by Terri Hall
Published by San Antonio Express-news
Wonder why there is all the fuss over toll roads? Well, we're not talking about traditional toll projects.
Gov. Rick Perry and his Transportation Commission are pushing private toll road deals that limit free routes and allow the private operator to charge high tolls.
As ex-Transportation Commissioner Sen. Robert Nichols, a stickler for details and the author of a bill to halt comprehensive development agreements, or CDAs, has noted, the devil is in the details.
These private toll contracts include noncompete agreements like Cintra's. There will be no improvements made to existing roads or new free routes built within a certain radius of the toll road. Doing so would compete with or reduce toll revenues, and a private company simply won't allow that.
The Texas Department of Transportation promises toll rates of 12 cents to 15 cents a mile, but the reality has been 44 cents up to $1.50 per mile on similar projects that just opened in Austin. Read the rest of the article HERE.
4/23/2007
SA EXPRESS Commentary: Toll road deals merit scrutiny
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1 comment:
If the 44cents to $1.50 a mile toll rates don't wake up the folks in Austin and around the State, then I don't know what else will.
Those rates are 293% to 1000% higher than what was stated by TXDOT? Can the government get anymore incompetent or inaccurate in their estimations?
If the citizens of this state continue to let this happen, then we deserve what we get from TXDOT and our Texas representatives!
Folks, call your senator and house representative - ask them to pass the "toll road moratorium" bill(WITHOUT any exemptions to any "pet projects")
Dave Ramos
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