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Follow TURFOf course, big government threatens to cut needed road improvements if it cuts the planned INCREASE in toll rates that are already sky high and inhibiting freedom to travel. They say they'll collect less money, when the toll rate increase hasn't even been enacted yet. They basically spent the money before they ever collected the higher tax. Typical when you put unelected toll bureaucrats in charge of tax rates!
MDX may lower tolls on State Road 836, but other improvements may suffer
By Alfonso Chardy
Miami Herald
June 2, 2013
The Miami-Dade Expressway Authority (MDX) is organizing public presentations in coming weeks to advise drivers about the impact of a possible toll rate on State Road 836.
The agency board had proposed a higher toll rate on March 19, but reversed itself before voting on the measure and decided on a lower toll rate at its April 30 board meeting.
MDX board members initially voted to set a rate of 70 cents per collection point – in essence, a toll increase, because full-fledged electronic collection will be activated on 836 and cash no longer will be accepted.
Read more: Miami toll board opines cut in toll rate INCREASE
Toll road giant tasked with major VA projects hands one off to creditors
By Kathryn Watson
Watchdog.org
June 14, 2013
ALEXANDRIA—Something really is waiting ‘just around the river bend’ for the Pocahontas Parkway [2] in the Richmond region — creditors.
European banks are taking over the financially foundering enterprise owned by the state but operated and tolled by Australian-based toll road giant Transurban, which isn’t generating enough toll revenue to cover the multi-million-dollar project’s debt bills. The Virginia Department of Transportation will have to seek out a new operator for the road that connects Henrico and Chesterfield counties over the James River.
Read more: Private toll operator in VA hands failing road to creditor
This is no small matter if the FBI is investigating a toll authority board member.
Transportation authority member’s investments at issue in concerns about possible conflicts
By Kevin Krause
Dallas Morning News
June 15, 2013
When toll roads or any type of highways are built, those who own land in their path stand to make a hefty profit when development inevitably follows.
Such is the case with toll roads built by the North Texas Tollway Authority. This Sunday, we explore the case of one NTTA board member, David Denison, who’s private business interests have been tied closely to the construction of toll roads in the area.
Read more: Toll board member conflicts of interest being investigated
By Eric Weilbacher, Contributing Writer
San Antonio Express-News
Wednesday, June 12, 2013
The Bulverde City Council on Tuesday unanimously passed a resolution asking the Texas Department of Transportation to perform an analysis of the U.S. Highway 281 corridor.
Council also approved several changes to the ongoing-community park project.
Jonathan Bean, the director of transportation and development in the San Antonio area for TxDOT, gave a presentation on several future projects that would affect the Bulverde area.
Included in his briefing was a plan to eventually make Texas Hwy. 46 from New Braunfels to Boerne a six-lane highway with curbs, gutters and center turns.
Read more here.
Ports to Plains is one of the Trans Texas Corridor (TTC) trade corridors. There are no traffic jams in this county of a population of only 13,000. These road improvements are being made to build the TTC piece-by-piece to facilitate global trade and the transport of cheap Chinese goods into America and the free flow of people and goods across the Texas-Mexico border.
Dawson County road work to improve South Plains connections to Permian Basin
TxDOT plans projects on US 87, Texas 349 south of Lamesa
By Adam D. Young
Lubbock Online.com
June 5, 2013
Road crews have their work cut out for them this fall and in 2014 on Dawson County highways connecting the South Plains with the Permian Basin.
The Texas Department of Transportation last week earmarked $11.2 million for roadway improvements and repairs to nearly 20 miles of US 87 south of Lamesa — just months after the department allocated up to $17 million to a project to widen a portion of Texas 349 between Lamesa and Midland.
Read more: Ports to Plains Trans Texas Corridor in progress in Dawson County
No such caution can be found in Texas. It's a public private partnership lovefest down here from the Governor on down...the public interest and affordable travel be scorned.
Comptroller: Proceed with caution on public-private partnerships
By Cara Matthews
June 5, 2013
lohud.com
Strong oversight provisions need to be in place if New York broadens the authority of the state to enter into public-private partnerships or privately finance public projects, state Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli said in a report today that looks at public-private partnerships in other parts of the country.
