NTTA - August 27, 2007Plano, TX – The Lebanon Road bridge over the Tollway opened to traffic on Saturday, Aug. 25.
“Motorists will no longer be forced to detour to Stonebrook Parkway or John Hickman Parkway in order to cross the Tollway at Lebanon Road,” said Rick Herrington, NTTA’s Deputy Executive Director. “Opening the Lebanon Road bridge will improve mobility and save time for the motorists in this area, especially as the school year gets started.”
The Lebanon Road bridge was initially closed in September of 2006 shortly after opening the new Stonebrook Parkway bridge. The two crossings were alternately closed as a way to speed up the construction of the main lanes and bridges and to reduce overall congestion in Frisco, which would have occurred if the two crossings were restricted simultaneously for staged bridge construction.
“The opening of Lebanon Road marks another important step towards the completion of the northward extension of the Tollway from State Highway 121 to U.S. 380,” said Herrington.
Showing posts with label Frisco. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Frisco. Show all posts
Monday, August 27, 2007
Monday, July 23, 2007
NTTA on road to more tolls - North Texas Tollway Authority set to expand vision, role with new projects
By MICHAEL A. LINDENBERGER - The Dallas Morning News - Sunday, July 22, 2007
The North Texas Tollway Authority's second decade promises to be nothing like its first.
Today, at age 10, NTTA is promising to expand its focus beyond Dallas and Collin counties to mesh with state and local plans that will radically increase the number of toll roads in North Texas.
As a result, the authority is poised to exert more influence than ever before over the way North Texas drivers get from one place to another.
In addition to building the 26-mile State Highway 121 toll road, NTTA has been asked to build or operate at least five other toll roads, and will partner in several other "priced" projects such as pay-to-use HOV lanes.
Critics: Change needed
Critics caution, however, that as NTTA plays a bigger role in solving transportation problems, it will need to do a better job of paying attention to the whole region.
"I have nothing against them, except for their history," said Denton City Council member Pete Kamp, who said NTTA has long ignored Denton and Tarrant counties. "They are telling us that they are now going to be, and I trust them to be, good to their word. But in the past they've simply been in Dallas and Collin counties."
Bill Hale, the engineer in charge of the Dallas district of the Texas Department of Transportation, said North Texas' transportation solutions have long depended on pooling resources from the state, the region's elected officials and the toll authority. "It's a three-legged stool, and everyone has a role to play," he said.
If that's true, NTTA's leg is about to get a lot stronger, as Mr. Hale conceded in an interview last week.
And that means it will be under more scrutiny, said Mike Nowels, a former Regional Transportation Council member from Lewisville. Answerable only to an independent board of directors, the authority has had too little oversight, he said.
"Does the Dallas North Tollway from [Interstate] 635 south into Dallas, is it really up to standards? Is it anywhere close?" Mr. Nowels asked. "Why hasn't the tollway authority invested in fixing it? It's gridlock every morning and gridlock every evening – and it's been that way for 20 years."
Optimism
NTTA officials and Mr. Morris said negotiations over Highway 121 are well ahead of schedule. An agreement is expected to be ready before the Texas Transportation Commission meets in Sugar Land on Thursday – a month before the deadline.
If the deadline is not met, the contract will go to Cintra, the Spanish firm that won preliminary approval in February to build the road.
Many of the Regional Transportation Council members who voted to let Cintra keep the contract said they now think NTTA will do a good job.
Mesquite City Council member John Heiman Jr. said many of the "no" votes were cast in opposition to the way NTTA was allowed to make a late bid after Cintra had been named the preliminary winner.
"I didn't vote against the NTTA; I was simply opposed to the process. It was awful," Mr. Heiman said.
Most RTC members have put the differences over Highway 121 behind them and are focused on building the region's badly needed roads, he said.
"There is so much need – and I am not talking about wants, I am talking basic needs of transportation – we're going to need a big head of steam to get it all done," Mr. Heiman said.
Mr. Morris said NTTA must be given the support it needs to live up to its commitments on Highway 121 and other roads it has promised to help build.
