Texas Commuters Saved $3 Billion in 2022
Road projects, travel options held delays below pre-Covid levels
Nov. 28, 2023
AUSTIN – Commuters across Texas reaped time and cost savings valued at more than $3 billion last year, thanks to transportation improvements and pandemic-related trends that made their drives quicker than just a few years ago, according to a new report from the Texas A&M Transportation Institute (TTI).
The report analyzed commuting trends in 2022 and compared them to pre-pandemic levels in 2019. The study found that, while motorists drove more miles last year, roadway construction and expansion projects like those in TxDOT’s Texas Clear Lanes — a Gov. Greg Abbott initiative — helped make travel smoother and more efficient.
The study, which converted time savings from smoother commutes into dollar values and coupled those benefits with average fuel cost savings, also found the most significant savings in the state’s biggest cities (see chart below).
The findings are drawn from TTI’s legislatively mandated annual analysis, which measures traffic delays in more than 2,100 of the most congested road segments in the state.
“It’s encouraging to see the impact our work is having on Texas roads throughout the state to help ease congestion,” TxDOT Executive Director Marc Williams said. “But our work isn’t done. As more and more people move to Texas, we need to keep moving forward with projects that address traffic congestion and improve safety in areas that need it most.”
Roadbuilding continued at a brisk pace in recent years, highlighted by the $100 billion 2024 Unified Transportation Program (UTP) and TxDOT’s Texas Clear Lanes initiative. Through that effort, TxDOT has invested more than $32 billion to plan, construct and complete non-tolled projects in the state’s largest population centers since 2015. Overall, 18 Texas Clear Lanes projects are now complete, 25 are under construction, and another 62 are planned.
This annual study puts Houston’s West Loop atop the most congested list for the second consecutive year. Also in Houston, the Eastex Freeway comes in second place, followed by Dallas’ Woodall Rogers Freeway, Austin’s I-35 through downtown, and the Southwest Freeway in Houston.
Nine of the 10 most congested road segments in the state were repeats from the year before. And in each of the last four years, at least 83 of the 100 most congested segments were concentrated in the four largest urban areas (Houston, Dallas-Fort Worth, Austin and San Antonio).
“As we would expect, nearly all of the 100 most congested road segments are in the state’s largest urban areas,” Texas A&M Transportation Institute Senior Research Scientist David Schrank said. “But a deeper look at the full listing clearly illustrates how congestion is not just a big city problem. Traffic delays impact our economy and our well-being no matter where we live.”
Overall traffic delays statewide last year were up 7% over 2021 conditions. Even with last year’s increase, 2022 estimates of overall delay were still 23% lower than in 2019, a comparison even more noteworthy due to the fact overall traffic volume on roadways has increased 2% compared to 2019. Truck delays, on the other hand, were up 15% over 2021 and 1% higher than three years before.
As completed projects provide a more efficient rush hour, researchers also point to pandemic-related trends that have helped reduce roadway delays. Flexible workplace schedules continue to shape a new commuting standard. In addition, consumers are relying more on home delivery of goods.
A comprehensive listing of the 2,100-plus road segments statewide, with previous year comparisons, is available online.
| 2022 Conditions | ||
| Area | Congestion Cost Savings ($ million) | Annual Savings per Commuter (1) |
| Statewide | $3,007 | $223 |
| Top 100 | $341 | $109 |
| Austin District | $429 | $331 |
| Dallas District | $593 | $188 |
| Ft. Worth District | $156 | $118 |
| Houston District | $1,018 | $284 |
| San Antonio District | $248 | $187 |
| Non-Metro Districts | $562 | $93 |
| 1 – assumes a 20-mile commute, 5 days a week | ||
Dinner Bell Menu For November 29, 2023
Christus Mother Frances Hospital is the Community Partner for the sixth time in 2023! Even though the hospital is a healing institution, one of its yearly goals is to alleviate food insufficiency in Sulphur Springs and Hopkins County. Sufficiently fed bodies are usually healthy bodies. The assistance Christus gives to the Dinner Bell Feeding Ministry with money and manpower helps that that goal to be met.
GRAB and GO with a meal from the distribution area under the covered driveway (porte cochere) on the Northeast corner of the First United Methodist Church campus starting around 10:30 a.m. on Wednesday.