In December 2011, the state has authorized five state agencies and public authorities to use a simple form of public-private partnership called design-build contracting. The Thruway Authority is using design-build contracting for the new Tappan Zee Bridge, meaning design and construction services are awarded to the same contractor. The approach is expected to streamline the project, shift some financial risk to private contractors and save the Thruway Authority money.
Read more: NY Comptroller: Proceed with caution on public-private partnerships
County toll road study a duplication of effort, cost
By Mike Bass
Guest Columnist
June 4, 2013
Montgomery County Courier
Tuesday’s Courier reported that Commissioners Court is considering spending $550,000 to update a study for the development of a Montgomery County Parkway – more toll roads.
I am generally opposed to toll roads as they are often just one more way to “tax” us all. But in this case, I also wonder whether the right hand knows what the left hand is doing. The proposed toll road study would duplicate what already has been started in South Montgomery County. Why don’t commissioners recognize the need to work within our regional transportation planning and funding framework so they can leverage our local dollars with available state and federal transportation funding dollars?
Yet what is Texas' plan? Tolls, tolls, tolls to 'relieve' congestion. They're referred to as 'managed lanes' added to congested urban corridors. None are toll viable, all need public subsidies and even the public subsidies are running out. So what's Perry and lawmakers' answer? End gas tax diversions and dedicate ALL existing road taxes to roads (like vehicle sales tax that's going to general revenue not roads), which is exactly how much money TxDOT needs to get back to pay-as-you-go? No, it's raid the money going into the Rainy Day Fund so they can keep issuing MORE TOLL ROAD DEBT to subsidize LOSER toll projects and triple tax Texans to drive on our public roads.
PRESS RELEASE
Fitch: U.S. Driving Declines Could Negatively Affect Toll Roads
NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--June 03, 2013--
The revenue of some toll roads may come under pressure if the driving decline trend continues for the long run, according to Fitch Ratings. Americans have driven less each year since 2004 and those ages 16 to 34 have reduced their driving more than any other age group.
Read more: Fitch warns driving declines will hurt toll revenues
Texas Governor Rick Perry's 'new' highway department is about globalization and selling-off Texas public infrastructure to private, foreign corporations. So it shouldn't surprise anyone that he's keen on outsourcing Texas jobs, too, by having TxDOT send contracts to a foreign company rather than a Texas one.
TxDOT outsources tech to Japanese company
By Christopher Calnan
June 3, 2013
Austin Business Journal
The Texas Department of Transportation is enlisting a Japanese company to manage portions of its technology department — work worth $190 million over five years.
The company, NTT Data Inc., plans to offer jobs to 300 TxDOT tech workers for at least six months. The department will retain 50 existing tech workers, according to a Monday news release and TxDOT officials.
Read more: TxDOT outsources hundreds of tech jobs to Japanese firm
U.S. and Europe Sign Joint Tolling Declaration
By Patrick Jones, Dir. of IBBTA
May 31, 2013
Huffington Post
There has been a lot of discussion in the United States about the deteriorating conditions of our roads, highways and bridges. Most recently the collapse of the Skagit River Bridge in Washington State is yet another example of why we must renew our commitment to investing in our country's infrastructure. But, the transportation and infrastructure crisis extends well beyond the North American continent.
As governments worldwide face shrinking budgets and growing economic challenges, the International, Bridge, Tunnel and Turnpike Association (IBTTA) and our European counterpart, the European Association of Operators of Toll Road Infrastructures (ASECAP) forged a greater alliance last week by signing a Joint Tolling Declaration designed to support a wider application of tolling policies across our respective continents. Tolling is quickly becoming a powerful infrastructure funding tool not only here in the United States, but also in Europe.
Texas legislature kills property rights bills
By Terri Hall
News & Analysis
Selous Foundation for Public Policy Research
June 5, 2013
A slate of pro-property rights bills died in the 83rd regular session of the Texas legislature that ended on Memorial Day. Texas politicians love to tout their property rights credentials at election time, but when lawmakers are in session, they've yet to give meaningful protection to landowners in several key areas when it comes time to cast a vote.