"We want them to succeed," Mr. Morris said. "We're going to do everything we can to assist them."
NTTA chairman Paul Wageman said board members have benefited from criticism.
That path ahead, he said, includes an increased focus on communities in Tarrant and Denton counties who have long felt ignored by NTTA.
Higher tolls ahead
Still, what has changed most of all is not NTTA, but the way local officials and transportation planners have so enthusiastically embraced tolling as a road-building strategy.
That would have been hard to imagine in June 1997, when the Legislature voted to create NTTA.
Former Dallas County Judge Lee Jackson helped lead the charge to persuade lawmakers to dissolve the Texas Turnpike Authority and replace it with NTTA.
At the time, the authority's only job was to maintain the Dallas North Tollway and collect millions of dollars in tolls. In time, it used those funds and others to build the President George Bush Turnpike, and has since embarked on a handful of other, smaller projects.
But Mr. Jackson, chancellor of the University of North Texas system since 2002, said the philosophy about the role of toll roads in the highway system a decade ago barely resembles what has emerged since the Highway 121 debate began.
These days, the idea is to set the toll rates high enough to create a rich revenue stream that can be used as collateral for massive upfront loans from banks or bondholders.
In the Highway 121 case, for example, NTTA has promised to pay the state $3.3 billion in cash to help finance a stream of other North Texas projects. The money will come from the sale of bonds secured by future toll revenue that exceeds what is needed to build and operate Highway 121 in Denton and Collin counties.
"Obviously money talks," Mr. Jackson said. Still, he said the new approach is necessary because of the paucity of funds from more traditional sources such as state and federal gas taxes.
Mr. Morris agreed.
"We're in such a financial crisis when it comes to transportation that the gas taxes are basically paying for the maintenance of the roads we already have," Mr. Morris said. "Ten years from now the only improvements we will be able to make will be the ones that are paid for by toll roads."
Fairness of toll rate
Some local leaders say they can stomach the increasing number of toll roads. But they say it's wrong to abandon the old policy of keeping toll rates as low as possible.
Frisco City Manager George Purefoy is among them. It's bad enough, he said, that Frisco's two main avenues to the rest of the Dallas-Fort Worth area – Highway 121 and Dallas North Tollway – both will be tolled.
But what's worse, he said, is that Frisco drivers will be paying artificially high rates just so NTTA can borrow the billions it has promised to pay upfront. He says the higher toll rates amount to an extra tax on drivers unlikely to use the roads on which the extra money is spent.
The Frisco City Council is considering filing suit to try to block the toll road, Mayor Mike Simpson said, but no decision has been made.
Last week, Mr. Morris said that legal threat could make it more difficult for NTTA to close the Highway 121 deal within the deadline.
In the meantime, drivers may need to get used to paying higher tolls – a price transportation officials such as Mr. Morris said is needed if residents want to ease the congestion that continues to clog North Texas roads.
Read more
The North Texas Tollway Authority's second decade promises to be nothing like its first.
Today, at age 10, NTTA is promising to expand its focus beyond Dallas and Collin counties to mesh with state and local plans that will radically increase the number of toll roads in North Texas.
As a result, the authority is poised to exert more influence than ever before over the way North Texas drivers get from one place to another.
"I call it the maturing of the NTTA," said Michael Morris, transportation director for the North Central Texas Council of Governments. "Ten years ago, the NTTA's attitude may have been, 'We'll do a few projects, but we're not interested in managed lanes, or electronic toll roads. We basically build these big fat cash lanes.' " But that's changing fast, Mr. Morris said.
In addition to building the 26-mile State Highway 121 toll road, NTTA has been asked to build or operate at least five other toll roads, and will partner in several other "priced" projects such as pay-to-use HOV lanes.
Critics: Change needed
Critics caution, however, that as NTTA plays a bigger role in solving transportation problems, it will need to do a better job of paying attention to the whole region.
