Texas Corridor Project

Nation’s Top Highway Official Highlights Innovative Public-Private Partnership on Texas Corridor Project

During a visit to Austin, Texas, Federal Highway Administrator Mary E. Peters today focused national attention on an innovative transportation partnership that is attracting private capital to fund transportation improvements and reduce congestion in the region.

Peters joined Texas Governor Rick Perry and Ric Williamson, chairman of the Texas Transportation Commission, to announce an agreement between the state and a private consortium of engineering, construction and financial firms. The consortium, Cintra-Zachry, has proposed investing $7.2 billion to develop the approximately 600-mile, Oklahoma to Mexico portion of the Trans-Texas Corridor.

“Texas is a national example for all states and a leader in unleashing the resources, innovation and efficiency of the private sector to bring transportation improvements to the public faster and at less cost to American taxpayers,” said Peters. “Public-private partnerships in transportation hold great promise in cutting the congestion that’s choking our economy and keeping families apart from one another.”

This section of the proposed Trans-Texas Corridor will roughly parallel Interstate 35, running north-south through the state from Oklahoma to Mexico. As envisioned, the multi-use corridor would include lanes for passenger vehicles, trucks and rail and dedicated zones for water, electric, telecommunications and other utility lines.

The FHWA has worked with TxDOT on the flexibility the state needs to pursue its partnership with the private sector.

“The Bush Administration supports giving states and local governments a bigger menu of options that they can use to keep people and goods on the move,” said Peters.

Congress is now considering six-year surface transportation legislation that would fund highway, bridge and transit programs. The Bush Administration has proposed a number of provisions that would give states more opportunities to partner with the private sector and attract private investment in transportation, according to Peters.

# # # FHWA 02-05 Contact: Nancy Singer, Tel: 202-366-0660 Friday, March 11, 2005 SOUECE: U.S. Department of Transportation

Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA)

U.S. Labor Secretary Elaine L. Chao Announces New USERRA Notice of Rights and Benefits

WASHINGTON—U.S. Secretary of Labor Elaine L. Chao today announced that a notice in poster format explaining the rights of employees under the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA) is now available for employers to download from the Department of Labor (DOL) Web site.

The Veterans Benefits Improvement Act, enacted by Congress in December 2004, mandates that employers provide the notice to “all persons entitled to rights and benefits under USERRA.” Employers may meet this obligation by posting the notice in a prominent place where employees customarily check for such information.

“We are committed to ensuring that our brave men and women who are protecting our country's freedoms have the opportunities they deserve when they return to civilian life,” said Chao. “We will work tirelessly to continue to keep National Guard and Reserve service members, their families and employers informed about USERRA, the law that protects their jobs and benefits.”

USERRA protects the job rights of individuals who voluntarily or involuntarily leave employment positions to undertake military service. The law also prohibits employers from discriminating against past and present members of the uniformed services and applicants to the uniformed services.

The USERRA poster is now available at dol.gov/vets/programs/poster. Employers can obtain d etailed information about USERRA by calling 1-866-4-USA-DOL or by visiting dol.gov/vets/.
This is the latest in a series of compliance-assistance efforts undertaken by the Department of Labor to increase employer awareness of USERRA. Others include: Providing briefings and technical assistance to more than 220,000 service members and others on USERRA; Distributing public service announcements to increase awareness of USERRA rights, and Publishing proposed USERRA regulations, which explain the law in plain English. Listen to the audio news release in MP3 format :43. # # #

OPA News Release: [03/10/2005] Contact Name: Mike Biddle or Dirk Fillpot Phone Number: 202-693-5051 or x4676 Release Number: 05-0338-NAT