Texas Lawmaker Talks Toll Roads with Utah Legislature
Aug 20, 2008 by Jeff Robinson
(KCPW News) Utah lawmakers took tips on highway funding from a Texas legislator this morning. Texas Republican Representative Mike Krusee joined them on Capitol Hill. He told the Revenue and Taxation Interim Committee that with federal money drying up, the only way to pay for new highways is to make them toll roads."Guess how many roads pay for themselves in taxes? Zero. Not a one. Most of them are less than 50 percent," said Krusee. "Imagine if you're a grocery store owner, and you decide, I'm gonna sell sirloin at a buck a pound, and I'm gonna sell milk at a dime a gallon. That's basically what's happening with transportation. We're letting people use our roads for three cents a mile, when it costs us 20 to 30 cents a mile."
Krusee noted that both the state and federal government will collect less and less money from gas tax revenues as residents buy more fuel efficient cars or drive less.
The lawmaker, who chairs the Texas House Committee on Transportation, also urged lawmakers to consider a different potential revenue stream for Utah's existing highways: congestion pricing. It's a method of collecting variable fees during peak traffic times so that fewer cars use the road.
"If the road gets really congested, you just raise the price until some people decide to use alternatives, and that road is free-flow," said Krusee. "When you can tell people and you can tell businesses that they have a certainty in traveling from A to B at all times, I think that's really valuable for your economy, and I think it's also good for your quality of life."
Krusee's remarks to the Utah legislature came as the state decides whether to make the planned Mountain View Corridor a toll road. Several west side cities have urged the legislature not to do so, though UDOT says it will face a $16.5 billion shortfall in the next two decades with the current revenue streams.
Email to a friendPosted in KCPW Newsroom. Copyright 2008 KCPW
1. anonymous said:
Might want to educate yourself on toll roads and the affect it will have on your state and the people that live in it. Texas is shoving toll roads down our throats on a daily basis. Toll roads are big money for politicians and corporations not for your average citizen trying to go to a movie or out to eat. Check out this website as it is full of toll road related issues that Texas is currently having. http://salcostello.blogspot.com/
2. anonymous said:
Do the Lawmakers in Utah disregard their constituents as bad as our representatives in Texas do? Did "good ol' boy" Krusee tell anyone in Utah why he did not seek reelection? Did he mention he chose to sell his snake oil to Utah the same day his DWI case was in front of a judge setting a date for him to be judged by his peers?
The following sentence from the Salt Lake Tribune piece regarding "Ring Master" Krusee is TOTALLY FALSE:"Texas built a $3 billion tollway around Austin four years ago, Krusee said, and within six months sold as many transmitters for it as there are residents in the county."
Fact: The "tollway around Austin" was only completed in December 2007. The first segment (project was opened in three segments) was opened in Nov. 2006. http://www.statesman.com/news/content/news/stories/local/09/16/16tollopen.html
Fact: At EIGTH months (July 2007) after SH 130 was opened (Nov. 2006), the number of toll tags sold was 250,000. These tags were also able to be used on the other three toll roads in the Austin area. http://www.statesman.com/news/content/news/stories/local/07/20/0720toll.html
Fact: There is not a tollway around Austin. There is a toll connection to connect SH 130 with I-35, but it will not be completed until early 2009.
Fact: SH 130 passes through Williamson & Travis Counties and is more like an I-35 bypass around the east side of Austin rather than a loop. This is not my definition of a loop. Austin Texas has NO "loop" which makes a circle around the City. reference: look at a map
Fact: The population of Travis County is MORE than the number of TxTags sold to date. Travis Co. in 2000 had a population of 812,280. The 2006 estimate is 921,006.http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/48/48453.html
As of 7/31/08, 525,259 TxTag's have been sold in TEXAS.http://www.txtag.org/index.php
Maybe Krusee was only looking at Williamson County. Williamson Co. in 2000 had 249,967. The 2006 estimate was 353,830.http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/48/48491.html
What Krusee failed to note is that TxTag's can be purchased by anyone anywhere in the state (i.e. - cities who also have tolls: Houston & Dallas) to used in those regions also. Some people are doing this because the tolling authority in central Texas does not charge as much as the other tolling authorities for their tag.
Fact: Project cost $3.224 Billion, but what is $224,000,000 between politicians. http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/ppp/sh130.htm
Fact: Krusee is a liar. Reference: Ask any citizen in Central Texas.
Fact: Krusee has sold off Texas roads to the highest bidder and taxpayers in Texas are being double taxed by our politicians.
Citizens of Utah: DO NOT LET YOUR POLITICIANS BUY IN TO TOLLS! If it is too good to be true, then, it is too go to be true. To fund tolls in Texas, the regional mobility authorities and private sector companies fund these risky fixes with low interest Fed & State loans. Who's money is that, the taxpayer. Who is left holding the bag if a toll fails, the taxpayer. Who is not stepping up to the plate and making the hard decisions today instead of selling off our roads on credit for our children and grand-children will still be repsonsible for, our politicians.
READ about the problems the citizens of Texas have with our Govenor's crazy plan to sell of State assets, our politicians not serving their constituents, and TxDOT not serving the public and playing politics.