"I have nothing against them, except for their history," said Denton City Council member Pete Kamp, who said NTTA has long ignored Denton and Tarrant counties. "They are telling us that they are now going to be, and I trust them to be, good to their word. But in the past they've simply been in Dallas and Collin counties."
Bill Hale, the engineer in charge of the Dallas district of the Texas Department of Transportation, said North Texas' transportation solutions have long depended on pooling resources from the state, the region's elected officials and the toll authority. "It's a three-legged stool, and everyone has a role to play," he said.
If that's true, NTTA's leg is about to get a lot stronger, as Mr. Hale conceded in an interview last week.
And that means it will be under more scrutiny, said Mike Nowels, a former Regional Transportation Council member from Lewisville. Answerable only to an independent board of directors, the authority has had too little oversight, he said.
"Does the Dallas North Tollway from [Interstate] 635 south into Dallas, is it really up to standards? Is it anywhere close?" Mr. Nowels asked. "Why hasn't the tollway authority invested in fixing it? It's gridlock every morning and gridlock every evening – and it's been that way for 20 years."
Optimism
NTTA officials and Mr. Morris said negotiations over Highway 121 are well ahead of schedule. An agreement is expected to be ready before the Texas Transportation Commission meets in Sugar Land on Thursday – a month before the deadline.
If the deadline is not met, the contract will go to Cintra, the Spanish firm that won preliminary approval in February to build the road.
Many of the Regional Transportation Council members who voted to let Cintra keep the contract said they now think NTTA will do a good job.
Mesquite City Council member John Heiman Jr. said many of the "no" votes were cast in opposition to the way NTTA was allowed to make a late bid after Cintra had been named the preliminary winner.
"I didn't vote against the NTTA; I was simply opposed to the process. It was awful," Mr. Heiman said.
Most RTC members have put the differences over Highway 121 behind them and are focused on building the region's badly needed roads, he said.
"There is so much need – and I am not talking about wants, I am talking basic needs of transportation – we're going to need a big head of steam to get it all done," Mr. Heiman said.
Mr. Morris said NTTA must be given the support it needs to live up to its commitments on Highway 121 and other roads it has promised to help build.
"We want them to succeed," Mr. Morris said. "We're going to do everything we can to assist them."
NTTA chairman Paul Wageman said board members have benefited from criticism.
"I think it has been very instructive, and we're changing," Mr. Wageman said. "We're having to grow and adapt to a changing environment. Perhaps we were a little slow to adapt to that as a board, but the board is now fully focused on our road ahead."
That path ahead, he said, includes an increased focus on communities in Tarrant and Denton counties who have long felt ignored by NTTA.
Higher tolls ahead
Still, what has changed most of all is not NTTA, but the way local officials and transportation planners have so enthusiastically embraced tolling as a road-building strategy.
That would have been hard to imagine in June 1997, when the Legislature voted to create NTTA.
Former Dallas County Judge Lee Jackson helped lead the charge to persuade lawmakers to dissolve the Texas Turnpike Authority and replace it with NTTA.
At the time, the authority's only job was to maintain the Dallas North Tollway and collect millions of dollars in tolls. In time, it used those funds and others to build the President George Bush Turnpike, and has since embarked on a handful of other, smaller projects.
But Mr. Jackson, chancellor of the University of North Texas system since 2002, said the philosophy about the role of toll roads in the highway system a decade ago barely resembles what has emerged since the Highway 121 debate began.
"When the NTTA was formed, the idea was that every toll road would be built and operated to the lowest possible cost to the drivers," Mr. Jackson said. "The idea was to set the smallest possible toll rates."
These days, the idea is to set the toll rates high enough to create a rich revenue stream that can be used as collateral for massive upfront loans from banks or bondholders.
In the Highway 121 case, for example, NTTA has promised to pay the state $3.3 billion in cash to help finance a stream of other North Texas projects. The money will come from the sale of bonds secured by future toll revenue that exceeds what is needed to build and operate Highway 121 in Denton and Collin counties.
"Obviously money talks," Mr. Jackson said. Still, he said the new approach is necessary because of the paucity of funds from more traditional sources such as state and federal gas taxes.
