U5L5 page 14 & 22
The transportation infrastructure in Texas is not meeting the state’s needs. The population has expanded, but the infrastructure has not. Texas has 314,000 miles of roadway, and still it is not enough. Public transportation in most major cities cannot keep up with population growth. More cars on the road cause more congestion. This traffic causes pollution. The entire system needs an overhaul, which would cost taxpayers an estimated $400 billion.
Public transit can be helpful in reducing the number of cars on Texas roadways. Many Texans use buses, ride share programs, and light rail systems. In urban areas, about 30 percent of commuters use public transportation. In rural areas, 27 percent of people use dial-a-ride systems to get to medical appointments. Essential workers often use public transit the most. The system serves them in high numbers.
Outdated public transportation systems are a barrier for marginalized populations, even in large urban areas. Dallas is one such example. By most measures, Dallas is a prosperous city. However, it contains a huge wealth gap. South Dallas remains a very poor area. A large minority population lives there. More than 65 percent of the people who live in this part of the city rely on public transportation to get them to work. Available bus and rail lines can only get about four percent of them to their destination within 45 minutes. For others, the commute can be as long as two hours.
Many of those who use Texas’s public transportation do so from outside of metropolitan areas. Their long commutes are a direct result of urbanization. Entire neighborhoods have been torn down to make way for new roadways. This cuts people off from direct routes to jobs. These new roads provide easy access from downtown to suburban communities. They also leave marginalized areas with separated neighborhoods. This gives residents of these areas no easy access to work. The decision to build these roads and the infrastructure design often cuts off poor communities from economic opportunities.
Public education is another area in which Texas is struggling to meet its residents’ needs. The state ranks 35th in the states of the nation for education. Texas schools are overcrowded. They are also underfunded. Not enough resources are available to meet the needs of students and teachers. Not enough space or classrooms are available. There is a lack of funding from the government: federal, state, and local. Texas spends around $12,000 per student per year but nationally, districts spend an average of $15,000 per student yearly.
As the population of Texas has changed, it has become a majority-minority state. This means that in many districts there are more Hispanic, Black, Indigenous, Asian, and other students of color. There are also more economically disadvantaged students. The number of students for whom English is a second language is higher than ever before. Texas schools are not equipped to meet these changing needs adequately.
During the 2020–2021 school year, just over five million students were enrolled in Texas public schools. Sixty percent of them were economically disadvantaged. Some districts have a student majority of one race or another. Historically, Black, Indigenous, and Hispanic students have been less likely to have access to equitable education resources. Some schools attended by these students do not receive the funding they need because tax money helps pay for schools, and there is insufficient tax revenue in these areas. Wealthier areas produce more tax dollars. More tax dollars lead to better-funded schools.
Texas attempts to bridge this gap through a tax sharing program. This initiative is designed to share money from wealthier districts to those not so wealthy. While this works in theory, it is not making much difference in reality. Schools in poorer areas of the state are still underfunded. Schools in wealthier areas receive close to $1,000 more per student yearly than those in lower-income districts. This means that students in wealthier districts receive more opportunities, funding and support than other districts.
Meeting the population’s healthcare needs is one of the greatest struggles for Texas. As the population continues to grow and change, the need for health care increases as well. The population is growing faster than the system can keep up with. This leaves deficits. One of the biggest gaps is a lack of facilities and caregivers to serve all the people who need care. In addition, too many people are uninsured or underinsured. This causes new issues for Texas and its healthcare system.
Texas ranks among the poorest-performing healthcare systems in the nation. Huge numbers of uninsured adults plus less investment in public health are partly to blame. One result of this system is high numbers of premature deaths from treatable conditions. Texas, like many states, has high insurance and medical costs. Another deficient area is mental healthcare. Not enough facilities, caregivers, or programs are available for citizens who need mental health care. Overall, it is difficult for many Texans to get the care they need at a price they can afford.
