I30 used to be a toll road; once the bond was paid, the toll booths came out.
The Texas constitution prohibits the state from carrying more than 10% of its bi-annual budget in debt. Anything above that must have a self-funding mechanism so that the debt doesn’t fall on the back of the tax payers. Hence, if the budget doesn’t allow for the construction of more roads but more roads are needed, the funding mechanism is tolls.
This clause in our state constitution is one of the reasons we have been able to avoid the soul-sucking, money-grubbing, graft-ridden disaster known as state income tax.
THis is true, however, since we now have a 'Toll Authority', not a single toll booth in the state has been torn down to my knowledge. Nor, will they ever.
True. However, the Toll Booths on the Beltway 8 around Houston have only grown bigger and more expensive over the past 30 years. We were sold that bill of goods as well.