Seems the more you look at local governments around Texas the overarching theme is transportation and the many traffic problems that plague our roads. The population has most certainly grown due to many factors such as the oil & gas boom that although is in a slow cycle right now, will probably most likely pick up in the next year to few years and grow again.

Also Texas had a resilient economy in the face of the financial collapse of 2008. Whatever the reason for the migration may be; the simple fact

stands that population has exceeded the infrastructure currently in place. This brings up the question, “What should we do?”

According to a supply and demand slide in a public service announcement video on movetexasforward.com, since 1970 the population of Texas has grown 125%, which had a side effect of a 172% rise in vehicles on Texas roads. With a population of people and vehicles on the rise the next issue needing attention is the usage of said people in their cars and trucks occupying the roads, which has risen to a staggering 238%. Compared to a meager 19% expansion of our infrastructure. Now, these numbers might seem astounding, but some areas of Texas suffer far greater than others. Comparing traffic counts around Austin as opposed to an oil boom town in West Texas would be misconstrued. The rural town that experiences a massive spike in population with roads meant to accommodate a fraction of the load of vehicles would experience far longer standstill times on the road. Although Austin with its metropolitan transportation systems such as bus and rail still can’t find the right answer for a swelling population.

Acknowledged by ballotpedia.org the state of Texas is looking to collect 28 billion in tax revenue in one fiscal year by way of a constitutional amendment through the Texas Legislature. This tax is based on the sales from the purchase of new cars and car rentals in the state.

Robert Nichols a Republican senator for the 3rd District in the Texas Senate authored the amendment. In all there are 43 legislators who sponsored and co-authored making Proposition 7 a priority for Texas transportation agendas.

Time will ultimately tell if the legislation made an impact or if the money was allocated properly. The Woodlands has seen first hand what an expanding industry can do with reshaping the lives of citizens locally. Emerging economic gains always come with a price. Manifesting itself in the shape of traffic and population growth one thing is for certain. We need to address this while it’s still inexpensive sooner rather than later. The longer we wait with the inflationary cost of construction, we will lose in the long run if nothing is done. People should be aware of the decisions that are laid before them. One of my favorite media icons @RondaRousey, who loves to make her impact felt said it best. Don’t be a do nothing bitch!