Highway Robbery in Texas! -Literally

vanity ^ | October 13th, 2004 | illumini

[illumini]

Remember the Boston Tea Party?

Get ready for the AUSTIN TOLL PARTY.

Bumper stickers in Austin read: "AustinTollParty.com Stop The Double Tax Toll Plan". A billboard near the 8th-street downtown exit from I-35 echos the theme.

Go to website: http://www.austintollparty.com to get the details. There you will see a map outlining the plan to make all of Austin's EXISTING commuter highways part of a toll road system. The filthy rascals started building toll booths before the plan was "officially" approved by CAMPO. We have uncovered evidence of conflict of interest on part of some appointed politicans on the CAMPO board.

If you live in or around Austin, Texas your daily commute is about to become a LOT more expensive.

Your car may as well get 2 miles to the gallon!

Please attend the RECALL RALLY this Monday, October 18th. We are seeking signatures of Austin voters on a petition to hold early elections for Mayor and two city council members identified on the Austin Toll Party website.

"There will be live music and speakers from across the spectrum. This is the most populist political drive ever in the State of Texas, and we need your participation".

We The People need to take back our city and our roads. You can help: Got to the website, and follow steps one through five. Sign a petition.

RECALL RALLY:

SPEAKERS: Citizens of all persuasions, along with any politician who will take a stand with the people of central Texas.

VOLUNTEERS!! Call us or email us today if you want to volunteer. We plan to be at all the polls starting with early voting on the 18th through the 29th and on election day. Lets get the recall election on the May ballott. WE NEED YOU!

RADIO HOSTS: Please mention this on the air through election day. THANK YOU!

[Deek]

The problem is that existing highways that are long paid-for are being turned into tollways and the funds used to pay for projects across town or in another city.

I have hear this mentioned here a number of times, and truly don't understand. My understanding is that the new roads come in two forms:
1) Complete new highway, where no road existed before.
2) High-speed lanes (bypassing lights) added to existing roads.

I'm pretty sure there is no intention to toll lanes that are already in operation. Am I mistaken?

[Deek]

By the way Deek, The Nighthawk on South Congress was ALLOWED to burn down after the fire started.

That sucks. I had some personal property in a business that burned several months ago. There was a suspicion of arson, so the insurance company is holding up coverage. It is a real pain in the a$$

[BearCub]

The existing taxes are not sufficient to maintain exisiting roads.

Of course they are. They've been maintaining the existing roads for eons.

So if there is not a reasonable existing free route then you don't get new roads and you do not provide the infrastucture needed for growth and prosperity for your citizens. I am open to other suggestions but again, all I hear is "we don't want it" but you still want roads.....

I mispoke. We want to build a road. There is either an existing free alternate available or there isn't. If there isn't, then make the new road a toll road. If there is, then make the new road a toll road and leave the free road alone.

My problem is that they are turning free roads into toll roads where there ISN'T an existing [reasonable & free] alternative. SH121 north of Dallas is an example. There is no reasonable way to get from The Colony/Frisco to points east or west except SH121. There are NO backstreet routes - the only way to do it is to drive 100 miles out of your way. They want to turn it into a toll road to pay for new roads elsewhere - roads that won't be used by the SH121 drivers.

[MeekOneGOP]

You're welcomed. Wish I could be there. Thanks. :^D

[BearCub]

I'm pretty sure there is no intention to toll lanes that are already in operation. Am I mistaken?

I've heard otherwise on the radio but cannot say for sure. I don't have a problem with adding additional high-speed toll lanes to existing roads - as long as they are NEW lanes. In fact, I think HOV should be ditched and the lanes turned into toll lanes.

The SH121 project I mentioned in my previous post is going to cost the average worker who commutes from The Colony > $1000 per year in tolls. Alot of people can't afford that. And like I said, there is no free alternative - they are taking the ONLY existing road and turning it into a toll road.

[Proud_texan]

"What other methods?"

For starters use the .025% sales tax that goes to the Cap Metro money black hole. Put Cap Metro on a pay as you go business and use the existing surplus (which they're hording for light rail after it's been defeated, what, four times) and ongoing revenue. With the kickback of gas tax it's more than enough to fund both maintenance and new roads without breaking a sweat.

There's no lack of money, just the usual suspects that won't spend any money on infrastructure. They wouldn't do it before because they were afraid if they built it more people would move here. After more people moved here they claim they have no money. Silly commies.

And do realize that in the Smart Growth Zone nothing is as it seems. The whole toll roll bruhaha is actually about, ta-da, light rail. Believe it, tolls roads are just a bargaining chip in the decade long light rail battle, sort of a Smart Growth revenge because so far we've had the good sense to reject light rail.

[Deek]

The existing taxes are not sufficient to maintain exiting roads.

Of course they are. They've been maintaining the existing roads for eons.

