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Follow TURFBroken promise: Leaders promised to remove tolls in Harris County once roads paid for
The most important point to note is that the campaign literature for the initial toll roads in Houston did promise they'd eventually be free to everyone once the debt was paid off. That never happened. Unless the legislature passes our toll cessation bill, it never will. Call your state lawmakers NOW to insist toll comes down at (512) 463-4630.
No end in sight for HCTRA tolls, because there never was an end
By , Houston Chronicle, Updated: Aug 17, 2024
Almost since Harris County started collecting tolls, there has been a belief that someone somewhere promised the tolls would go away once the roads were paid for.
Well, the roads have long been paid for, at least those first roads, but the tolls are likely never going away. That’s in part because no one ever promised — really promised — they ever would.
For years there has been talk of what was said at the meetings or on flyers that have rarely, if ever, been shown. While some hold onto the legend as fact, county and toll officials have long called them misunderstandings, if not outright fabrications. There is no record that anyone with the campaign or the county said they were going to retire those bonds and end tolling when voters went to the polls.
That does not mean someone did not say it. Maybe they did. Maybe they were or were not with the campaign or the county. There is no record of everything everyone said at a community meeting and no record of any unofficial mailers that said it. The claim just is not in any ads printed at the time of the election. It is not in the coverage of either of Houston’s two competing daily newspapers prior to the election. It is not in the campaign materials.
What a review of the campaign materials and the coverage of it in 1983 will largely get you is a trip down memory lane of when the United States was debating Israel’s right to conduct retaliatory strikes and plans for the Houston-Dallas bullet train.
Campaign materials, however, do allude to an end of tolls. In 1983 flyers, supporters of the campaign noted that Dallas ended tolls on one of its roads once the bonds were paid and that state law at the time required the lifting of tolls if no bonds were outstanding.
Watch Fox-TV Houston panelists sound off on SH 288 double taxation
Incoming House members ask Abbott's Commission to declare end date on SH 288 tolls
Chairman J. Bruce Bugg, Jr.
Texas Department of Transportation
125 East 11TH Street
Austin, Texas 78701-2483
August 20, 2024
Commissioner Bugg:
As Republican nominees for the Texas House, we are extremely concerned by the action the Texas Transportation Commission took recently to spend over $1.7 billion ($1,700,000,000) of public money to seize control of a toll road (State Highway 288) with absolutely no commitment to end the tolls.
The Republican Party of Texas’s 2024 Platform states, “We call on the Texas Legislature to abolish existing toll roads.”
We recognize that in many instances the state cannot abolish existing toll roads without the use of public money, but your decision to do so without a clear commitment to end the tolls is the worst of all worlds for taxpayers and amounts to nothing less than double taxation.
TxDOT pushes ahead with buyout of SH 288 private toll road
TxDOT pushes forward on buyback of SH 288
Action would reduce average daily toll rates by 50%
Aug. 23, 2024
AUSTIN - To provide Texans with toll relief and more free lanes on which to drive, the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) is preparing to terminate the SH 288 Comprehensive Development Agreement (CDA).
This action will place the SH 288 managed lanes in Harris County under full state control allowing future toll rates to be significantly less than what is allowed under the current agreement and enabling TxDOT to move ahead with adding more free lanes along SH 288.
“Building roads, reducing tolls, and saving taxpayer money are top priorities,” said Governor Greg Abbott. “All three are achieved with the Texas Department of Transportation terminating the SH 288 Comprehensive Development Agreement. It will allow the State of Texas to receive over $2 billion in added valuation. TxDOT will use the added value to slash future toll charges and to build free lanes on that segment of State Highway 288. I thank TxDOT for making it easier and cheaper for Texans to travel that route.”
DOUBLE TAX: TxDOT buyout of private toll road draws ire
TxDOT Toll Road $1.7 Billion Purchase Plan Draws More Complaints from Elected Officials, Candidates
Officials and candidates see the move as a form of double taxation.
- Aug 22, 2024
- l The Texan
A Texas state senator, a House member, and several House candidates have joined in expressing concerns about the Texas Department of Transportation’s (TxDOT) decision to purchase the Highway 288 toll road in Harris County for $1.7 billion and continue charging tolls for its users.
Rep. Briscoe Cain (R-Deer Park) raised questions about the decision and how much it will ultimately cost taxpayers.
