Posted on 12/14/2006 7:04:44 AM PST by Tolerance Sucks Rocks
A new study claims the Texas toll road project is inefficient and will not support the future population of the Lone Star State.
When garnering support for the new toll roads, politicians argued it was the only feasible way to fund new roads.
With the amount needed for construction, it would increase gas prices to $3 a gallon if they were to fund the roads instead with a gas tax.
The Texas Transportation Institute out of Texas A&M reports TxDOT overestimated the cost of the toll roads by $30 billion.
The study also says even with the Trans-Texas Corridor, it will take an additional $44 billion in more road construction to support future populations of Texas.
The institute claims the money can be raised through existing gas taxes, without having to make the roads pay as you go.
We brought this study to TxDOT to find out if its true.
"I think what this report shows is that there is no easy solution to how we're going to solve the transportation needs here in Texas. Not only today's needs, but the future needs," Randall Dillard with TxDOT said.
TxDOT says they will study this report and possibly use it to make future recommendations on road work.
Trans-Texas Corridor PING!
BTTT
bump.
I heard that the Trans-Texas Corridor was going to be owned/operated by a Spanish company. If thats true, tax the hell out of the foreign investers. It'll be a funnel for Illegal Aliens and drugs anyway. As for the other tollways, shoulda voted for "Kinky".
I moved to San Antonio in 1969. At that time, there was a road project already well underway to widen I-35, from S.A. to Austin(80 miles), by one lane.
Despite never having stopped construction; the project is still not complete.
I wonder if the cost of completion has gone up any since '69.
Probably an exemption for illegals, they get free heath care should get free tolls. Write George today.
Despite never having stopped construction; the project is still not complete.
I wonder if the cost of completion has gone up any since '69.
Much of your road taxes go to Washington DC where they are funneled into earmarked pork barrel projects in states and districts with high seniority members. Big states like California, Texas, and Florida with lots of traffic get the short end of the stick. Massachussets gets lots of money to fund their Big Dig. Lots of small rural states like South Dakota get lots of funding to buy votes especially for US Senate seats. I'd rather have toll roads that can be built quickly and maintained with the tolls users pay to use the roads rather than use the gas tax to buy votes for politicians I despise. I'm for abolishing the federal gas tax or at least not increasing it.
I will support any plan that will relieve some of the traffic off I35 and I really don't care who owns it. The millions of people that live along I35 will be the beneficiaries.
And the thousands who won't die or be seriously injured in wrecks caused by that traffic congestion will disproportionally benefit.
By raising the gas tax 39 cents per gallon for part of it, and raising local taxes for the remainder.
Funny how the reporter failed to add in that info.
Wonderful sending another 39 cents per gallon to either Washington DC or Austin. It seems that South Texas never gets its fair share back. The original Interstate Highway system was supposed to be complete by 1971. I-37 from Corpus Christi to San Antonio wasn't completed till 1981.
Actually isn't that good? Well hopefully, they're right, and the TTC corridors save $30 billion or more off the currently estimated costs. I've never seen government funded roads ever get built under budget.
I dunno, but the TX Transp. Institute has a pretty good reputation. It isn't a bastion of agenda-driven liberal junk science. OTOH, the media can be very selective and misleading in how they spin the results of the research coming out of there. Last time I checked, TTI has a good set of down-to-earth Aggies running it (and for once that is a compliment from this Longhorn.)
There's plenty of water. Perhaps in the future we'll pay more for it and have to recycle it more.
"There's plenty of water"
You must have a screw loose. Check out this site and get back to me.
http://waterdata.usgs.gov/tx/nwis/rt
http://waterdata.usgs.gov/tx/nwis/rt
You might want to check this one out too.
Throughout Texas' history, water has been more precious than oil or mineral wealth. I don't want to see a bunch of Globalist make the situation worse.
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