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Stop toll road plan on U.S. 281
Don Dixon, For the Express-News
May 16, 2014
San Antonio is known as the cradle of Texas liberty. There are no people in Texas who love freedom more than San Antonians. Yet politicians and government could take away part of our freedoms by illegally converting public-road rights of way to double-tax toll roads at an extra confiscatory tax of 17 to 75 cents per mile ($3.50 to $15 per gallon of gas).
When ranchers and landowners donated land or had their land taken by eminent domain for a public road, they intended and contracted that their former land would be forever a public road.
Apparently, San Antonio's spirit of freedom and rule of law mean little to the Texas Transportation Commission. It is hellbent that San Antonio public rights of way be converted to toll roads.
San Antonio should continue to fight to protect the public rights of way and the city's economy.
Putting toll roads on public highways located in and near San Antonio could damage an economy composed of military, tourism, distribution and manufacturing. A free, public, state-highway system is essential to maintaining and growing San Antonio's economy.
During the recent recession, San Antonio's steady economy shored up state tax revenues, including taxes for roads.
But San Antonio has been shorted a fair share of state road funds.
As a conservative estimate, San Antonio has been shorted $1.2 billion in road maintenance and new construction funds since 2008. These funds have gone to other districts while people on U.S. 281 are sitting in traffic.
And the tragedy of U.S. 281 is that most of it was designed as a freeway — state-funded and ready to build. But the state canceled the freeway in 2005 in favor of a toll road and pulled the funds, which they still owe to the tune of $105 million.
The war to protect our freedom is in full rage — both freedom to travel and economic freedom.
San Antonio citizens were promised by government that U.S. 281 would be built as a freeway, with no tolls at all as one option.
As of this week, the last and only option presented by TxDOT for U.S. 281 from Stone Oak Parkway to the Comal County line, is the toll option.
The free-road option was completely removed.
This is wrong upon wrong. Not only does TXDOT plan to convert public right of way into tolls, but use local funding debt, local fees and taxes and state road funds to build the first 3-plus miles north of 1604 as a partial toll road — all with taxpayer funds.
This is a 100 percent fraudulent use of public funds and a double tax.
Public rights of way should forever be free.
When taxpayers cannot afford to use the toll road, though the road was built with their taxes, they have to take the back roads, neighborhood streets or congested adjacent roads.
Many times of day, the toll road is hardly used due to the high toll tax.
The proper solution to U.S. 281 is to build a freeway for the first 3-plus miles with existing available funds and use part of the $1.2 billion shortage to build a freeway for the remaining distance to the Comal County line.
Also, use the $105 million pulled in 2005.
Another good way to help build this freeway is to use Bexar County's extra-license, plate-road fee of $12 million per year.
It is imperative that U.S. 281 and all San Antonio state highway rights of way forever remain free.
Don Dixon lives in San Antonio.