It is often said that Guv Perry or "the state" is converting the roads. Neither have the authority. That decision rests with the local authority and it was the legislature that gave them the authority.
There are two reasons for the regional/local authorities. First, it is congruent with "Home Rule" in the constitution to decentralize authority. Second, it prevents the more politically powerful population centers from using the legislature to "gang up" on the rural areas. The cities need the local roads improvement and improvement to the roads/highways linking them. It would certainly benefit them if they could impose a statewide funding method such as a gas tax increase to build these roads.
When the local authority does face the situation of converting, that decision is not made without public imput and the decision is always based the alternatives of being able to proceed immediately if tolls are used or wait years/decades if highway money is used to incrementally improve for free. Additionally, with tolls, the improvements are made quickly with the least amount of impact due to construction. When it is done incrementally as a free improve ment, the construction never stops.
The anti crowd always like to try portray this converting as a situation where a perfectly good road with adequate capacity, that was paid for by tax money, is being converted. I know of no such case, nor have I seen anyone on these threads point to such a case. The reality is these roads have been chronic problems for decades and while there have been improvements in those decades, the increased usage in those decades has overwhelmed those improvements. Certainly some of these past improvements will be incorporated if the road is improved by tolling, but in the overall scheme/cost they will be only a small part. Many of those past improvements are now obselete.
It should also be noted that, as a generality, the most strident of the anti-TTC crowd are those who are actually mad about their local toll roads. It should also be noted that, as a generality, those maddest about their local toll roads are those in the Ausin area.
Oh, cut it out...you are cracking me up!
TxDOT officials, who for two years have said they'll build toll roads in San Antonio whether local leaders want them or not, confirmed Thursday that work has stopped on $104 million worth of U.S. 281 projects, including three miles of toll lanes just north of Loop 1604 and an underpass at Borgfeld Road.
Peggy Hamric authored and filed HB 3545 on March 14, 2003 which allows conversion of state highways to toll roads. This bill was offered and accepted as an amendment to HB 3588 on May 9, 2003. HB 3588 was signed by Governor Perry on June 22, 2003. Peggy Hamric is a member of the House Transportation Committee which has jurisdiction over TxDOT and the Texas Transportation Commission.
Jon Lindsay authored SB 1463 on March 13, 2003 which allows conversion of state highways to toll roads. This bill was signed by Governor Perry on June 20, 2003.
Besides the fact that...
Congress passed a new Federal Aid to Roads Act in 1921, requiring states to have exclusive control in road design, construction, and maintenance.
And since you like to remind people that there are web archives out there for the truth, maybe you should visit a few of them. District Engineer David Casteel has admitted that the original 281 plan all the way to the Bexar County line was 100% paid for. It would have been complete right now if Perry...who appoints the Transportion Commission...and his cronies hadn't interfered.