Posted on 10/25/2007 2:47:09 PM PDT by Tolerance Sucks Rocks
Three private groups are now in the hunt to build U.S. 281 toll lanes, but two big foreign companies competing just a short while ago to build and lease a larger toll network here have dropped out. The Alamo Regional Mobility Authority board voted Wednesday to let all three teams submit plans to rebuild U.S. 281 north of Loop 1604 into a tollway with free access roads by 2012. It's the fledging agency's first project.
"Goodness knows we have been two and a half years getting here," board member Bob Thompson said. "Maybe it's even more important to see the confidence of these three large companies. It adds some credibility, it adds some stature to what we're trying to do."
The three teams include 29 construction, engineering and public affairs companies.
Fluor Enterprises Inc. of Irving and Balfour Beatty Infrastructure Inc. of Atlanta lead the Cibolo Creek Infrastructure team. Both joined to develop the Texas 130 toll road east of Austin.
Zachry Construction Corp. of San Antonio and Texas Sterling Construction Co. of Houston lead the other teams.
Zachry joined with Cintra of Spain to produce a plan for Trans-Texas Corridor toll lanes and rail lines that would parallel Interstate 35, and in 2005 offered to build and lease a 47-mile toll network on U.S. 281 and Loop 1604 in San Antonio.
But Cintra isn't part of the group angling to add U.S. 281 toll lanes now.
A tolling bill from last spring's legislative session busted plans for the San Antonio network by banning privatization of U.S. 281 toll lanes.
Now Texas Department of Transportation officials say they're working with Cintra and Zachry, as well as the other international bidder, Macquarie of Australia, to see if privatizing Loop 1604 toll lanes would make financial sense without U.S. 281 in the package.
Mobility Authority officials, saying they want to keep toll rates "reasonable," want to develop Loop 1604 toll lanes without leasing them and losing some of the profits.
On the U.S. 281 tollway, motorists would pay 17 cents a mile at the start, with fees rising 2.75 percent a year until 2017 and then 3 percent annually after that, under a plan the authority board approved Wednesday.
The toll lanes would go from Loop 1604 to Marshall Road or Comal County, depending on whether regional planners allocate $69 million or $112 million in state funds to subsidize the project. Another $80 million subsidy could be needed for five interchange connectors at Loop 1604.
"There isn't surplus revenue in the case of 281," authority Director Terry Brechtel said.
The latest estimates for the U.S. 281 tollway — in 2006 dollars — are $426 million for construction and $220 million for upkeep over 40 years.
On Monday, Texans Uniting for Reform and Freedom filed a lawsuit to challenge the makeup and procedures of the Metropolitan Planning Organization, which oversees federal transportation dollars and is set to approve U.S. 281 toll rates in December.
The lawsuit, which claims that discussion and debate are being shut down, seeks to remove nonelected officials from the planning board.
Toll road advocates call the lawsuit frivolous.
Trans-Texas Corridor PING!
Lemme get this straight. The tax payer is going to pay for building the road, then give it over to some private entity who will in turn charge the tax payer for using the tax built road? Okey, dokey. I suspect I'll use that new toll road as much as I've used the current one - none, nada, zero. Of course that sharp 10 mph curve off the north connection will do it's job and be the end of us all.
Here’s a thought - rather than make matters worse by creating toll roads, how about our elected representatives stop looting the gas tax kitty for their little agenda-driven vote-buying schemes so that the money can be used the way it was intended . . . . . . . . . FOR PUBLC ROADWAYS!!!!!!!!!
We have some of ther most corrupt and hypocritical politicians anywhere in the world and they are doing it right beneath our noses!!!!!
Sounds like the RMA is going to run the road. Private leasing of the project was apparently prohibited by SB 792.
Politicians (fat bastards), pasting over a problem (stealing highway funds) with what their small minds see as a solution (high-priced toll roads).
What makes me sick, besides the fact that a foreign country was involved, is that these “Transpotation” Boards wind up giving Taxpayer dollars to Light Rail, Bike Lanes, and landscaping, and ignoring motor vehicle traffic.
You cannot turn 281 into a toll road. Too much going on. Same with 1604 and 10.
Just great. Now I will have to pay to drive to the ice rink.
I wonder where the space is going to be found. That area is overly built up and occupied by businesses.
I live on the northwest side near Medina Lake and make extensive use of the facilities on Ft Sam and Randolph on the northeast side. I see that I'm going to be cut off from that now, especially if they go through with tolling Bandera Road and North Loop 1604.
Hardberger and company seems to be another set of toll road bandits.
BTTT
I am off Bitters and 1604. This is going to be interesting.
I have never observed the traffic issues on the major San Antonio roads, except during rush hours or when an accident occurs. IMO- it's all based on revenue generation.
>>>I suspect I’ll use that new toll road as much as I’ve used the current one - none, nada, zero.
I’ve seen several of these Toll project agreements carry a non compete clause. Meaning, they are going to strong arm everyone to use it.
I’ve said this before and I’ll say it again - I’ve used toll roads and I hate’em. When they first open, they are ok, brcause NO ONE is using them, so you can get where you want to go pretty quickly. But, within a couple of years, the toll roads become just as congested as the free roads and the only difference between a toll road and a free road is that you get to pay for the privilege of sitting in the traffic jam on a toll road.
This is a bad deal that will never get better with either age or time.
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