MENU
Turkey Noodle Casserole
Crunchy Romaine Toss
Buttered French Bread Slices
Lemon Cake To Die For
TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF BY FOLLOWING SAFE PRACTICES AS FLU AND COVID ARE LURKING! WASH YOUR HANDS OFTEN! WEAR MASKS WHERE REQUIRED! GET INOCULATED AND BOOSTED!!!
DINNER BELL CARES ABOUT YOUR HEALTH!!!
Paris Junior College Students are Busy Getting Ready for Their Upcoming Graduation
PJC GRADUATION
November 28, 2023 – PJC-Greenville student Aide Lopez of Royce City, left, is preparing for her graduation from the college on Dec. 15 by obtaining a cap and gown from PJC Graduation Coordinator Rebecca Whitley, right. Commencement exercises will be held at 7 p.m. in the Hunt Physical Education Center on the Paris campus.
Paris Junior College — located in Paris, Texas, about 100 miles northeast of Dallas — has been a part of the Lamar County community since 1924.
Paris Junior College offers Associate in Arts, Associate in Science and Associate in Applied Science degrees, as well as Certificates of Proficiency in technical/workforce fields. The college has expanded its academic curriculum through the years to encourage associate degree and university transfer candidates. Since establishing its first vocational program — jewelry and watchmaking in 1942 — the college has been aggressive in adding technical/workforce programs that will benefit students entering the workforce.
The campus of 54 tree-shaded acres includes 20 major buildings and residence halls and provides students a unique and pleasant environment for learning.
Paris Junior College also operates centers in Sulphur Springs, Texas, and in Greenville, Texas.
Vision
To be the educational provider of choice for the region.
Mission
Paris Junior College is a comprehensive community college serving the region’s educational and training needs while strengthening the economic, social and cultural life of our diverse community.
Health Care Foundation’s Annual Snowflake Campaign is Underway
November 28, 2023 – Sulphur Springs, TX – The Hopkins County Health Care Foundation is ready to decorate the main CHRISTUS Mother Frances Hospital-Sulphur Springs lobby with hundreds of snowflakes this holiday season. The community is invited to pay tribute to friends or family members with a gift in their honor or memory. The Foundation will then send a card to notify the honorees or designated contacts to make them aware of the gift.
A beautiful hand-cut snowflake bearing the name of the individual being recognized will be displayed in the main lobby of CHRISTUS Mother Frances Hospital – Sulphur Springs. By the end of the campaign, the lobby will be a flurry of snowflakes.
The Christmas campaign is an annual tradition that is warmly received by donors and honorees alike. Considered part of the Lights of Life campaign, the tradition originated many years ago with donors sponsoring lights on the tree to recognize friends and loved ones. After that, luminarias were added and often lit the pathway of the Gardens at Memorial during the holiday season.
Three years ago, the luminarias were changed to snowflakes which now are dotted along the windows and glass walls of the hospital lobby. The snowflakes add to the magical scene of the 12-foot-tall Christmas tree which is elaborately adorned in gold baubles.
The recommended donation for each person honored is $25 or more. Recognition of individuals makes a lovely seasonal gift. It is a great way to tell someone they are thought of during the holiday season and a wonderful way to pay tribute to a deceased friend or loved one.
Donations may be mailed to the Foundation or made online at the Snowflake campaign webpage Snowflake2023.givesmart.com. Please include contact information for the donor as well as the individuals to whom notification should be mailed. Additionally, the name(s) of the individual(s) to be added to the snowflakes as well as if the gift is in honor of or memory of the person.
For more information, visit Snowflake2023.givesmart.com or call the Foundation office at 903-438-4799.
The Hopkins County Health Care Foundation is an IRS 501 (c) 3 not-for-profit organization.
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Photo 1: The Christmas tree is up, decorated, and lit at CHRISTUS Mother Frances Hospital – Sulphur Springs. Soon a flurry of snowflakes will join in the fun! To learn more about the Snowflake campaign, visit Snowflake2023.givesmart.com. 
Photo 2: The first of the snowflakes have alighted on the windows of the CMF-SS lobby. To honor or memorialize a friend or loved one, go to Snowflake2023.givesmart.com.
