Good news: Houston tolls go up

[astrohip]

Originally Posted by Dopo

Yes, I was being sarcastic
Didn't see anything on that article about "Toll road will be paid off by ..... "

Tolls set to go up in September - Houston Chronicle

Originally Posted by LostInHouston

Wasn't there an article recently about tolls on the beltway being reduced or eliminated now that their construction has been paid off? So instead they are going to raise the tolls?

When the toll roads were originally built, the stated intention was to turn them into freeways once the bonds were paid off. Later, they discovered they could use that money to expand the roads, maintain them, build new ones, etc. So they voted to continue the tolls.

This was a well-publicized decision by our elected officials. If we didn't agree, we could have voted them out, but we didn't. Most people have come to understand that keeping the tolls has more pluses than not. So we keep them.

Think about this: If we didn't have toll money, we would have to use tax dollars to maintain the (former) toll roads. That would mean less money to maintain other freeways (or raise taxes and maintain all). So toll money means less taxes.

I am in favor of continued tolls.

[Dopo]

I'll believe in toll roads when they start putting toll booths in places like this ones

Fuel Fix » Texas may need $2 billion to fix roads damaged by drilling activity

[KerrTown]

Originally Posted by astrohip

This was a well-publicized decision by our elected officials. If we didn't agree, we could have voted them out, but we didn't. Most people have come to understand that keeping the tolls has more pluses than not. So we keep them.

Most suburbanites look for the "R" next to the persons name (cause they would never vote for the evil "D"!). Toll roads have never been a campaign issue in the county and local campaigns never get as much attention as state and federal campaigns. Voters are more worried about gay people tempting them to divorce and the fetus butcher shop still operating after many years in their local strip mall. With the absence of formal zoning in the Houston area, it's not unusual to have a gay bar and an abortion clinic (and maybe a porn shop) in the same strip mall across the street from your neighborhood Catholic Church!

[Zhang Fei]

I think tolls are a bad idea. The administrative costs are anywhere from the millions to tens of millions of dollars. Instead of tolls, the state gasoline tax should be adjusted according to the inflation rate every few years.