Posted on 12/08/2007 1:42:01 PM PST by Tolerance Sucks Rocks
Local toll authority likely to carry more of the burden for designing, building second wave of Austin-area toll roads
The Texas Department of Transportation after February will cease awarding contracts for new or expanded roads, a belt-tightening that probably will indefinitely delay a number of Central Texas highway projects.
Work on some local projects, such as widening FM 1460 between Round Rock and Georgetown, RM 2338 in Williamson County, and Texas 195, which runs from Interstate 35 in Williamson County to Killeen, will be shelved for now.
In addition, the edict will force Central Texas' local toll authority to carry a much greater load in the design and construction of a second wave of toll roads approved in October. It was unclear Friday how much TxDOT, which had previously promised to pay more than $800 million of the $1.45 billion toll road plan, will be able to contribute or whether the change will delay construction.
"It is impossible to say at this point what monies will be available," said Bob Daigh, the Austin district engineer for TxDOT. Agency leaders told Daigh and other district engineers late last week about the contract halt.
Daigh said money available will depend on the extent and timing of further trims by the federal government in transportation grants to the states. Those so-called rescissions have already cost the state $667 million, and an additional $1 billion or so in 2008 and 2009 is threatened. The funding picture beyond that, absent new and dramatic action by Congress or the Texas Legislature, is even cloudier, making it hard to commit to construction contracts.
TxDOT's financial base of gas tax revenue and vehicle-related fees, absent one-time-only infusions from the Texas Mobility Fund and money received fromborrowed against the gas tax, has come under increasing financial strain from inflation and legislative diversions to other purposes.
"You start peeling away, there's just not much left over," said James Bass, TxDOT's chief financial officer.
The second phase of Austin-area tollways, authorized after much political pain for local elected officials, probably will move forward despite the crunch. Officials with the Central Texas Regional Mobility Authority, which operates one of the four existing Central Texas toll roads, will probably assume both the logistical and financial burden of doing final designs, buying right of way, moving utility lines and constructing the roads.
The toll road program includes expansions of U.S. 290, U.S. 183 and Texas 71 in East Austin, added elevated lanes at the "Y" in Oak Hill on U.S. 290 and Texas 71, and one new road, Texas 45 Southwest. Previously, the mobility authority, which will operate all five new tollways, was set to handle only the construction for some of the roads.
"This is the new landscape we're in," authority Executive Director Mike Heiligenstein said Friday. Heiligenstein said the situation, especially given the higher-than-expected traffic and added revenue on the agency's 183-A tollway, demonstrates the wisdom of having local toll agencies.
"If we weren't here, what would the options be? None," Heiligenstein said.
Trans-Texas Corridor PING!
Good step in killing the damned things. Perry needs to just give up on them - we will continue to eat any budget he manages to put to them through litigation This tollroad hell ain’t gonna just happen.
>>>TxDOT’s financial base of gas tax revenue and vehicle-related fees... [have] come under increasing financial strain from inflation and legislative diversions to other purposes.
Operative words are “diversions to other purposes.” That is, welfare — not roads.
TxDOT is sending a bunch of mixed messages that suggest they are NOT in any cash crunch - but if we believe that they are, we MIGHT more readily buy into toll roads!!
I don’t buy ANY of it!!
I got an idea: if they’re really desperate for cash, how about if they take the gas tax money that’s now being diverted to schools, hiking trails, bicycle paths, horseback riding trails, “mass transit” projects, etc., and put it BACK into the highway fund where it belongs???
BTTT
Well, then, just sell more rights to turn already paid for roads into toll roads to the Austrians or whoever. Money grubbin local government needs it for more stop light cameras, doncha know?
If there’s one thing we whould pay attention to, it’s this. Seriously!
If you own the roads, you OWN THE LAND AND THE PEOPLE.
The Romans paid very close attention to their roads. So did the nazis. And the commmunists.
Kissin butt and giving away our sovereignty for a couple bucks in quarters.
I’ll tell ya, whatever hell is coming our way, we deserve it.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.