Mr. Morris agreed.
"We're in such a financial crisis when it comes to transportation that the gas taxes are basically paying for the maintenance of the roads we already have," Mr. Morris said. "Ten years from now the only improvements we will be able to make will be the ones that are paid for by toll roads."
Fairness of toll rate
Some local leaders say they can stomach the increasing number of toll roads. But they say it's wrong to abandon the old policy of keeping toll rates as low as possible.
Frisco City Manager George Purefoy is among them. It's bad enough, he said, that Frisco's two main avenues to the rest of the Dallas-Fort Worth area – Highway 121 and Dallas North Tollway – both will be tolled.
But what's worse, he said, is that Frisco drivers will be paying artificially high rates just so NTTA can borrow the billions it has promised to pay upfront. He says the higher toll rates amount to an extra tax on drivers unlikely to use the roads on which the extra money is spent.
"Everyone wants to keep focusing on how much money the region is getting from this project, and no one seems to care how much more drivers are going to have to pay," he said. "Our drivers are going to have to pay a toll, an extra tax and then the gas tax, too."
The Frisco City Council is considering filing suit to try to block the toll road, Mayor Mike Simpson said, but no decision has been made.
Last week, Mr. Morris said that legal threat could make it more difficult for NTTA to close the Highway 121 deal within the deadline.
In the meantime, drivers may need to get used to paying higher tolls – a price transportation officials such as Mr. Morris said is needed if residents want to ease the congestion that continues to clog North Texas roads.
Read more
Wednesday, June 20, 2007
TxDOT Presents Conceptual Toll Plan for SH 121 through Collin County
TxDOT - July 18, 2006
The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) is presenting an opportunity for public input on the Conceptual Toll Plan for SH 121 from the Dallas North Tollway (DNT) to US 75 at a public meeting on Tuesday, July 25, at the Plano Centre, located at 2000 E. Spring Creek Parkway in Plano. This public meeting will be held in an open house format from 4 to 8 p.m. with no formal presentation.
During the meeting, TxDOT officials will be available to discuss the proposed tolling of SH 121 within the 13-mile corridor that passes through the cities of Plano, Frisco, Allen and McKinney and the town of Fairview. The SH 121 main lanes through the corridor are in various stages of construction.
There are no proposed changes to the locations or sizes of the previously designed ramps and main lanes. The proposed tolling would not require additional right of way, displacements or relocations. The re-evaluation of the previously approved environmental documents will research and identify potential changes to the natural, social and economic environment that could occur as a result of tolling SH 121.
Informational handouts will be available at various stations at the meeting as well as a display of a video simulation of the new toll road. The Conceptual Toll Plan schematic, project timeline, location map and a toll gantry map for the project will be on display at the meeting.
Schematics are available for viewing and copying at the Dallas District Office, located at 4777 E. Hwy. 80 in Mesquite, and at the Dallas County Transportation and Planning Division, Dallas County Public Works Administration Building, 411 Elm St., 4th Floor, in Dallas. The schematic drawings can also be viewed online.
The Denton County section of the SH 121 corridor opened as a toll road in Lewisville and Coppell on July 6 and 7. Tolls are being waived as a trial offer to the public until Sept. 1. For more information, visit our SH 121 Toll Road Web site.
NEWS RELEASE
The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) is presenting an opportunity for public input on the Conceptual Toll Plan for SH 121 from the Dallas North Tollway (DNT) to US 75 at a public meeting on Tuesday, July 25, at the Plano Centre, located at 2000 E. Spring Creek Parkway in Plano. This public meeting will be held in an open house format from 4 to 8 p.m. with no formal presentation.
During the meeting, TxDOT officials will be available to discuss the proposed tolling of SH 121 within the 13-mile corridor that passes through the cities of Plano, Frisco, Allen and McKinney and the town of Fairview. The SH 121 main lanes through the corridor are in various stages of construction.
