99 Grand Parkway F-1, F-2, G segments opening Feb 8th!

[Dopo]

Originally Posted by curbur

No it certainly is, but I think the thing is the state would otherwise not have the funds to build all the suburban tollways that you're seeing popping up in Dallas, Austin, & Houston. People don't like the tolls, but a lot still prefer having the option to pay a toll and use a freeway vs not having the option at all. Of course once the road is paid off and all that is needed is maintenance, you'd expect the tolls to go down, but that certainly never happens.

This is why we have toll roads
The good old conservative trick of "Defund it, and then offer to fix it by privatizing it"


Now is the time to raise the gas tax

The year was 1991. Ann Richards was sworn in as Texas governor. The minimum wage was raised to a whopping $4.25 an hour. And the hit TV show “Dallas” came to an end.
That was also the last time Texas raised its gas tax, hiking it to 20 cents per gallon.
Much has changed since then. Texas’ population has grown from just about 17.4 million residents in 1991 to more than 26 million in 2013. Roads have been built, often through debt. Prices have increased. And through it all, the gas tax, which funds transportation and education, has stayed the same.
Actually, it hasn’t stayed the same. Adjusted for inflation, that 20 cents from 1991 is probably more like 10 or 12 cents today.
The gas tax helps fund two areas that Texans have routinely said are of the utmost importance: transportation and education. Here’s how it’s split: 15 cents per gallon is dedicated toward transportation, and the remaining 5 cents goes toward education.
The gas tax is not perfect. Improved fuel economy has diminished its return and will continue to do so. And there are interesting ideas about new ways to generate sustainable transportation revenue.
But the gas tax, to date, is the most-proven funding option. Letting it languish for nearly 25 years is a disservice to Texans. It puts future generations in debt while contributing to our underfunded schools.
An analogy to minimum wage puts the gas tax in context. There is plenty of debate at the moment about raising the minimum wage from $7.25 an hour. But it’s hard to imagine anyone saying $4.25 an hour, which was the minimum wage in 1991, would be an appropriate wage in 2015.

[TexasTallest]

Yeah.. I've been saying they need to raise the Gas Tax for years..

[astrohip]

If I'm on 99 coming from 290, and I want to get on the Hardy Toll road south to downtown, how do I do that? I know it crosses Hardy, but is there also a ramp/connector to Hardy?

If not, what do I take to get on Hardy?

Thanks.

[azinwood]

drove it a few weeks back. I believe you need to:

while traveling 99 east, follow signs to 45N, exit 45 service road and then follow service road signs to hardy toll road south

or just use google maps navigation.

[astrohip]

Originally Posted by azinwood

drove it a few weeks back. I believe you need to:

while traveling 99 east, follow signs to 45N, exit 45 service road and then follow service road signs to hardy toll road south

or just use google maps navigation.

Thanks, will do!

[Dopo]

Did 99 by Tomball flood again?

[TexasTony]

Originally Posted by Dopo

Did 99 by Tomball flood again?

nope I was on it around 3 pm when it was pouring in Woodlands on Friday afternoon. As I drove towards Katy, I noticed around 249 and Boudreaux the water was leveling against the highway. Like literally couple of hrs of more rain and the road would disappear under water. Luckily that didn't happen but it was scary driving with close to zero visibility on that day.