When Beltway 8 opened in Houston 30 years ago, they brought in The Bangles to have a concert to celebrate. The booths were supposed to come down when it the highway was paid for.
Of course they're still up, it's a revenue source.
Posted on 05/24/2016 10:02:41 PM PDT by Tolerance Sucks Rocks
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) A Texas Department of Transportation official said the state would need $38 billion to pay off debt linked to dozens of toll roads and make the highways free to drivers.
Executive director James Bass updated a Texas House panel in Austin. The 2015 Legislature ordered TxDOT to report on the status of Texas toll roads. A final report is due in September.
(Excerpt) Read more at constructionequipmentguide.com ...
I used to really be bothered by toll roads. I’ve sort of changed my mind over the years. There is some merit in letting people from Kansas Snow-birds pay the toll on their way to Padre Island for the winter.
Toll road debt? what the hell? Tolls are designed to suck cash day in and day out. Can big govt do anything right?
When Beltway 8 opened in Houston 30 years ago, they brought in The Bangles to have a concert to celebrate. The booths were supposed to come down when it the highway was paid for.
Of course they're still up, it's a revenue source.
There is merit to toll roads. After all, what is more fair than having the people who use the roads be the people who pay for the roads.
My biggest complaint with toll roads is that once the road is paid for, the tolls don’t disappear.
It’s Texas afterall. What do you expect?
Went in our local toll road store to get a new sticker for my new used car. Eight employees sitting there doing nothing except costing us money. Lot of wasted dollars. Texas government agencies are no different than other government agencies, efficiency and cost effectiveness is not part of their system.
Does Texas collect taxes on gasoline for road usage?
Of course they do.
In Massachusetts, the tolls on the turnpike were specified to endure for 30 years until the initial construction costs were resolved.
Thirty years following that payoff, the booths remain and the gasoline taxes are increased almost regularly.
1986? I had no idea any part of Beltway 8 has been open that long.
So the solution is to make them ALL toll rides by charging us according to the GPS units installed in our vehicles right? BOHICA. Curb your damn spending gubmint nd stop steeling from the till.
Steeling = stealing
Actually got caught in a traffic jam because of a toll road. They are not even labelled on maps.
What about people who drive into your twin once a year just to help put on an event for the local residents. Just about ready to put both DFW and Houston on my never ever visit again list. You guys are Kalifornicating your own cities. Wake up !
Town not twin.
After recently moving to Dallas I love the toll roads around here. Never used the rare toll roads back in LA or in my hometown Housfon, or had automatic toll pay before. It’s worth every penny.
We need a Trunp style negotiator to get that price down to within reason and cut out all the graft and political kickbacks.
Define "paid for". Most need maintenance before becoming "paid for" and the maintenance need is an on-going thing. The difference between a toll road and a freeway is where most of the money comes from to build/maintain it. Everyone pays for "Freeways" and the brunt of the cost of a toll road is from the users.
All roads are paid for by the people who use them. Gas tax is around 38 cents a gallon. Tolls is a form of double dipping, in my mind.
Please most of the money goes to graft, union members and kickbacks. The PA turnpike is nothing but a slush fund. Tolls go up insanely yearly etc.
Once you have them you have government jobs and cash tied to them they never go away.
“Bass said much of the debt carries financial penalties for early payment of the principal.”
Oh, that’s lovely. Sounds like Cruz’s wife was involved.
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