Posted on 02/01/2005 4:32:25 PM PST by ken21
COMMENTARY McCracken: Why it's right to doubt the toll road promises Brewster McCracken, AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL
Monday, January 31, 2005
In July, the Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Commission board voted to toll three Austin highways — roads that state transportation officials told us could not be built anytime soon without tolling.
In addition to telling us we had to keep every road in its plan and that we had to vote by July — both of which turned out to be false — the Texas Department of Transportation presented us with maps and other information showing that major portions of these highways lacked funding.
Now we have learned from documents labeled "TxDOT Confidential" that the department had internal information that was different than what it presented to CAMPO. In fact, it directly contradicts basic premises of the toll plan. The documents also raise the troubling likelihood that the Austin area will actually lose more in state highway money by tolling these roads than it will gain in toll profits.
Take Texas 71 from Interstate 35 to the airport. TxDOT told us that two key sections of this highway were not funded — the stretches from I-35 to Burleson Road and the interchange with U.S. 183. But the documents say the entire stretch of roadway was funded. TxDOT also said there was $49.1 million for Texas 71. In fact, the documents say there was nearly twice that much — $93 million.
Or take U.S. 290 West in Oak Hill. This project will build a freeway with frontage roads. TxDOT officials told us that no money was available to build this freeway. But their records say that money was available and that the project was scheduled to begin as a free road in 2005. (So much for the argument that tolling speeds up construction). TxDOT said this project had $18.5 million in funding; the documents say it had $76 million.
These documents, which are now public, also call into question two other basic premises of the toll program: that toll profits will pay for additional road construction and that Austin will receive increased highway money by tolling.
Let's take the first premise. The documents reveal that the tolls actually will be used to pay for the operation and maintenance of these highways and that they likely will not generate money for other road projects.
That leads to the second premise — that Austin will receive increased state highway funding by tolling. Operation and maintenance of state highways is funded by TxDOT. (We pay for this through the gas tax.) But if these roads are tolled, the department will cut off state highway maintenance money for the roads, and Austin drivers will have to pay for them through tolls.
And it's a significant sum. According to the documents, the state will shift $1.3 billion in operation and maintenance obligations onto local drivers. The records also reveal that we will end up paying more to operate and maintain these roads than we will gain in new funding.
Austin is the only city in Texas with a plan like this.
In an editorial last week ("Despite McCracken's worried, tolls still needed," Jan. 26), the American-Statesman suggested that we should do nothing about this new information. I disagree. Weakness and passivity do not appease wrongdoing. They only encourage more.
Taking TxDOT's word at face value is no longer an option. That's why I have called for transportation experts to conduct an independent examination of our options. Last week, the CAMPO board agreed unanimously that these questions must be answered.
I make no apologies for raising these questions. As public officials, we have a duty to pursue the public interest and the truth. We owe it to the taxpayers.
that's right, tell some of your peers about fr!
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Is Brewster McCracken related to Phil McCracken?
The fact that you'd do this voluntarily is the most amazing aspect.
sorry, no idea.
but what i find interesting is that folks are starting to find out that they've been lied to:
In addition to telling us we had to keep every road in its plan and that we had to vote by July — both of which turned out to be false — the Texas Department of Transportation presented us with maps and other information showing that major portions of these highways lacked funding.
It does follow that if the people of Austin are stupid enough to toll the heck out of themselves, then why should the state spend a dime on them.
Actually, I made that exact argument back when the tolling option was being discussed for the added lanes of the Katy Freeway (about 6 years ago), near Houston. No one cared and the toll lanes are now being built. But I am glad that the people in Austin pay attention.
You can also make this argument on the federal level. If Texas is willing to charge their drivers through the teeth, why should Congress spend a dime on our roads - after all we won't even have a use for it (given all the toll money we'll soon be collecting). Instead our federal gasoline tax money can be much better spent in other states, states that still use freeways.
The best way to be sure that money passes you by is to simply raise the same money locally.
(thanks for the note, Ken)
Is Brewster McCracken related to Phil McCracken?
Haha. I get it.
How can we doubt promises from government?? /sarcasm
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