I had a similar philosophy for years but did eventually break down and submit. Abbott did vow to allow no more toll roads to be built.
https://www.texastribune.org/2017/1...-txdot-over-toll-projects-abbott-remains-mum/ Article from 2017, at the time, they seemed to fight pretty hard against it. Lets see how this I45 project goes, because on that one, TxDOT has been showing "managed lanes" on all of the layouts. This would go hard against what Abbott promised years ago. Maybe they lose the energy to keep fighting it.
Man it is a hidden tax......those roads have long sense paid for themselves.....why we have private roadways on public lands is beyond me. DD
I wonder if we really spawned a petition that got 5 million local signatures if they'd do anything but laugh. It's tolled because we'll (the greater we) pay for it. I've been taking 99 to work and back. There's not even a ramp built yet on one side of the road so you have to exit freeway to freeway at one point which is just traumatizing lol but really. **** isn't even finished. I only spend like 20 a week but that's a 1000 a year. It really only saves like 5 minutes unless there's a train.
Stopped taking WestPark this year. It’s like $7 one way so last year I was only using it on the way home and only 3 days a week still ended up over $1,000 in tolls. $1k to inch along for 20 minutes where WP meets SH and if there’s an accident you are screwed. At best it would save me 10-15 minutes.
I use the F out of the tollways for work. I drive around all day, and if i get stuck in traffic for an extra 15 minutes, paying my salary more-than-offsets the money that would be saved by having me sit in traffic with the other proles. Most months I spend $120-$160 at least refilling my ez tag balance. On, for instance, a Friday during rush hour, the 288 toll lane can save half an hour, just on that drive from downtown to Broadway in Pearland.
Perhaps for the original construction. The lesser used northeast section was only completed within the last decade or so and then they started an expansion project on the south Belt that I'm sure cost more than the original construction of the south Belt.
It was a bait and switch. Beltway 8 was positioned by leaders that tolls would simply pay for construction and then they'd remove the tolls. They never removed the tolls They raised the prices on tolls Now they keep adding new toll roads It's a consumption tax.
It's a Texas thing now.... here in Austin pretty much all the new highways are tollroads and any upgrade of an existing highway will have a tollroad component. I initially liked the idea of toll roads but they seem like the prerequisite for any new highway or upgrade.
are there no speed limits on this toll road? Doesn;t seem lime enough shoulder for cops to hide on but was just curious if it really is libertarian.
Dunno about Houston, but I use the hell out of the 183 tollroad southbound going into North Austin from Hwy29. No idea what it costs, and I've never cared, because it's worth it
I'm referring to private funding constructing roads thus leading to really excessive toll fees. I never do see cops in there though, so could be that private company wanted a premium for their presence in there as well (pure speculation).
