NTTA presented TxDOT with a Texas sized check of $3.197 billion for the rights to design and build the Hwy 121 toll project in Collin, Dallas, and Denton counties. The money was part of an agreement that NTTA build the road, rather than outsourcing it to Spanish consortium Cintra for less money.
The Citizens of North Texas get that check? We may hold them to that. Daddy needs to pay some bills.
Of course, you know we hate toll roads, but at least the money is staying here in Texas rather than heading to Spain. And by 2012 we will have a highway that will help alleviate a great deal of traffic in the DFW area. If anyone has ever driven SH 121 in its current state, you will know how much it sucks ass. But now, in the name of progress, Carrollton and The Colony regional drivers will have to suffer with the North Dallas Tollway, George Bush Turnpike (also a toll road), and 121 Toll surrounding their cities. Doesn't that gas tax look better and better each day?
www.350.org
3 comments:
The taxpayers who've already paid for 10 of those miles with nearly 1 billion tax dollars. The same taxpayers that will continue to pay out the nose, for years to come, to a bloated bureaucratic system created only to collect money off what should have been a public expressway. They call that a monopoly.
sal "the muckraker" costello
salcostello@yahoo.com
Your December 1st blog was spot on to the true issue. You seem like you have your heads on straight with taking the toll road argument headon with a substantive argument. Unfortunately for us in Austin, some got headed in the wrong direction when TexasTollParty's leader abandon a reasoned argument and replaced it with personal attacks against key politicians. As a result every referendum that TexasTollParty has pushed have each been soundly defeated. I hope that you keep fighting the good fight with a pragmatic approach.
Sally K. Stella
stefcostellosux@excite.com
I have heard rumors that NTTA is owned by foreign interests. After doing some digging of my own, I found a document contrary to that.
I disagree with Toll roads myself but it may be the only way to get things done these days.. Although there should be some rules such as if there is "X" amount of traffic, tolls are turned off. Can't tell you how many times I have paid to sit in traffic on Texas North Tollway. Toll roads are supposed to releave traffic. :(
http://www.ntta.org/NR/rdonlyres/D858EF83-0A63-4891-9296-6E8F803C2704/0/20080421SH161jointreleaseFINAL.pdf
Here is a blurb from it
The North Texas Tollway Authority, a political subdivision of the state of Texas, is authorized to acquire, construct, maintain, repair and operate turnpike projects in the North Texas region. The nine-member governing board is comprised of Chairman Paul N. Wageman; Vice Chairman William W. Meadows; and Directors Gary Base, Bob Day, David Denison, Michael Nowels, Bob Shepard, Alan E. Sims and Victor Vandergriff.
The NTTA serves Collin, Dallas, Denton and Tarrant counties and is responsible for the NTTA System, consisting of the Dallas North Tollway, President George Bush Turnpike, Addison Airport Toll Tunnel, Lewisville Lake Toll Bridge and the Mountain Creek Lake Bridge. The NTTA is able to raise capital for construction projects through the issuance of turnpike revenue bonds. NTTA toll projects are not a part of the state highway system and receive no direct tax funding. Tolls are collected to repay debt and to operate and maintain the roadways.
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