Don't most Austinites Oppose Toll Roads? (Houston: 2013, home, buy)

[Newbe10]

I am a huge opponent of toll roads. I have YET to hear a valid argument from TXDOT, Governor Perry, or anyone in this country for toll roads.

Even though I don't live in Austin, I think that it is extremely wrong and corrupt for the state gov't. and TXDOT to slap tolls on existing roads and build nothing but toll roads in the states capital without the consent of the voters. I have done a lot of research on toll roads and in every state but Texas, the toll roads are slated to go free in the future. In fact, Oklahoma's vast toll road network is slated to go free in 2028, and that includes every single toll route.

Anyway, I think that people in the Austin area are especially getting ripped off due to the fact that the few FREE limited access highways in the area (i.e. 183, MoPac, and 290) terminate right into toll roads and even one of them becomes a toll road for the last few miles of its route (i.e. MoPac).

The state argues that the transportation department is broke, but I don't buy that, especially since Texas is still currently leading the nation in job creation and overall economy and the fact that the property tax is amount the highest in the country. The only way the highway department can be broke is if the current state administration is purposefully diverting funds away from the transportation fund just to justify toll roads. The whole thing just seems ripe for corruption, especially since state and local politicians (like the ones apart of the Central Texas Regional Mobility Authority) can receive kickbacks from the toll authorities just for their support.

So even though I live in DFW, I feel for those of you who live in Austin and have to deal with the toll road BS on a daily basis. I know that there are going to be some wealthy individuals who don't mind paying the tolls like here in DFW, but like here in DFW, I imagine that the vast majority of people don't like paying to drive on many of the areas highways.

We, as citizens of this country, already pay a gas tax, we should't have to pay another just to drive on a highway.

[Austinite101]

No, I'd bet the vast majority of Austinites oppose these toll roads. I know I do.

[Newbe10]

Originally Posted by Austinite101

No, I'd bet the vast majority of Austinites oppose these toll roads. I know I do.

That's what I was asking. I feel for you guys; I currently live in Collin County here in DFW where every single limited access highway except for one (i.e. US 75) is a toll route.

I don't think that you guys, us here in DFW, those in Houston or in any other part of the state should have to pay tolls on existing or new routes just because the state government thinks we should.

[Komeht]

No money for anything else and it's the result of our relentless sprawl.

If you want new roads they're going to be tolled. That's the only option.

Of course, in my opinion, we should stop the most wasteful allocation of resources in the history and reverse the process of sprawl, but since most people seem to think the only viable place to live involves a fence a yard and a three car garage...toll roads - users pay.

[ScoPro]

Yet in the next election you all will still vote for the same politicians who implement the toll roads.

That's where all this starts.

[Gorfml]

Converting existing roads into toll roads seems criminal...

[Austin97]

I like toll roads and am ok with turning existing roads into toll roads.

[Austin97]

Originally Posted by Newbe10

That's what I was asking. I feel for you guys; I currently live in Collin County here in DFW where every single limited access highway except for one (i.e. US 75) is a toll route.

I don't think that you guys, us here in DFW, those in Houston or in any other part of the state should have to pay tolls on existing or new routes just because the state government thinks we should.

you are going to pay one way or another. Either as some kind of tax or as a toll. I much prefer the toll method because at least Im paying for the roads that I use and the toll reduces traffic.

[jb9152]

Originally Posted by Newbe10

The state argues that the transportation department is broke, but I don't buy that, especially since Texas is still currently leading the nation in job creation and overall economy and the fact that the property tax is amount the highest in the country. The only way the highway department can be broke is if the current state administration is purposefully diverting funds away from the transportation fund just to justify toll roads. The whole thing just seems ripe for corruption, especially since state and local politicians (like the ones apart of the Central Texas Regional Mobility Authority) can receive kickbacks from the toll authorities just for their support.

Well, the fact that the economy is very good doesn't change the fact that there is generally less money available for road construction (which includes direct capital funds and revenue streams dedicated to service debt), and for maintenance and life cycle costs of existing roads (which of course, grows with inflation and with each new mile of road constructed).

There are a number of reasons for that, but the most important are that the state and federal fuel taxes haven't been raised in decades (so the purchasing power of that revenue stream drops over time as it becomes ever more expensive to build and maintain roadways - it's like having to pay your mortgage, utilities, and food costs while planning a new addition to your home in 2013 based on your paycheck from 1995), and that there have been marginal increases in vehicle fuel efficiency (higher average MPG over time, which decreases the growth in fuel demand).

So, TxDOT crying poor isn't quite as far fetched as you think. Toll road projects are just a method to address the lack of serious capital, debt service, and maintenance funds. It's a problem everywhere.

[TexasHorseLady]

I don't have a real problem with toll roads that are sold to us up front, honestly, as exactly that - though they should be converted to free roads at some pre-determined point in the future (either based on a date or when X amount of tolls have been collected).

I have a serious problem with converting existing roads already paid for by us to toll roads or, more common, making it enormously more difficult to use existing roads in an attempt to force people to use toll roads built alongside the existing roads and, just as bad, signing agreements not to maintain those existing roads so that the toll road operators will get their pound of flesh one way or another.