Winnsboro Police Department Media Report 11-20-2023 – 11-26-2023
Arrests:
Anderson, Paul, 42 years of age, of Winnsboro, TX, was arrested on 11-24-2023 for possession of a CS, PG1/1-B>=4G<200G and Tamper fabricate physical evidence w/intent to impair.
Shaw, Reginald, 32 years of age, of Quitman, TX,, was arrested on 11-26-2023 for DWI.
Calls for Service:
The Winnsboro Police Department responded to a total of 94 calls for service during this reporting period.
Citations:
The Winnsboro Police Department issued 26 citations and 32 warnings during this reporting period.
After a Hot Summer the Entire Cow-calf Herd May be Stressed by Mario Villarino
November 27, 2023 – As a cow-calf herd goes into the fall season after a hot, dry summer, the entire herd may be stressed. Excessive heat, short grass and low water tanks stress cattle and make them more susceptible to diseases. Unsanitary conditions and abrupt diet changes also can lead to illness, as can other circumstances of stress. At the end of the summer, the cows are likely pulled down to a thin body condition from nursing the calves, the bulls worn out from breeding, and the calves shocked from weaning. A pulled-down cow is at risk of contracting many types of diseases.
When cattle are stressed, they become thin and their immune systems are suppressed. Germs that are dormant in the tissues and organs of the cattle can break out of dormancy, multiply and cause outbreaks of diseases and disorders, such as: a) Clostridiosis (clostridial blackleg group), which is a group of highly fatal muscle, liver and intestinal diseases b) Leptospirosis (lepto), a bacterial disease that can cause abortions, stillbirths and weak newborn calves as well as jaundice, high fever and usually death c) Anaplasmosis (anaplas), an infectious disease that causes anemia, weakness, fever, lack of appetite, constipation, abortion and sometimes death d) Viral and bacterial pneumonia, diseases of the lungs e) Viral and bacterial abortions, infectious diseases that cause death of the embryo or fetus f) Bacterial pyometra, a disease of the uterus G) Bacterial diarrhea, a gastroenteritis.
When any one of these health problems is recognized in a stressed cow-calf herd, it can be assumed the cattle were carriers that broke with the disease even without a recent exposure to the disease agent. The diseased cattle may have been exposed and become infected several months before the time of stress precipitating the disease in the cattle with clinical symptoms. Some cattle may become emaciated with “bottle-jaw” (a soft swelling under the jaw) and advance to a “downer” stage, becoming unable to rise. In many cases, the cattle may die. Producers can prevent or minimize health problems in the fall and winter by reducing the stresses caused by inadequate nutrition, sudden feeding changes and poor sanitation.
For more information on this or any other agricultural topic please contact the Hopkins County Extension Office at 903-885-3443 or email me at [email protected].
SSISD Bond Committee Pushes Forward to Find Path for Next Bond Request
November 27, 2023 – SSISD Bond Committee will meet again on Monday, November 27th at Douglass Early Childhood School to push forward with information on another bond request for much needed improvements to SSISD campuses. The 50-member committee has met three times previously at different campuses to get a better feel of what is needed for the district as well as how much the next bond request will be after two failed attempts in 2022. Currently, SSISD administration is recommending up to $150 million bond package, made up of different parts and amounts for voters to choose from as early as May of 2024.
SSISD Board of Directors have been accelerating payments of past bonds over past years (2012-2017) and have refunded more than $12.5 million in bonds over those years resulting in a balance of just over $35 million as 2023 comes to a close. SSISD administration is hopeful that can achieve a “no-tax-increase” bond during the next election cycle by “leveraging” taxes on new industries in the school district to cover the increase of the bond payback over a 30 year period.
SSISD previously has had two bonds fail at the ballot box. The first in May 2022 being a $93 million bond which suffered low voter turnout and failed with a vote split of 1,191 voting against and 956 voting in favor of the measure. With a revamped bond package, and much higher voter participation, an $81.5 million bond, failed again in November 2022 by a razor thin margin of only 92 votes with a total of 7,710 votes cast in that election.