TxDOT spends an increasing percentage of its budget each year on road maintenance. They can't afford to both build new roads, and maintain the ones that are in place. Since not ALL new roads will be tolled, the percentage of available money to maintain roads will continue to decrease, even if we do build toll roads.

The ugly truth is that even with more toll roads, we face either a tax increase or tolls on existing roads in order to continue the current level of maintenance.

[Swankette]

Aren't they going to toll 121 in order to convert the existing road to a high speed road? If I am not mistaken, the last time I drove on 121 it was a nightmare- traffic jams and lights for miles. That is what the tolls would pay for. you could get from the East to the West in half or 1/3 of the time it takes currently. Aren't there alternatives such as Parker or Park or Legacy or Rosemead, or Franfurt?

[Deek]

The SH121 project I mentioned in my previous post is going to cost the average worker who commutes from The Colony > $1000 per year in tolls. Alot of people can't afford that. And like I said, there is no free alternative - they are taking the ONLY existing road and turning it into a toll road.

Hum...that would be expensive. My understanding has been that only the highway portion of SH121 would be tolled. The "road" portion (access roads with lights) would be free.

I will see if I can't dig around for the facts on this.

[illumini]

The politicians on CAMPO never listened to the public opinion on the toll road matter. They ignored the majority who said 'no", and will pay for it at the election booth. I for one have not given-up and am not alone. Emotion? Damn right. There's an emotion nerve right in my back pocket. It has Mayor Wynn's left hand and Governor Perry's left arm connected on the opposite end. Its about to start hurting and get a lot louder.

[Swankette]

What kickback of gas tax? Do you know how much/little that is? I think you need to do the math on this one. It is still not enough...

[illumini]

http://www.austintollparty.com The map will show the roads to be tolled. They will incude lanes in service today. You will slow down due to the toll booths. What good is that? $.17 per mile = $3.40 tax per gallon.

[Swankette]

Still no suggestions on alternative plans....???
It is easy to say no ....alot harder to find a new way to get this done. Do the people that said no even understand what the facts are? Do you?
I am still not hearing any alternatives...just angry mob NO..

[Deek]

They will include lanes in service today.

Can you show me the part of the plan that says existing lanes will be tolled? If it is true that existing lanes will be tolled, I agree with your objection. If you can't show where that is the case, it would not be proper to suggest so.

[basil]

I got used to toll roads in Dallas, and must admit that they worked very well most of the time, especially if you had a toll tag mounted on your windshield. That newest toll road there is absolutely great! I also like traveling the toll roads in Houston when we are over there. Personally, I think it's the way to go!

Who knows, Loop 1 might actually become a loop some day--LOL!

[Deek]

Who knows, Loop 1 might actually become a loop some day--LOL!

*laugh* I've always wondered about that. Maybe so.

[illumini]

Maybe this will help you understand the facts, and I mean this in a friendly way: http://www.austintollparty.com/TxDOT_Revenue_Plan.pdf Most people are familiar with the current Dallas and Houston Tollway Systems. To illustrate one problem with the Austin Plan, compare Toll Road Miles per million people: Houston has 17, the city of Dallas has 13, and Austin will have more than 113! If you look at the Dallas and Houston maps, you'll notice those cities, (as other cities with toll roads throughout the United States) have a simple loop or E/W and N/S tollways as additional "new" road options. The toll plans we all know in the past are built with investor dollars, and they complement the existing highways. The toll plans we all know in the past are built with investor dollars, are new roads, took years to carefully plan and they complement the existing highways. The Austin toll plan is built with our tax dollars and the toll roads become our existing highways. The Austin plan was rushed and approved within 3 months. If this doesn't look like a boondoggle, what does? The Austin Toll Plan - (See map) http://www.austintollparty.com _Shifts allmost every local Highway to Toll Roads. _Uses Billions of our tax dollars to finance the Toll Roads. In the past Toll Roads were built with 80% bonds...these toll roads are built with 80% of our tax dollars. _Seizes over $100 Million of our tax financed roads/projects in Austin and converts them to Toll Roads. (See .pdf) It's not a transportation solution, it's a "Revenue Generator", a Boondoggle for special interests.

First, "do no harm". The plan as-is does much harm, but we can stop it before it is too late. If by next year you do not see a better plan, I would be really surprised. Our activism will make a lot more people think about the issue. The result will be a more informed and active populace. That's a good thing!

[illumini]

http://www.austintollparty.com/TxDOT_Revenue_Plan.pdf

[jrawk]

In the words of a Texan:

Yup.

-- lates
-- jrawk

[Proud_texan]

It's codified in Sec. 153.102.

It's virtually unlimited if it's used for matching funds. If there aren't any local funds (after supplying abortion on demand and protecting the golden cheek warbler) simply take the sales tax that's been given to Cap Metro and which they still hold in reserve for light rail.