The Next Wave in Superhighways, or A Big, Fat Texas Boondoggle?

TIME Magazine ^ | Monday, Dec. 06, 2004 | By CATHY BOOTH; THOMAS HUTTO

[hopespringseternal]

I was in Wichita Falls not long ago and I swear they have the freeway/beltway system of a town three times the size they actually are.

The flip side of that is that Houston has the same size roads.

It is all a big shell game with the money. For example, the schools are always running around with their pockets pulled out talking about how broke they are, while they build $60 million high schools in the background.

The same is true of this boondoggle. It won't be in the cities where the lane capacity is needed, it is between the cities where existing lane capacity is mostly fine.

They are just now expanding I-10 west of Houston. Almost all of the expansion will go into toll roads and HOV lanes, neither of which will have a large impact on easing traffic congestion.

From top to bottom, our political leadership is insane.

[evets]

Pflugerville... Pflugerville...

Pflugerville.

[hopespringseternal]

Not that they are really new, we've had one toll road here in Oklahoma for over 45 years, it was supposed to become "free" when the construction costs were paid.

If you watch carefully, you will find them periodically restructuring the financials any time they get used to paying it off. Imagine refinancing the remaining balance on your house to a new thirty year note every time you get five years from paying it off.

[fella]

The only true opposition to this plan here in Texas is from those who want more grease in their palms. Isn't that how boondoggles work? With tons of taxpayer monies going to greedy political correctors and absentee landlords.

[Diddle E. Squat]

They are just now expanding I-10 west of Houston. Almost all of the expansion will go into toll roads and HOV lanes, neither of which will have a large impact on easing traffic congestion.

Actually they are adding an extra lane each way between exits for merging and accel/decel, and 2 toll lanes each way for all cars. Doesn't make sense to say that going from 6 to 10-12 lanes(which as configured would double capacity) won't impact congestion. You'll have a choice, pay to use the fast toll lanes(where the rates will vary based on demand to keep traffic moving at 55+mph) or the busier free lanes.

[Deek]

There was no time to think it through and look for the unintended consequences that government always dumps on us.

You are correct about this. I agree that CAMPO handled this very badly. My loss is with the general objection to tolls.

[jriemer]

"You cannot go to Heaven or Hell without first passing through DFW." --- Kinky Freidman

But your luggage will still win up lost at O'Hare.

[Deek]

The way I understand the bill, is all roads under construction will be tolled.

I think the state intends to toll most of the new roads it builds, but I don't think the State plans to put tolls roads that already built or near completion. If they plan to toll existing roads, I (and I suspect much of the state) will have serious objections.

[hopespringseternal]

Doesn't make sense to say that going from 6 to 10-12 lanes(which as configured would double capacity) won't impact congestion.

The number of people who can carpool is limited. Everyone I know who does carpool picks up their passengers at bus stops. The buses run nearly empty (partially because it is unlikely they will come within a quarter mile of your destination at either end.)

As far as the toll lane issue, that remains to be seen. If the toll lanes were remarkably faster, people would still have to cross multiple lanes of very slow traffic to exit, backing up the supposedly faster toll lanes. If they are going to make separate overpass exits for the toll lanes 1) there goes any cost advantage and 2) they aren't building them now.

It seems likely they will have to wall off the toll lanes to prevent people from simply going around the toll booths, and they probably won't provide exits except at key points, greatly limiting their usefulness.

[Flightdeck]

I live right where the arrow pointing to the loop 1 toll addition intersects with 183. And rush hour is horrible

[MeekOneGOP]

I don't hardly ever get down to Austin or San Antonio, but late January this year I drove my SIL's son down to San Antonio from here in the Dallas area.

We drove down there on a Friday evening because he had an interview at a University to apply for acceptance for his Master's degree there. His interview was Saturday morning and when it was over, we headed back to Dallas around noon.

When we got to Austin, I-35 was backed up. Traffic was STOPPED. And this was a SATURDAY, not during the week. That blew me away. I knew for sure there must have been an accident or something, but we never saw anything causing the problem. What a P.I.T.A. !!!

[MarshallDillon]

There is true grassroots opposition to the TTC plan and local toll road conversions by groups such as our in Austin, and others around the state.

Check out links at: http://www.corridorwatch.com

[Arrowhead1952]

Like the locals say, "Morning rush hour in Austin is from 630 - 10 AM, lunch rush hour is from 10 AM - 1 PM and evening rush hour is from 4 - 830 PM. Weekend rush hours are from 730 Saturday AM and lasts until 10 PM Sunday."

I have been on 183 and Loop 1 at 2 AM, and there is a lot of traffic. Austin is about 20 years behind in building roads for the exploding population.

[ladtx]

A view of the high-5 still under construction.

[MarshallDillon]

Working at ABIA: In August and September, I rode my bicycle from our home near 620 & Anderson Mill to 7th & Pleasant Valley and back. The bus takes me to and from the Airport and Pleasant VAlley. I lost 20 lbs real quick, but the point is that I could get downtown on my bike faster than my wife can home from U.T. sometimes. Coming home is much uphill and in traffic. Total time in saddle - 3 hours a day. When the toll system is completed, I will have to spend at least $100 a month on tolls to and from work in my car. A 17 cent/mile toll = $3.40 per gallon tax. A 10-cent tax statewide would solve all the financial problems. See: http://firericwilliamson.com for a power-point presentation.

[MarshallDillon]

http://www.firericwilliamson.com

Here is an excellent power point with data to show how ineffective the TTC plan is, and how a small gas tax increase statewide would make up the difference!

[Centurion2000]

Texas, which is losing more land to sprawl than any other state

We can afford it. People don't realize how BIG Texas is until you have to drive across it.

[Joe Hadenuf]

Toll roads in Texas?

BWAHAHAHHAHA

[evets]

Sorry to hear about the traffic.
I live off I-35 near Belton.
Well, at least we're in Texas!
Yee haw.

[MeekOneGOP]

Hmmm .....

Horrendous traffic problems. Austin. Libs running things there.

Is this the classic case of the inmates running the asylum???