There are no proposed changes to the locations or sizes of the previously designed ramps and main lanes. The proposed tolling would not require additional right of way, displacements or relocations. The re-evaluation of the previously approved environmental documents will research and identify potential changes to the natural, social and economic environment that could occur as a result of tolling SH 121.
Informational handouts will be available at various stations at the meeting as well as a display of a video simulation of the new toll road. The Conceptual Toll Plan schematic, project timeline, location map and a toll gantry map for the project will be on display at the meeting.
Schematics are available for viewing and copying at the Dallas District Office, located at 4777 E. Hwy. 80 in Mesquite, and at the Dallas County Transportation and Planning Division, Dallas County Public Works Administration Building, 411 Elm St., 4th Floor, in Dallas. The schematic drawings can also be viewed online.
The Denton County section of the SH 121 corridor opened as a toll road in Lewisville and Coppell on July 6 and 7. Tolls are being waived as a trial offer to the public until Sept. 1. For more information, visit our SH 121 Toll Road Web site.
NEWS RELEASE
Wednesday, June 6, 2007
"I guess they can overrun us."
Planners bypass Frisco's toll-road objections
This article is being posted again in a prominent place because it highlight how the RTC, and Tarrant County Judge Glen Whitley ignores the will of the people.
GORDON DICKSON - Fort Worth Star-Telegram - Thursday, April 13, 2006
© 2006 Fort Worth Star-Telegram: www.dfw.com
RTC ignores people's will in establishing transportation policy
By Faith Chatham - June 6, 2007
On June 4th the NCTCOG staff was asked at the media briefing if they surveyed the public or asked the people whether they wanted to pay for other projects with surplus toll revenue before the RTC adopted the policy of expanding existing highways and building most new freeways as tolled roads with rates set high enough to generate surplus toll revenue to spend on other projects. Mike Morris and Lara Rodriguez stated that "We held 20 meeting last year between Feb. and April and they were well attended. We discussed CDAs, toll rates and surveyed attendees. They were held along the SH 183 corridor, the SH 121 corridor and the SH 161 corridor." THey said that about 161 people attended and they surveyed a few additional people.
Lara sent the survey to DFW Regional Concerned Citizens.
They surveyed 214 people. There are 6.5 million people in the NCTCOG Region.
Not all citizens in all counties were given opportunity to take the survey. Random samples were not taken from different parts of the metroplex attempting to get a sampling of various income groups, ethnic groups, and ages groups (young adult to senior citizen). Most of the questions pertain to SH 121.
No question on the survey asks if the citizen prefers having toll rates set higher than necessary to maintain the roads and retire the debt so that surplus toll revenue can be generated to fund other projects.
The RTC appears to have ignored the preferences of the majority of the respondents to the survey. The policies adopted.
QUESTION: If the CDA anticipates toll revenue greater than the anticipated cost, do we request revenue up front or over time. 97 said OVER TIME.l 17 UP FRONT; 27 LOCAL DECISION. The RTC adopted a policy requiring PRIVATE and PUBLIC toll companies to pay substantial up-front concession payments to acquire and operate toll projects in the region.
QUESTION: The RTC should take into account the number of toll roads in a specific area before setting toll rates? 171 yes; 26 no.
They did not ask any question about how many roads citizens thought should be tolled, about the ratio of non tolled to tolled major highway miles in a county or district. There is no question asking if the citizens think 675 miles of additional toll lanes to existing highways and new toll roads is appropriate for this region.
QUESTION: What should the 2010 toll rate be for SH 121? NO TOLL -28; .09 cents per mile - 17; .10 cents per mile - 17; to NTTA max .12 cents per mile - 121; .14 cents per mile - 1; .15 cents pr mile - 20; .25 cents per mile - 2.
QUESTION: How should the toll rate grow over time? 108 of the 188 respondents answered NO MORE THAN 1.5% per year- no growth increase in 5 year increments as operating and maintenance costs increase. The RTC adopted a plan which escalates every 2-3 years at rates substantially higher than the maximum 1.5% per year favored by the citizens surveyed. Also the rates will escalate upward based on Consumer price index and inflation and other factors.
