Posted on 12/04/2017 12:19:08 AM PST by Tolerance Sucks Rocks
Angela Dean spends at least $200 a month to cover after-school care for her 5-year-old son. Getting back and forth to work — and making sure she picks him up in time — costs another $200 just in tolls.
“If I didn't take toll roads, my commute would be an hour-and-a-half or more depending on traffic,” Dean said. “I get off work at 5:30 p.m. and I have to pick my son up by 6:30 or pay crazy late fees. When I take the toll roads, I get there with about 15 minutes to spare.”
The North Texas suburbanite uses the President George H. W. Bush Turnpike or Sam Rayburn Tollway to travel between her Lewisville home and Richardson workplace each day. Those roads are like many across Texas built in an era when transportation leaders said there wasn’t enough tax money to fund all the construction needed to keep up with population growth.
Regional planners and state officials are also adding managed toll lanes alongside existing highway main lanes throughout the state’s urban areas. Those are used to partially finance road rebuilds and expansions — and to provide drivers with the option of paying to avoid congestion.
The Texas Tribune thanks its sponsors. Become one.
But as the number of toll projects continues to ramp up in the name of easier commutes, Dean is among thousands of Texans feeling anything but relief. Drivers across the state complain about paying tolls on top of gas taxes, being charged exorbitant late fees and having to choose between traffic delays or costly toll bills.
Texans, local officials and legislators have pushed back on plans for new toll roads and managed toll lanes in recent years. Voters in 2014 and 2015 sent the Texas Department of Transportation more revenue, after state leaders assured them that the money wouldn’t be used on toll projects. The agency considered using an accounting maneuver to still fund some new managed toll lanes but backed off that idea amid political pressure Thursday.
Meanwhile, Texans are seeing existing toll lanes impacting their pocketbooks — and influencing major life choices.
In 2015, an 11-mile stretch of Austin’s MoPac Boulevard expanded to eight lanes from six, and the two new lanes were tolled — to the displeasure of Laura Thomas.
The Austin resident bought a house near the corridor thinking the construction would be complete within a year. But construction on the $200 million project took much longer, making the drive to her daughter’s school “unbearable.” Thomas found herself having to choose between paying a toll to skip traffic or spend time trapped in gridlock.
“At peak times the cost of the toll could be over $10,” Thomas said. “My stress level was through the roof.”
Eventually, Thomas sold her house and downsized to an apartment in another part of the city that had 500 fewer square feet and one less bedroom.
“Obviously it was a big trade-off,” Thomas said. “But my main question to myself when making the decision was, ‘Is my sanity worth it?’ And it was worth sacrificing some things for peace in the mornings.”
For Christie Nichols Duty of Kaufman, a town about 35 miles southeast of Dallas, toll roads have proven to be hard to avoid — even when she tries. Last year, she and her husband were driving on Interstate 35-E near downtown Dallas when they realized they were in a lane that would force them to enter the Dallas North Tollway. The couple tried to change lanes, but weren’t successful.
Duty said they’ve also had problems with confusing signs on other highways, like LBJ Freeway, that have managed toll lanes running alongside main lanes.
“For people that are not used to the area, it can be very deceiving,” she said.
When the couple received a $35 bill from the North Texas Tollway Authority, they didn’t initially pay it because they weren't happy with being "forced onto the tollway." Now it’s ballooned into a $1,200 bill.
“We’ll have to do a payment plan because we don't have that kind of money sitting around,” Duty said.
Michelle Kelly of Mesquite used to rely on toll roads all the time when she was a student at the University of North Texas in Denton. These days, she uses the Bush Turnpike to go to nearby Rowlett or visit Firewheel Town Center in Garland. But she said the “pricey tolls” mean she only uses that corridor on occasion.
“I’m on a budget, and it hurts my budget if I drive on them on a regular basis,” she said.
Dean, the Lewisville commuter, is among many people who thought that once toll revenues paid off construction costs, roads and toll lanes would become free for drivers. But toll agencies and the Texas Department of Transportation instead plan to use excess toll money to fund road maintenance — and construction of new projects.
That includes new toll projects.
“The sad thing is, the tolls never go away,” Dean said. “Oftentimes we are paying tolls just to sit in traffic, and the toll roads are supposed to alleviate the traffic.”
Read related Tribune coverage:
A state lawmaker has asked the attorney general to weigh in on whether the state's transportation agency can use voter-approved funds to rebuild or expand highways that will also include toll lanes alongside them. [Full story]
The president-elect's proposals to expand and fix up U.S. highways seem to be a recipe for more toll roads. Texans from both parties hope to change that. [Full story]
Paying off most of the debt Texas has racked up building toll roads would cost about $36.7 billion, a final report from the Texas Department of Transportation revealed, a tall order for state lawmakers who would like to wean the state off tolled highways. [Full story]
Crying about money they don’t have to spend.
I love the toll roads around Dallas. Worth every one of my pennies.
We are seeing $200 a month tolls in Miami, $6,800 out of pocket in medical deductibles up from $500, the GOP does NOTHING to solve OBAMACARE , but them goes ahead and raises my taxable income about $90,000.
Things are about to get VERY REAL for these CORRUPT WASHINGTONIAN PERVERTS AND THIEVES.
““I didn’t take toll roads, my commute would be an hour-and-a-half or more depending on traffic...”