“How much will this cost taxpayers to pay for this existing highway, given that TXDOT plans to issue bonds at today’s rates to pay itself back for the purchase of the road?” Cain inquired in his letter posted on X.
Sen. Mayes Middleton (R-Galveston) also sent a letter to Chairman Bruce Bugg of TxDOT expressing his concerns about the plan to continue charging tolls on Highway 288 even after purchasing it with taxpayer dollars.
“This is a form of double taxation and is antithetical to Texas’ tax-friendly reputation,” Middleton stated in his letter.
Paxton sues GM over sale of drivers' data
Texas Sues General Motors Over Collection and Sale of Private Driving Data
General Motors was allegedly compensated for the deals with lump-sum payments and royalties, some worth millions of dollars.
General Motors (GM) collected and sold to insurance companies the private driving data of more than 1.5 million Texans, the Office of the Attorney General (OAG) has alleged in a new lawsuit.
Vehicles produced by GM from 2015 or later have technology marketed for the operability convenience and safety of its product, known as the “OnStar” feature. But that technology also comes with tracking capabilities.
“[F]or years, Defendants General Motors and its subsidiary, OnStar LLC have unlawfully collected, used, and sold the Driving Data it obtained through this technology,” the lawsuit alleges, accusing the company of deceptive trade practices. The amount of data collected and sold, according to the suit, is quite extensive.
“The Driving Data collected and sold by General Motors included data from over 14 million of its vehicles, and the data of more than 1.8 million Texans. That Driving Data consisted of the date, start time, end time, vehicle speed, driver and passenger seatbelt status, and distance driven each time a customer drove their GM vehicle. The Driving Data also consisted of information about customers’ use of other GM products, including data collected from General Motors’ mobile apps.”
BREAKING: Paxton announces lawsuit against GM for selling drivers' data
Ask parents if they have the time to shuttle their teens to/from their jobs, every practice, music lesson, or other activity (especially when several of these things conflict with their siblings' pick-up times or the parents' work obligations)? The answer is 'no.' Making driving unaffordable and stealing all your rights to do so, has no place in a free society or in an economically flourishing one. Auto makers and insurance companies are shooting themselves in the foot to continue down this path. Ultimately, fewer drivers means less revenue for them.
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Are taxpayers getting DOUBLE TAXED? SH 288 toll road must have tolls come down
TxDOT to Purchase Houston Toll Road, Questions Remain About Total Cost
The agreement with BlueRidge to operate Highway 288 will end in October.
Last week, the Texas Transportation Commission voted to approve the purchase of toll road Highway 288 in Harris County for $1.7 billion.
The toll road was constructed by BlueRidge Transportation Group and extends about 10 miles from Blodgett Street in Harris County southward, ending approximately at the county line between Harris and Brazoria Counties. According to the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT), “The highway serves as an important thoroughfare into Houston and the primary express artery to the world’s largest medical complex, the Texas Medical Center.”
The original comprehensive development agreement gave TxDOT the right to terminate the agreement “if the department determines in its discretion that a termination is in the department’s best interest.”
TxDOT spokesperson Adam Hammons told The Texan this purchase is not part of a larger strategy to buy toll roads in the state, but is a one-time opportunity based on this specific concession agreement.
TxDOT notified BlueRidge of the termination, effective October 8, 2024.
Rep. Briscoe Cain (R-Deer Park) posted a letter to X with questions for TxDOT that he believes are important to understand about the buyout of Highway 288.
“How much will this cost taxpayers to pay for this existing highway, given that TXDOT plans to issue bonds at today’s rates to pay itself back for the purchase of the road?” Cain inquired.
TxDOT’s $1.7 Billion Toll Road Buyout May Keep Tolls in Place
The State Highway 288 toll lanes were part of a public-private partnership agreement that was originally set to last 50 years.
Brandon Waltens | July 26, 2024 l Texas Scorecard
Updated with comment from TxDOT on 7/29
The Texas Department of Transportation is contemplating the purchase of a Houston-area toll road from a private developer, with potential plans to maintain the tolls for Texans.
This unique arrangement involves terminating an existing agreement this October, spending nearly $1.7 billion to acquire the already-built toll lanes on Highway 288, and taking over its management and operations.
Toll Trap: How Texas’ explosive growth led to a toll-building spree
Lawmakers turned to toll roads to boost the Texas economy and address population growth without raising taxes, but the consequences have adversely affected some drivers.