QUESTION: Should there be a Comprehensive Development Agreement CDA in Collin County?
The majority (141) of the citizens said NO! Only 41 answered yes. The RTC and TXDOT initially selected Cintra and announced plans to sign a CDA with the Spanish-based firm. When the Texas Legislature stipulated that public toll authorities in a region were to be given right of first refusal members of the RTC objected. Judge Glen Whitley at the March 2007 RTC meeting exclaimed: "Why ever would we award the NTTA a contract? They'll have to meet the up-front concession payments offered by Cintra or I know I won't vote for it!"
QUESTION: Should we have a differential toll rate for peak and off peak conditions?
The majority (171) said NO. Only 41 said yes. Both the NTTA and Cintra bids are based on different toll rates for different times of day. The RTC ignored the preference of the people.
Ignoring the preference of the people is a pattern with the RTC and TxDOT.
They adopted policues which will require citizens to pay tolls for 50 years, at rates higher than necessary to construct and maintain the roads, without giving the 6.5 million citizens in the region opportunity to address the questions.
They ignored the peference of the 180-214 respondents to their survey.
They refused to evaluate their plan after hundreds of citizens showed up at EVERY TTC hearing held by TxDOT in the region during the summer following the RTCS series of meetings.
Citizens yelled and protested eminent domain for private developlment, toll roads instead of highways paid for by gas tax and bond money, 50 year contract and CDAs with Cintra, a Spanish company.
The will of the people was unmistakable.
The RTC and TXDOT and most local leaders chose to ignore the people and push through policy which will require the citizens in this region to depend upon toll roads for 50 years and to pay higher tolls than is necessary to build the roads and retire the debt and maintain the infastructure.
The RTC lobbied the State Legislature to exempt this region from the 2 year moratorium on toll roads. The rest of the rest of the state will benefit from a re-evaluation of CDAs before commitments are made on 50 year contracts in their region. It is possibe that the State Legislature will fix some of the problems with Transporatation financing (such as a need to index the gasoline tax to keep up with inflation) and enable Texans to again have roads built with tax money instead of toll money. This region may be left having to pay higher gasoline tax and having to pay high tolls to drive on Texas state highways in this region.
The RTC and local officials have failed to be responsive to the economic welfare of the residents of this region. They appear to place greater priority on moving freight and speak more about "economic growth" than they do on creating systems that efficiently move people at affordable rates.
Their plan contains too many miles of toll roads for one region. They have modeled much of the additional capacity after a toll road in Orange County, CA which has proven to be a dismal failure. Begun as a private public partnership, the rates and management of the road irritated (infuriated) citizens so much that the state bought back the toll road from the private partners at a very high cost to the taxpayers. During rush hour the toll lanes are nearly empty while the not tolled lanes are so congested that traffic hardly moves. They have dedicated valuable real estate to under utilized toll lanes. If all lanes were non-tolled, they could equalize traffic among the lanes and everyone would have a better opportunity to get to their destination in a reasonable time. Because of creative funding strategies, the citizens in that region are poorly served.
It is unfortunate that regional transportation planner have chosen to model much of this regions proposed transportation projects after a project with is neither a success nor an improvement.
This article is being posted again in a prominent place because it highlight how the RTC, and Tarrant County Judge Glen Whitley ignores the will of the people.
GORDON DICKSON - Fort Worth Star-Telegram - Thursday, April 13, 2006
ARLINGTON- North Texas leaders often say they put the good of the region above local desires. On Thursday, that was put to the test.
The Regional Transportation Council, the area's official planning body, agreed to pursue a toll road on Texas 121 in Collin County -- and potentially many other future toll roads in Tarrant and other counties-- over the objection of elected leaders in Frisco.
The RTC also agreed to allow pricing on toll roads to vary by time of day, reaching up to 17 cents per mile during rush hour beginning in 2010. Today's Dallas-area toll rate is a flat 10 cents a mile.