Medicaid is a federal and state program designed to help people who need health insurance. The program is used by those who earn a low income that typically falls below the poverty level. In Texas, 62 percent of Hispanic women and Black citizens receive Medicaid. Forty-five percent of the Indigenous population and 20 percent of Asian/Pacific Islander residents also qualify for the program. About 30 percent of White people use it. Twenty-one percent of the state is uninsured, mostly because they do not qualify for Medicaid.
Healthcare is costly. For many families, especially those who are part of marginalized communities, that money simply is not available. These families are sometimes in a situation in which they must choose between paying the rent or paying for health insurance. As a result, health insurance becomes a lower priority. The crisis can escalate when the main income earner gets sick or injured and cannot afford medical help. This pushes the family even further into poverty.
Women's health is another concern of health care in Texas. The state does offer a program for low-income women but does not assist those who are just above the income cut-off line. Some Texas women struggle to find adequate care for all their health needs. One in five Texas women are uninsured and, if the state does not expand Medicaid, they will likely remain that way.
Texas has grown rapidly over the past 50 years. With a large number of people arriving, a new dynamic has developed within the state. The demographics have changed. The population is younger and more diverse than ever before. These changes have brought complications. The state is working to close deficits in health care, education, and transportation. Despite efforts on the state’s part, many Texans are struggling to have these needs met.
During the 2020–2021 school year, 5.3 million students attended Texas public schools. In 1990–1991, 3.3 million students were in school. The population of the state is growing so rapidly that the school system cannot keep up. Schools are overcrowded, underfunded, and at times understaffed. The average ratio of student to teacher is 15:1, but often, especially in poorer districts, classroom numbers can look more like 30:1. Schools have trouble finding enough resources to meet student needs. Space is limited. Many schools use portable buildings for classrooms because the budget doesn’t provide funds to add on to the existing building. Wealthier school districts have the ability to build new schools, but sometimes these are over capacity before they are even open.
As the younger demographic continues to grow, these issues only expand. School districts around Texas work to find solutions to maintain a quality education for Texas students. Budgeting and funding allocation are essential in keeping up with education demands.
The change in racial demographics in Texas has also played a role in its education system. In 1980, about 30 percent of Texas students were Hispanic. In 2020, that percentage rose to 52.9. The percentage of Black, Asian, and other students of color also rose in that time frame. At the same time, the percentage of White students decreased until they represented only 26.5 percent of all Texas students in 2020. This shift to a majority-minority state means a shift in needs. Campuses are working to add bilingual classrooms. In some districts, teachers are required to be bilingual. It has been necessary to add resources and aid to many school districts.
The transportation infrastructure is pivotal to Texas’s economy. This means that any breakdown in the system costs the state money. As the population of Texas continues to grow rapidly, transportation in the state struggles to keep up. It is necessary for Texas to expand its current highway systems to accommodate more vehicles. More rail lines, marine ports, and airports are also needed. The strain of so many people means gridlock traffic in major cities. Commuters can sometimes sit for hours on highways as they attempt to get to or from work. Airports are overcrowded as well, making air travel less than convenient for many. Texas has over 314,000 miles of highways and roads, and even that is not enough to meet the needs of its growing population.
With the changing demographics, more drivers are on Texas roads. An increase in the number of drivers can equal an increase in car accidents. Some drivers new to the country also pose a problem for the infrastructure. They often do not have the same driver’s training as other Texas residents do. In addition, uninsured and underinsured motorists cost Texas millions of dollars each year.
The biggest issue facing Texas is the cost of updating the infrastructure. More drivers means more vehicles. These vehicles are wearing out Texas roadways. Texans drove a total of about 950 million miles in 2020. This is an increase of around 300 million from 2010. All this driving and traffic congestion costs motorists thousands of dollars per year. Those who live in larger cities will pay more in gas and hours commuting than those in smaller towns, but the price for everyone is still high. The state’s entire infrastructure needs an update that is estimated to cost billions of dollars.
In 3–5 sentences, analyze the transportation infrastructure in your town or city. Do you think it is adequate enough to support the population? Explain. (U5L5 page 14 & 22)
Transportation infrastructure includes:
● buses and light rails
● Highways
● opportunities to carpool
● sidewalks and bike lanes.
1 answer
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