2006.06.06

Governor Rick Perry's Republican activists are against important aspects of his administration's tollroad policy. The Republican Party of Texas at its annual convention June 3 adopted language calling for repeal of authority for the Trans Texas Corridors (TTCs). The party platform reads: Trans-Texas Corridor - Because there are issues of confiscation of private land, State and National sovereignty and other similar concerns, we urge the repeal of the Trans-Texas Corridor legislation."

Clearly the Perry administration is doing a poor job of selling the corridors program, when the governor's own party opposes it.

The grassroots opposition isn't new. A similar platform item passed two years ago, but it is odd that Gov Perry can't persuade his own people to support him on this major program.

Tolling previously free roads

Also there is a plank in the GOP platform: "Tolls on Existing Roads - We oppose tolls charged for traversing previously toll free roadways and disallow continued tolls except for maintenance on existing toll roads already paid for."

The last bit is nonsense. A road is never ever paid for. Like a house or any other structure a road goes on costing for ever, because it deteriorates from the weather and from use, and needs periodic rebuilds, or it becomes obsolete or inadequate and needs to be expanded.

And what's a previously toll free road?

Anti-tollers claim building new toll lanes within the right of way of an existing right of way is tolling a previously free road.

It is common in Texas to first build split frontage roads at the sides of a wide right of way, along say US290. The frontage roads obviously deal with fronting businesses and residences and they intersect at grade with signals, and they have crossing traffic. So they offer a lesser standard of service than an expressway, but they are toll-free.

When traffic begins to outrun the capacity of the frontage roads it is common now for Texas DOT or a local toll authority to build a tolled expressway in the central reservation with the frontage roads and slip ramps serving as access and egress.

The tollsters argue: you've now got an expressway. It's new capacity and provides a new level of service and it is toll financed. We are not tolling the old frontage road lanes and you can continue to ride those toll-free. The toll-free road remains toll-free, it's just the new road that's tolled.

Ah, the anti-tollers come back: the US290 route used to be free, now it is tolled. Tolls on a previously free road. Simple as that.

The tollsters of course say: well the toll financed part is tolled, the old part remains untolled. Wadda yah gripin aboud?

It's an endless game of semantics.

TOLLROADSnews 2006-06-06