The approval, on a voice vote --with at least three of the RTC's 40 members opposed--was a notable break with tradition. When development decisions are made in North Texas, it's not uncommon for politicians to grant veto power to a city or county directly affected by a project. Not this time.
"We left here with the reaction that the region is the No. 1 priority for the RTC," Tarrant County Commissioner Glen Whitley said.
Frisco Mayor Michael Simpson had a different take.
"I guess they can overrun us," he said after the meeting at the Arlington Convention Center. "I'm not happy about it."
Simpson said he calculated that if the 17-cent maximum was applied to Texas 121, a typical commuter using the road during peak morning or afternoon traffic would spend about $1,100 a year on tolls.
"We want a toll low enough that people are willing to pay," he said. "I hope it doesn't kick traffic onto the streets of McKinney, Allen and Frisco."
Last week, the Frisco City Council withdrew its support for the proposed toll road roughly from the Dallas North Tollway to McKinney.
Frisco originally supported the toll road, on the condition that tolls be kept as low as possible. But other North Texas leaders and the Texas Department of Transportation wanted to seek bids from private companies, to see whether the toll road could generate a large cash payment up front.
All Thursday's action really does is set up a competition for the Texas 121 Collin County toll road project between the tollway authority and any private bidders.
The state transportation department could select a winner by November.
Whether Frisco likes it or not.
© 2006 Fort Worth Star-Telegram: www.dfw.com
RTC ignores people's will in establishing transportation policy
By Faith Chatham - June 6, 2007
On June 4th the NCTCOG staff was asked at the media briefing if they surveyed the public or asked the people whether they wanted to pay for other projects with surplus toll revenue before the RTC adopted the policy of expanding existing highways and building most new freeways as tolled roads with rates set high enough to generate surplus toll revenue to spend on other projects. Mike Morris and Lara Rodriguez stated that "We held 20 meeting last year between Feb. and April and they were well attended. We discussed CDAs, toll rates and surveyed attendees. They were held along the SH 183 corridor, the SH 121 corridor and the SH 161 corridor." THey said that about 161 people attended and they surveyed a few additional people.
Lara sent the survey to DFW Regional Concerned Citizens.
They surveyed 214 people. There are 6.5 million people in the NCTCOG Region.
Not all citizens in all counties were given opportunity to take the survey. Random samples were not taken from different parts of the metroplex attempting to get a sampling of various income groups, ethnic groups, and ages groups (young adult to senior citizen). Most of the questions pertain to SH 121.
No question on the survey asks if the citizen prefers having toll rates set higher than necessary to maintain the roads and retire the debt so that surplus toll revenue can be generated to fund other projects.
The RTC appears to have ignored the preferences of the majority of the respondents to the survey. The policies adopted.
QUESTION: If the CDA anticipates toll revenue greater than the anticipated cost, do we request revenue up front or over time. 97 said OVER TIME.l 17 UP FRONT; 27 LOCAL DECISION. The RTC adopted a policy requiring PRIVATE and PUBLIC toll companies to pay substantial up-front concession payments to acquire and operate toll projects in the region.
QUESTION: The RTC should take into account the number of toll roads in a specific area before setting toll rates? 171 yes; 26 no.
They did not ask any question about how many roads citizens thought should be tolled, about the ratio of non tolled to tolled major highway miles in a county or district. There is no question asking if the citizens think 675 miles of additional toll lanes to existing highways and new toll roads is appropriate for this region.
QUESTION: What should the 2010 toll rate be for SH 121? NO TOLL -28; .09 cents per mile - 17; .10 cents per mile - 17; to NTTA max .12 cents per mile - 121; .14 cents per mile - 1; .15 cents pr mile - 20; .25 cents per mile - 2.
QUESTION: How should the toll rate grow over time? 108 of the 188 respondents answered NO MORE THAN 1.5% per year- no growth increase in 5 year increments as operating and maintenance costs increase. The RTC adopted a plan which escalates every 2-3 years at rates substantially higher than the maximum 1.5% per year favored by the citizens surveyed. Also the rates will escalate upward based on Consumer price index and inflation and other factors.
