Metro-Mobility
Talks:
Volume 15 Issue 2
Policy Committee Member Profile - Corpus
Christi Mayor Joe Adame
Political newcomer Joe Adame took on more than one job when he was elected Mayor of Corpus Christi last April. Adame, founder of the real estate development firm of Joe Adame & Associates, also became a member of the Transportation Policy Committee, a decision-making body that approves and adopts all transportation planning activities of the Corpus Christi Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO).
OOAdame is a Corpus Christi native and real estate professional with four decades of experience. As such, he understands the importance of the community's transportation infrastructure. His vision for the overall regional transportation system is that it provide fast, user-friendly access throughout the region and that it be well-planned and maintained.
OO"I would like to see an outer loop connecting I-37 to Padre Island and the replacement of the Harbor Bridge," he said.
OOThe "outer loop" is the Southside Mobility Corridor, a proposed roadway that would link Padre Island with the northwest part of Corpus Christi. The South Loop Transportation Study included in the Fiscal Year 1999 Unified Planning Work Program studied the idea.
OOThe Southside Mobility Corridor study is a critical element in the long-range development of the system. This project promises to alleviate existing capacity constraints evident on the only bridge from the island to the mainland. The Corridor will enhance safety issues by providing island residents with an alternative evacuation route from the island to the mainland, especially during hurricane season.
OOThe Harbor Bridge Project would replace the existing bridge with a new structure designed to enhance safety and navigation of ships passing beneath the bridge. It also would improve capacity and access to the bridge by motor vehicles, pedestrians, and bicyclists. The state now spends between $2 million and $3 million a year on maintenance.
OOMore immediate priorities, Adame said, are to proceed with the City of Corpus Christi's ADA project and to purchase right-of-way for the Staples Street median project or begin engineering work for other projects such as Holly Road or Buddy Ganem. Other priorities, Adame said, include:
- Holly Road (SH 286-Greenwood Drive): This 0.7-mile section is between SH 286 (Crosstown Expressway) and Greenwood Drive. Improvements to Holly Road are based upon the prospective development of Crosstown Commons and its economic development benefits.
- Williams Drive (Staples Street-Airline Road): This section of Williams Drive has high traffic volume and is a critical connectivity point.
- Yorktown Boulevard (Cimarron Boulevard-Rodd Field Road): Considerable growth, a new fire station, and new soccer fields have led to an increase in traffic between Bill Witt Park and Cimarron Boulevard.
- Rodd Field Road (Saratoga Boulevard-Yorktown): This is a fast-growing area that may be the site of a new elementary school. This 1.5-mile section of road has experienced a significant increase in traffic volume.
Adame served as chairman of the Corpus Christi Regional Economic Development Corporation from 1999 to 2002. He also served on the Corpus Christi Regional Transportation Authority Board from 1984 to 1986. He's a past member of the Del Mar College Foundation and CHRISTUS Spohn Development Foundation. In 1995, Adame received the William Jennings Lone Star Trophy given to the real estate professional who records the outstanding commercial transaction of the year in Texas. Texas Gov. George W. Bush appointed him to serve on the Texas Real Estate Center Advisory Committee, where he served as chairman from 1997 to 2006.
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