SSISD Administration, led by new superintedent, Dr. Deana Steeber, has so far recommended to the committee that the Sulphur Springs Independent School District is in need of the following:
- New K-5 Elementary School at SSES property (600-student capacity)
- New K-5 Elementary School at site TBD (600-student capacity)
- Renovations at Barbara Bush Elementary (Required library renovations for 600-student capacity and playground updates for ADA compliance)
- Renovations at Bowie Elementary School (for 400-student capacity in K-5 and playground updates for ADA compliance)
- Additional district-wide safety and security measures
- Land acquisition for new elementary school
- Renovations for special programs staff relocation to Johnson or Travis campus
The above list is broken out into different categories by administration with the two new K-5 Elementary schools and land acquisition for one of the schools being “Major Projects” and the renovations of Barbara Bush, Bowie, Johnson, and, Travis categorized as “Moderate Projects”. Safety and Security additions (district-wide) were placed in “Minor Projects”. All of these additions, improvements, and measures are likely to show up next May as different choices in the form of seperate bond proposals for voters to pick and choose what they believe may be most important to the future of SSISD.
The SSISD 50-member bond committee will meet for a final time on Monday, December 4, 2023 at Travis Primary School to further decide the final components of any upcoming bond election and how it will be constructed.
Eat At McAlister’s Deli on Tuesday and Support Meal-A-Day
November 27, 2023 – On Tuesday November 28, from 5 to 10 PM at the McAlister’s Deli in Sulphur Springs, TX, 20% of all sales will be donated to the Meal-A-Day program here in Sulphur Springs.
Be sure to use the promo code DONATEMCA if you order online. When you order in person, made sure to mention you want to support Meal-A-Day.
If you have question, call Amanda at 903 885 1661.
Irving Man Spends Night of Black Friday in Hopkins County Jail
November 27, 2023 – An Irving man passing through Hopkins County on the day after Thanksgiving was stopped on Interstate 30 for expired registration and speeding near mile marker 127 in a black S5 Audi. A strong odor of marijuana emitted from inside the vehicle as the DPS officer was talking with the 40 year-old male, identified as George Kim. The driver and lone occupant of the car admitted to having a small amount of marijuana inside his vehicle. He was also found to have two vapes on his person and freely admitted that one of the vapes contained THC. During a probable cause search, a usable amount of a green leafy substance was found and suspected to be marijuana. A small cartridge containing a brown viscous substance labeled and suspected to be THC was also located inside a backpack. George Kim, 40, of Irving who refused to give his place of employment was placed under arrest and transported to the Hopkins County jail with Possession of Controlled Substance Penalty Group 2 under 1 gram charge as well as Possession of Marijuana under 2 ounces. The Controlled Substance charge is a state jail felony while the marijuana charge is a class B misdemeanor. The Audi was impounded but has since been reclaimed as Kim was released from Hopkins County Jail over the holiday weekend.
Another Good Shade Tree for 2024 From Master Gardener David Wall
There are many great deciduous shade trees for yards. Both red and white oaks, for example, will grow straight and true. Red oaks tend to grow faster. There are several other nice shade trees, but one for
which you’ve hear very little is the Tulip Tree.
The Tulip Tree (Liriodendron tulipifera) is native to eastern North America and gets its common name for its tulip-like flowers. It’s also called canoe wood as Eastern American Indians frequently used it to make
their dugout canoes.
Tulip Trees are hardy, fast growing and the tallest of all eastern hardwoods, commonly reaching heights of well over 100 feet with a diameter of 5+ feet. It can easily reach 60 feet tall in 15-20 years.
Life spans are well over 200 years. They are fast-growing in youth, taking on the pyramidal form of a Pin Oak. Later, growth slows with the limbs taking on a more rounded shape. Tulip Tree leaves look like
someone has cut the top off a maple leaf. They are deciduous and dark green with a polished appearance, turning yellow in fall. Young tree leaves are much larger those in older trees. The fragrant flowers produced in spring are large, tulip-shaped, and greenish yellow with orange markings inside.
Interestingly, if the tree severely damaged or even cut off in its early years, it will regenerate itself at the base or ground level.
Tulip trees will accept clay, loam and sandy soils. They especially like rich, moist, well-drained soils and full sun to light shade. It prefers a slightly acid soil but is quite adaptable. Don’t plant next to
a house, as it needs plenty of root room!
The Tulip Tree is a great shade tree, although finding one in your local nurseries can be a problem. Google it for nursery sources.