The Dallas Morning News - By Yamil Berard
May 13, 2024
Link to full article...
Dallas Morning News Interactives (For Subscribers)
Every day, thousands of drivers jump on toll roads to ease their commutes to work and school.
Toll roads overlook international bridges and crossings on the Texas-Mexico border, they connect drivers to airports all over the state and they circumnavigate urban cores by way of loops and tunnels.
Texas has so many toll roads that it has earned the distinction of building more miles than nearly all other states combined. Picture this: If you stretched the state’s 852 miles of toll roads across the eastern U.S., they would pass through 13 states — from Maine to South Carolina, a yearlong Dallas Morning News investigation has found.
ABOUT THIS SERIES
Toll Trap is a three-day series exploring how the state's tollway system impacts drivers across the state. Our investigation found that Texas in the last 20 years has built more toll roads than almost all other states combined. The state also aggressively penalizes drivers with unpaid toll bills - even sending their cases to local courts every day. The state, unlike many others, also offers few discounts to drivers who feel entrapped by the toll roads that surround them. Investigative reporter Yamil Berard and data journalist Shuyao Xiao spent months examining Texas' tollway system. The journalists read thousands of pages of legislative reports, transportation studies, as well as financial statements and audits for toll roads operated by Texas' three largest toll agencies since 1998. They spoke with dozens of urban planning specialists, tollway advocacy groups, public policy researchers and mobility engineers and examined roadway and toll data from state and population density information. They filed and read reports from open records requests and attempted to speak to all 22 members of the House and Senate transportation committees along with Gov. Greg Abbott and other high-ranking current and previous elected state leaders.
TPPF report: EV costs borne by taxpayers
The Texas Public Policy Foundation (TPPF) published a report that makes the case that the push for EVs harms poeple and makes taxpayers subsidize vehicles for the wealthy.
TxDOT buys back SH 288 from foreign toll operators
TxDOT ends agreement with private company overseeing Highway 288 toll lanes
ABC13 HoustonMarch 30, 2024
The Texas Department of Transportation is moving forward with a plan to end its agreement with the private company that oversees the toll lanes on Highway 288. So what does that mean for you?
The question is: When the state takes over the tollway, could you get a better deal or wind up paying even more?
TxDOT says it's too early to say. That's not necessarily the answer drivers want to hear while this is getting sorted out.
"[The drive is about] $17, $18 one way," Darren Dixon, the owner of a BBQ restaurant right next to Highway 288, said.
Dixon drives the toll road daily.
"I do it every day, back and forth," he said.
For Dixon and other drivers, a toll decrease would sure be welcome.
"It's the most expensive toll road in the area," Shelly Nixon, another driver, said. "It's so expensive. Surely they can make money and save us money at the same time."
John Stossel: The kill switch is real & its coming
Link to article here.
The Kill Switch
Soon the government might shut down your car.
President Joe Biden's new infrastructure gives bureaucrats that power.
You probably didn't hear about that because when media covered it, few mentioned the requirement that by 2026, every American car must "monitor" the driver, determine if he is impaired and, if so, "limit vehicle operation."
Rep. Thomas Massie objected, complaining that the law makes government "judge, jury and executioner on such a fundamental right!"
Congress approved the law anyway.
A USA Today "fact check" told readers, don't worry, "There's no kill switch in Biden's bill."
"They didn't read it, because it's there!" says automotive engineer and former vintage race car driver Lauren Fix in my new video. The clause is buried under Section 24220 of the law.
Federal court nixes greenhouse gas emissions rule, handing Texas another win
FHWA’s greenhouse gas measurement rule blocked by federal court
April 2, 2024
By Tyson Fisher, Landline NowA federal court in Texas has struck down a new Federal Highway Administration rule establishing greenhouse gas emission performance measures for state Departments of Transportation and metropolitan planning organizations.
On Wednesday, March 27, Judge James Wesley Hendrix of the Northern District of Texas federal court granted Texas’ motion for summary judgment in a case against the U.S. DOT and FHWA. Hendrix ruled that Congress never authorized FHWA to install a rule establishing transportation-related greenhouse gas performance measures.
The court’s final judgment effectively halts FHWA’s rule targeting vehicle-related greenhouse gas emission, which was finalized in December and went into effect in January. It also addresses a similar lawsuit filed by more than 20 Republican-controlled states. Reporting under the new rule was scheduled to begin on Friday, March 29.