Rathit

Supporters of a regional rail system are planning a media blitz to drum up support for a proposed sales tax increase.

Advocates of changing state law so that cities could hold local elections to raise their sales tax rate by up to 1 cent to pay for public transportation say they are undaunted by defeats in two legislative sessions. They hope to go to Austin armed with wider public support from a high-profile campaign when the next legislative session begins in 2009.

Walt Humann, a businessman who helped create Dallas Area Rapid Transit in the early 1980s, said he has formed an organization called Texans for Transit and registered the group with the Texas Ethics Commission.

During the 10th annual Texas Transportation Summit on Wednesday in Irving, he called for donations, telling attendees the rail effort is on the verge of getting the Legislature's approval.

"We need a staff. We're going to raise some funds. We're going to get serious,"Humann said during a panel discussion on the future of transit. Afterward, he said details such as what kind of advertising to use would be determined soon. He said the campaign would begin this year and last through May 2009.

Residents of many area cities are embracing transit. Last year, Grapevine residents overwhelmingly voted for a 3/8 -cent sales tax increase to pay for a commuter rail line to Fort Worth.

But many other cities don't have room under the state's 8.25 percent sales tax cap. An amendment that would have allowed cities to hold elections and raise the cap by up to 1 cent for transportation fell short in this year's legislative session. A few large companies employed a lobbyist to fight the amendment aggressively, Humann said.

North Richland Hills Mayor Oscar Trevino said the campaign message ought to be that a regional rail system would help clean up the air in North Texas.

Other news from the transportation summit:

Jack Miller of Denton said he will not be returning to his seat on the North Texas Tollway Authority. Miller said county officials told him they wanted to appoint someone else. In the past year, Miller and county officials have disagreed about who should build and operate the Texas 121 toll road in Denton and Collin counties. County officials were unavailable for comment.

North Texas will not have to refund $237 million already spent on the Texas 121 toll road north of Grapevine, U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison said. Hutchison, who plans to speak at the summit today, said she spoke with Transportation Secretary Mary Peters about the matter.

But the road is ineligible for future federal funds. State and regional leaders reneged on an agreement to let Spanish firm Cintra build the project and instead awarded it to the North Texas Tollway Authority -- a violation of federal procurement rules.

Members of Congress who are pushing for more funding for bridge repairs are simply reacting short term to the Minneapolis disaster and not looking at a long-term solution to the nation's aging roadways, said U.S. Rep. John Mica, R-Fla. The ranking Republican on the House Transportation Committee said he's working on a strategic plan that will look at where federal money should be spent.

The Democratic committee chairman, Jim Oberstar of Minnesota, announced Wednesday that a new bridge rehabilitation fund would be created to address nationwide bridge flaws.