QUESTION: Should there be a Comprehensive Development Agreement CDA in Collin County?
The majority (141) of the citizens said NO! Only 41 answered yes. The RTC and TXDOT initially selected Cintra and announced plans to sign a CDA with the Spanish-based firm. When the Texas Legislature stipulated that public toll authorities in a region were to be given right of first refusal members of the RTC objected. Judge Glen Whitley at the March 2007 RTC meeting exclaimed: "Why ever would we award the NTTA a contract? They'll have to meet the up-front concession payments offered by Cintra or I know I won't vote for it!"
QUESTION: Should we have a differential toll rate for peak and off peak conditions?
The majority (171) said NO. Only 41 said yes. Both the NTTA and Cintra bids are based on different toll rates for different times of day. The RTC ignored the preference of the people.
Ignoring the preference of the people is a pattern with the RTC and TxDOT.
They adopted policues which will require citizens to pay tolls for 50 years, at rates higher than necessary to construct and maintain the roads, without giving the 6.5 million citizens in the region opportunity to address the questions.
They ignored the peference of the 180-214 respondents to their survey.
They refused to evaluate their plan after hundreds of citizens showed up at EVERY TTC hearing held by TxDOT in the region during the summer following the RTCS series of meetings.
Citizens yelled and protested eminent domain for private developlment, toll roads instead of highways paid for by gas tax and bond money, 50 year contract and CDAs with Cintra, a Spanish company.
The will of the people was unmistakable.
The RTC and TXDOT and most local leaders chose to ignore the people and push through policy which will require the citizens in this region to depend upon toll roads for 50 years and to pay higher tolls than is necessary to build the roads and retire the debt and maintain the infastructure.
The RTC lobbied the State Legislature to exempt this region from the 2 year moratorium on toll roads. The rest of the rest of the state will benefit from a re-evaluation of CDAs before commitments are made on 50 year contracts in their region. It is possibe that the State Legislature will fix some of the problems with Transporatation financing (such as a need to index the gasoline tax to keep up with inflation) and enable Texans to again have roads built with tax money instead of toll money. This region may be left having to pay higher gasoline tax and having to pay high tolls to drive on Texas state highways in this region.
The RTC and local officials have failed to be responsive to the economic welfare of the residents of this region. They appear to place greater priority on moving freight and speak more about "economic growth" than they do on creating systems that efficiently move people at affordable rates.
Their plan contains too many miles of toll roads for one region. They have modeled much of the additional capacity after a toll road in Orange County, CA which has proven to be a dismal failure. Begun as a private public partnership, the rates and management of the road irritated (infuriated) citizens so much that the state bought back the toll road from the private partners at a very high cost to the taxpayers. During rush hour the toll lanes are nearly empty while the not tolled lanes are so congested that traffic hardly moves. They have dedicated valuable real estate to under utilized toll lanes. If all lanes were non-tolled, they could equalize traffic among the lanes and everyone would have a better opportunity to get to their destination in a reasonable time. Because of creative funding strategies, the citizens in that region are poorly served.
It is unfortunate that regional transportation planner have chosen to model much of this regions proposed transportation projects after a project with is neither a success nor an improvement.
Tuesday, May 15, 2007
Tolling topic of Collin County Commissioners' workshop
By Penny Rathbun, staff writer for The Frisco Star
Friday, May 4, 2007 2:34 PM CDT)
Friday, May 4, 2007 2:34 PM CDT)
The Collin County Commissioners Court held a work session Monday night in Frisco's City Hall.... Read more
Five people spoke to the Commissioners Court on the issue of tolling State Highway 121, including Frisco Mayor Mike Simpson, City Manager George Purefoy, and Frisco Mayor Pro Tem Maher Maso.
All of them were against the tolling, and Purefoy presented a detailed report on the flaws in the Texas Department of Transportation's plan for SH 121 His report shows that the toll will continue to escalate with a 45 percent higher rate for users without toll tags
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