[1rudeboy]

Can anyone link me to a reputable source that states that existing roads are being converted to toll roads? My understanding was that either the tollroads in Texas are new construction from the ground-up, or additional toll-lanes constructed alongside existing lanes.

In other words, no net loss of "free" lanes. Am I missing something?

[Dead Corpse]

They got around the "no net loss" by stating that there will still be "frontage" roads. Try taking the "frontage" from Burnet Road up 183 to 620 some time. Or the I-35 frontage from Grand Avenue Parkway down to Oltorf.

As for maps, try this one in pdf flavor.

[Tolerance Sucks Rocks]

I read that funding for the first few miles of the planned U.S. 281 improvements north of San Antonio was secured from traditional methods, but they were planning to toll the road, anyway. The road is currently not being rebuilt due to an envirowhacko lawsuit.

[deport]

You have different Regional authorities involved with these local/regional toll roads..... Then there is the TTC system basically under TxDot with ties to some of the regional authorities.... The following are three of the major regional authorities. I'm not sure if there is one in South Texas. So you get regional plans mixed with TxDot and the landscape gets blurred.... jmo.

http://www.ntta.org/ [North Texas... Dallas - Fort Worth]
http://www.hctra.com/hctra/ [Harris County ... Houston area]
http://www.centraltexasturnpike.org/ [Centeral Texas .. Austin]

[Ben Ficklin]

Perhaps I can shed some generalized light on the issue of converting existing roads to toll roads.

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.