Whether it involves proper oversight over granting private entities the power of eminent domain (which most property rights groups vehemently oppose under ANY circumstances) or ensuring condemning entities actually use the land for the purpose for which it was taken in a reasonable period of time, the leadership of the Texas legislature continues to punt rather than lead.
More Articles...
- Texans ask Perry to veto bill to hand 23 Texas roads to foreign entities
- Targeted tax: Residents ask Perry to veto fee hike on Bexar County
- Editorial: What if Perry signs toll road bill & no new funding comes?
- TxDOT seeks 'rule change' to pursue new P3s, after law failed to pass
- Two state leaders seek oil & gas taxes to fund roads
- CBO: Federal Highway Trust Fund bankrupt in 2015
- Texas legislature fails to fund roads despite surplus and 26% spending increase
- Putting lipstick on the P3 pig - 'availability payments'
- Loop 1604 could be handed to private toll operator for 50 years
- TX lawmakers vote to sell-off 20 roads to private entities
- VA Residents protest toll lanes on I-395
- Reasons to be wary of public private partnerships
- Legislators pass law to use property tax to build TOLL roads
- Trans Texas Corridor update: Hwy 59 gets I-69 designation
- Moody's downgrades Cintra's credit rating on SH 130 for foreseeable future
- NTTA toll collection called 'byzantine'
- Perry backs more debt, toll taxes to pay for roads
- Obama pushes more tolls, public private partnerships
- CA toll roads $1.7 billion in red ink
- PA turnpike corruption worst case ever
- Ordinary Americans hurt by P3s
- Toll roads are double taxation
- Cintra’s credit woes, speed limit hike adjacent to toll road spell trouble
- Broken promises? Texas lawmakers fail to end gas tax diversions
- TxDOT lowers truck tolls, increases speeds on free route
- Default coming? Cintra's SH 130 may receive credit downgrade
- Rail plan of Trans Texas Corridor lives on
- Senator warns of 'fiscal cliff' on transportation funding in Texas
- Buy out of SH 130 tollway could make it a freeway
- Washington voters eliminate new toll roads, unelected boards raising toll rates
- Texans say 'No' to more tolls, road debt
- Texans ask for leadership to enact NEW vision for road policy
- When all else fails in the Texas legislature - toll, toll, toll
- MoPac toll project bid comes in under estimates
- Cintra's concession fees go to feeder roads to SH 130
- Texas DMV selling driver's personal information
- Stealing from Peter to pay Paul? Toll Authority buoys Harris County from rising healthcare costs
- Eminent domain abuse: Soccer field owner fights off horse park
- Republicans try to sell Texas Capitol to developers for commercial development
- The wave is coming: Trade and debt will overwhelm Texas absent new funding
- Video nails lawmakers with road debt, presses them to stop tolls
- Washington citizens seek ballot measure to ban freeway tolls
- TxDOT tells lawmakers of funding crisis
- U.S. building more highways, letting old ones crumble
- Virginia's 495 Express Lanes attracting much less traffic than needed
- Perry calls for end to diversions, Rainy Day raid for roads
- Transportation chairmen want existing vehicle sales taxes to boost road funding
- Lawmakers mull tax on electric cars
- Alamo toll agency lays off nearly all its workers
- Boycott success? TxDOT keeps Cintra's early traffic data on SH 130 secret
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Latest News
- Miami toll board opines cut in toll rate INCREASE
- Private toll operator in VA hands failing road to creditor
- Toll board member conflicts of interest being investigated
- Bulverde solicits study of 281 corridor, could include tolls
- Ports to Plains Trans Texas Corridor in progress in Dawson County
- NY Comptroller: Proceed with caution on public-private partnerships
- Lakeway proposes toll road over preserve
- Bass: County toll study duplication of effort
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Latest Press Releases
- Texans ask Perry to veto bill to hand 23 Texas roads to foreign entities
- Targeted tax: Residents ask Perry to veto fee hike on Bexar County
- Texas for Sale: Texas roads may be handed to private, foreign toll operators
- Texans ask for leadership to enact NEW vision for road policy
- Grassroots applaud Perry's call to end diversions, reject Rainy Day raid
- Texans call for boycott of Cintra's SH 130 tollway
- Judge rules foreign company can take Texas land using eminent domain
- Victory for open government, but not complete transparency