“Then take the toll roads and shut up about it. If there were NO toll roads, ALL the routes would be almost an hour and half longer, dummy.”
Agree. I live about three miles from GWB Toll and about the same from Sam Rayburn. And, I’m smart enough to know when to use them and when not to. Btw, the Toll Roads here in Texas, unlike in some other parts of the country, are built with good service roads so those can be used if necessary. Sure, you have to stop for traffic lights at intersections but you’ll save the cost of toll fees. Life is full of trade-off’s. No sympathy here for the dumb person who’s the subject of the article....
It mostly Dem lies and half truths meant to trash conservatives .
Believe nothing from this lie machine .
My understanding is that here in NJ tolls can only be charged on roads with free alternate routes (slower, as you describe, with traffic lights and such - but free). 65 years ago when they built the Garden State Parkway they said the tolls would only be collected long enough to pay for the road; now we pay just to fund the salaries, benefits, and retirements of toll collectors...
Some people need to work, live and have child care close to each other. When the toll is $200 a person needs to ask, can I find child care closer? Can I find work closer? Can I move closer to work?
No! I want it all.
“Btw, the Toll Roads here in Texas, unlike in some other parts of the country, are built with good service roads so those can be used if necessary.”
When Spain was looking at buying Texas’ toll roads, there was a “non-compete clause” to prohibit constructing competing “free” roads to go where the toll roads would go. It wouldn’t affect existing roads but it would have made a difference in all new construction.
Texas should charge the same as Kansas for registering vehicles, then eliminate the tolls. This will be a win for Kansas too, since right now thousands of Kansas residents tag their vehicles in Texas to evade the cost of tagging in their own damn state.
they should start a go-fund-me page instead of whining about not getting enough govt money. and the lady should reprioritize what’s important so her money balances better. own your choices.
make changes to live within your means. God provides more than enough to just about every citizen of this country and yet so many of us are griping about losing out on this or that.
We are all so much more well off than we think, we just don’t want to make cutbacks or revisions in what amounts to frivolous spending.
I bet this woman gets her hair and nails done often, cut back - stretch it out a little further between appts. things like that. Maybe find another option for kid to get home from after school care... share ride, etc.
There would be a lot more money for roads if the government would stop spending road money on things like bike paths. Would not solve the entire problem, but bike paths in every southern city is a massive waste of money when it would be better spent on roads.
If bike people want to pay for bike paths, then let’s pass a bike tax to fund them.
True. There is plenty of signage on how to get where you want to be via the toll lanes. There are almost no signs telling you how to stay on the free portion of the road at the major interchanges. The TxDot leaders are guilty of fraud in the inducement.
False, untrue, whatever your preferred term is for a misstatement. Take the GWB tollway frontage roads from K in Plano to the DNT and repeat your statement.
Of course, you won't because you'll never get to your destination due to the gap at Central and the larger gap west of Preston.
“Not happening. You do know that our Legislature is part time and they don’t get to sit around and cook up schemes like they do in CA, right? They also have to go back to their districts and hold down real jobs when they’re not in session. We don’t pay them when they’re not in session either.”
And I believe that infrastructure in Texas is based around having the funds to build. If the funds dry up, the road stops being built.
Off topic but pertinent to your post. About ten years ago, I had a minor argument with my late father in law. We are parents of four kids. Stay at home wife. At the time, we were craping by but money was always tight. Outside the house and an occasional car payment (used) we never carried any debt.
Hw was wondering why we weren’t getting ahead. I made a decent although unremarkable income and we lived a modest lifestyle.
Thirty years before that, he was a transmission mechanic, three kids, stay at home wife. Modest house, used cars, cabin, boats, snowmobiles etc. All stuff we didn’t have. I reminded him that the overall cost of living and especially taxation costs were far higher in my time than his. It’s harder to really get ahead.
We went the longest time without any buffer in the bank and that’s understandable. Having no debt made that far easier. If we needed to borrow, it was repaid almost immediately and the problem went away. We had some friends who have new everything. His income was similar to mine. I can’t image how they paid for it. Debt load must have been huge.
Another thought. Rather than Social security, would it make more sense to give every child born $10 or 20,000 into a mutual fund upon birth. They would pay that off at a small interest rate when they begin working. It would probably be paid back by the time they are 25 years old. That money, plus whatever they accrue on their own would fund their retirement.
About 5 years ago, my dad died and left me a low six figure inheritance. Along with my 401K, my funds earned more money than I did at my job this year. A couple more MAGA type years like that.
Back on topic-I hate toll roads. I just drove from Maryland to Rhode Island and back. I have no idea what that adventure cost.
"...eliminate bicycle paths..."
Improving the freeway/highway to outlying areas will in the long run NEVER reduce the problem of rush hour traffic. Here’s what happens. People move to outlying areas because the housing is cheaper. It is cheaper because of the “cost of the commute” is high, either in time or money. Then they cry to expand the freeway to reduce their cost of the commute. Once that happens, more development occurs in the outlying area bring in more people that now have to use these same roads. Traffic reappears.
This is exactly what happened when they expanded Hwy 101 in California between San Jose and Morgan Hill / Gilroy.
“Then take the toll roads and shut up about it. If there were NO toll roads, ALL the routes would be almost an hour and half longer, dummy.”
Who you calling dummy, MF!
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.