for The Texas Tribune -
Electric scooters could soon be kicked off Texas sidewalks, if state Senate gets its way
The upper chamber passed a bill Wednesday that would add several restrictions on the popular, but controversial, machines. The measure would require scooter renters to be at least 16 years old and it would prohibit more than one person from riding at a time. Full Story
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![Motorized scooters on the University of Texas at Austin campus.]()
Credit: Shelby Knowles for The Texas Tribune -
Texas leads the nation in traffic deaths. These proposed laws could make roads safer.
Bills aimed at making a dent in traffic deaths have gotten mixed results at the Texas Legislature this year. Full Story
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![Early morning oilfield traffic moving southwest on Highway 115 toward Kermit, Texas.]()
Credit: Jerod Foster for The Texas Tribune -
Could Texas high-speed rail hit a speed bump this session?
Lawmakers are pushing more measures than ever before that could delay the Dallas-Houston bullet train project — and there’s even a special subcommittee tackling the topic. Full Story
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![The Japanese Shinkansen is a high-speed train used by JR Central in Japan. A private company is planning to build a rail line between Dallas and Houston using the same trains.]()
Credit: Norihiro Kataoka -
T-Squared: Meet our new Dallas-based urban affairs reporter
Juan Pablo Garnham, who has 14 years of experience as a reporter, editor and journalism teacher in Latin America and the United States, starts at The Texas Tribune on June 3. Full Story
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![Juan Pablo Garnham.]()
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Texas high-speed rail developer doesn't want state money. But the Senate's state budget could still delay the project.
Although Texas Central isn't planning on using state funds for its Dallas-Houston line, it says language in the spending plan could impede the project until a court definitively affirms the company's ability to use eminent domain. Full Story
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![An access gate to power lines is closed near John Stoneham's ranch on Wednesday, January 18, 2017 in Grimes County. The roughly 1,000-acre ranch, which has been owned and operated by the Stoneham family for nearly 150 years, is in the proposed path of a high speed rail line. The rail would potentially follow the path of the power lines. If the rail is built, Stoneham could lose about 50 acres of land in the middle of his property, limiting his access to grazing pastures.]()
Credit: Ashley Landis/The Dallas Morning News -
This Texas program lands poor people in jail. Getting rid of it has been too complicated — but that might be changing.
Lawmakers in both chambers and parties want to fix the controversial Driver Responsibility Program, but the program funds state trauma centers. Where will they find $144 million to fill the gap? Full Story
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![Law enforcement officials, at a traffic stop, filmed during a Peaceful Streets Project cop watch on Apr. 24, 2015. Photo: Gabriel Cristóver Pérez for the Texas Tribune]()
Credit: Gabriel Cristóver Pérez for The Texas Tribune -
Can the Texas Legislature override local ordinances?
It can and it has. Last year, Texas lawmakers voted to override several local ordinances with new statewide measures — including relaxing regulations for ride-hailing services like Uber and Lyft. Full Story
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![Uber and Lyft, two San Francisco-based transportation networking companies, have launched services in several Texas cities.]()
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How does the government use eminent domain to seize land from Texans?
And should Texans expect to give up more of their property to the government as border wall and high-speed train projects move forward? Full Story
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![Randa and Charlie Calhoun raise pigs and cattle on their land in Bedias, Texas, on Sept 15, 2018. A proposed high speed rail would be built along existing power lines.]()
Credit: Michael Stravato for The Texas Tribune -
Catch up on some of The Texas Tribune's top projects from 2018
The Texas Tribune produced several deep-dive investigations in 2018 that examined various issues that affect Texans across the state. Here's a look at some of those standout projects. Full Story
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Credit: Marjorie Kamys Cotera / Reynaldo Leal / Callie Richmond for The Texas Tribune -
Audit questions how DPS verifies eligibility when issuing Texas driver's licenses
The audit says the Texas Department of Public Safety lacks the controls to ensure necessary documents are collected and retained. Full Story
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Dallas-Houston bullet train critics want to boost Texas oversight of eminent domain use
As private developer Texas Central moves ahead with plans to build what could be the country's first high-speed rail line, a handful of state lawmakers hope to try next year to give the state more authority over the project. But they admit there may not be the legislative appetite. Full Story
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![Randa and Charlie Calhoun raise pigs and cattle on their land in Bedias, Texas, on Sept. 15, 2018. A proposed high speed rail would be built along existing power lines.]()
Credit: Michael Stravato for The Texas Tribune -
Texas values collide in fight over Houston-Dallas high speed rail
A proposed high-speed rail line between the state's two largest urban areas represents the collision of two things Texans hold dear: private property rights and an unrestrained free market Full Story
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![5-year-old Cainen Calhoun runs to catch up to his father Charlie on his family's land in Bedias, Texas, on Sept. 15, 2018. A proposed high-speed rail would be built along existing power lines.]()
Credit: Michael Stravato for The Texas Tribune -
Watch our symposium on rural Texas, and include your community in the conversation
We're livestreaming our two-day event in College Station, diving into the most pressing issues facing rural communities across Texas. Tune in and include your community in the conversation. Full Story
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Mayor Bill de Blasio says his "progressive vision" for New York City can be copied across the country
De Blasio, a two-term Democrat, answered questions about the subway, progressivism at the local and national levels and politics in an increasingly left-wing New York state. Full Story
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![New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio is interviewed by Brian Rosenthal of the New York Times at the Texas Tribune Festival in Austin on Sept. 28, 2018.]()
Credit: Bob Daemmrich for The Texas Tribune