"Common Sense" and the toll roads (Houston, Dallas: construction, tax)

[slaleman]

From an article in the E-N today: (MySA.com: Metro | State)

"This lawsuit is really about common sense," said Enrique Valdivia, president of Aquifer Guardians in Urban Areas. "We think paving over 300 acres of recharge is pretty significant to everyone who depends on the aquifer."

Hmmm...I wonder if anyone thought about the common sense involved in covering however many thousands of acres of aquifer recharge with all of the housing developments in Stone Oak?

Seems a bit hypocritical to me...

[TexHwyMan]

I find it extremely interesting that when 281 was proposed as a toll-free expressway, nobody even hinted about any supposed environmental issues. Now that's it's being planned as a tolled expressway, suddenly the environment is in serious danger? Sounds like an act of desperation by the anti-toll faction.

[ChrisSA_wxatUIW]

I am so sick and F****** tired of these insane people that don't know what the hell they're talking about opposing and continuously pushing back the project while congestion continues to become exponentially worse and construction costs continue to go up.
Did you know that the project would have been 90% COMPLETE by now, had it not been for Terri Hall and her band of highwaymen?? (^this statistic was in the same article that the quote from the first post came from, this morning in the express news). The access roads would have been well complete and the toll expressway would be nearing completion and opening!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!



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AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!







90%- The new freeway would have been opening this summer/fall, and now the project STILL hasn't started...

[Chakapu]

Originally Posted by slaleman

From an article in the E-N today: (MySA.com: Metro | State)

"This lawsuit is really about common sense," said Enrique Valdivia, president of Aquifer Guardians in Urban Areas. "We think paving over 300 acres of recharge is pretty significant to everyone who depends on the aquifer."

Hmmm...I wonder if anyone thought about the common sense involved in covering however many thousands of acres of aquifer recharge with all of the housing developments in Stone Oak?

Seems a bit hypocritical to me...

Actually, plenty have been opposed to that as well.

I'd be thrilled if they had never paved over thousands of acres of aquifer recharge.

Two wrongs don't make a right.

[Bowie]

Terri Hall's tactics don't bother me.

I don't care for the subterfuge that the lege pulled when it drained off the fuel tax revenues to plug holes in the budget instead of it's designated use of building roads. These toll roads are a tax increase in disguise and the Toll Party is holding the government's feet to the fire.

[EJ4512]

Originally Posted by Chakapu

Actually, plenty have been opposed to that as well.

I'd be thrilled if they had never paved over thousands of acres of aquifer recharge.

Two wrongs don't make a right.

Two wrongs? The fact is like TexHwyMan said, if they were truly SO CONCERNED about the environment then they would want no expansion of 281. They are using the environmant as a cruth for having NO tolls, and if it had been built as a toll free highway Terri wouldnt give a rats A** about the environment.

[1StarRanch]

All I can say is the more they have to fight these legal battles the more it's gonna cost us....yes, the taxpayer.

[Bowie]

Originally Posted by EJ4512

Two wrongs? The fact is like TexHwyMan said, if they were truly SO CONCERNED about the environment then they would want no expansion of 281. They are using the environmant as a cruth for having NO tolls, and if it had been built as a toll free highway Terri wouldnt give a rats A** about the environment.

I imagine it is quite intentional that toll road opponents held off playing the environmental card until there were no other cards left to play. Environmental issues have the best chance for success in the appeals process.

The toll party didn't want 281 expansion to go unbuilt, they just wanted it funded correctly.

[Bowie]

Originally Posted by 1StarRanch

All I can say is the more they have to fight these legal battles the more it's gonna cost us....yes, the taxpayer.

The court battles can come to an end if the state goes back to funding highway construction with fuel tax dollars.

[EJ4512]

Originally Posted by Bowie

I imagine it is quite intentional that toll road opponents held off playing the environmental card until there were no other cards left to play. Environmental issues have the best chance for success in the appeals process.

The toll party didn't want 281 expansion to go unbuilt, they just wanted it funded correctly.

The environmant is a mute point to me. I think everyone agrees that 281 and 1604 MUST be expanded. There really is no issue, it can not handle the traffic. Two lanes in each direction, traffic lights, I mean it is beyond ridiculous. The issue has always been tolls. So I HATE that the environment is used as a desperation tactic, when there really is no issue on the evironment. If will get paved over, tolls or no tolls. And the tolls is the issue people have.

I personally am FOR the tolls, and unlike other citys no one HAS to drive on the tolls, like you do in Austin, Houston, or Dallas if you choose those specific highways.