PAYING TOLLS ON I-45, 290, AND 59 “At its October meeting, the Metro board gave the go-ahead for the future conversion of highway HOV lanes to so-called “HOT†lanes (high-occupancy toll) like the ones operating on the Katy Freeway. A HOT lane has electronic scanning equipment that allows a solo driver to pay a toll to use a segregated carpool lane during rush hours. . . . The conversion of HOV lanes will occur on five freeway segments in the Metro service area: I-45 North and South, U.S. 290, and U.S. 59 north and south. Board documents indicate the cost of installing toll readers and automated gates would be about $48 million. Operating and maintaining the system for five years would cost an additional $42 million. Four-fifths of the total will come from federal grants. Metro will release more information when the final contract is signed, [Metro spokeswoman Raequel] Roberts said. But she said the HOV conversions could be completed in about two years.” [Houston Chronicle, via BlogHouston]
Sign up for the Newsletter
I cannot for the life of me understand:
1) How a local governmental body can validly charge a fee to use a road constructed by the federal government and paid for with US taxpayer money;
2) Why federal grants are being used to effectively allow for (a portion of) federal roads, which are intended to be used by all, to be used by only a select few; and
3) Why Metro apparently has no concern in furthering the car-ification of Houston, but balks wildly at the idea of constructing rail lines in places that would actually be of use to many Houstonians.
This is the 1st step in the gubment turning all of our FREEways into toll roads.
*
In the future you will also be charged (taxed)for all the miles you drive via a GPS enabled EZtag tracker on your car windshield, rather than paying at the pump as you do now.
Just another example of what a monster we created with Metro. One reason why it’s unmanageable is it is both a county and a city agency. So much for partnerships.
As for reducing traffic, the “toll per mile” no doubt will do just that. Everyone will stop using the toll roads.
3) Why Metro apparently has no concern in furthering the car-ification of Houston, but balks wildly at the idea of constructing rail lines in places that would actually be of use to many Houstonians.
If they put rail down this road I’d be paying for part of it. At least with a tollway I won’t pay if I don’t use it.
Ahe yes, the technology of the HOT lane. I had the opportunity to reverse communte I10 last week all week and every day I was the only car to correctly stay in the toll lane as I went past the toll gate rather than seamlessly merging into the high occupancy lane being merging back out after skipping the toll. It looked like a peloton of single occupant cars as we sped along. Do they actuially intend to enforce the high occupancy part of this system somehow at some point.
jgriff, how do you figure? Seems to me that you are paying either way, particularly since 80% of the total cost is coming from federal grants.
Federal grants that, eventually, you will be paying for…even if you never use the beneficiary of said grant.
A toll can be charged on the HOV lanes because those were *not* built and paid for by the federal government. METRO paid for those lanes when they were built. I’d rather have tolls on the “express lanes” only than a road like Westpark where you have no choice.
As someone who has often felt that (at least the 59 one anyway) the HOV right-of-ways are underutilized and therefore wasted transit space; I support the idea of making them a tolled option for SOVs. But regardless of how one feels on the issue; am I the only one questioning how it costs $50MM to add special gates and a few sensors/cameras to existing highway entrances?!?
jgriff, how do you figure? Seems to me that you are paying either way, particularly since 80% of the total cost is coming from federal grants.
Federal grants that, eventually, you will be paying for…even if you never use the beneficiary of said grant.
The people who use a toll road will pay more than I will though.
And at least a road can benefit everyone not just the people who actually drive on it. A commuter train would only carry people, no cargo.
“Four-fifths of the total will come from federal grants. ”
Funny how Texas conservatives who hate Obama, hate federal spending, and hate big government always have their hands out for federal help when the cameras aren’t rolling. Seeing that Perry is hypocrite-in-chief regarding these issues, I guess the hypocrisy just rolls downhill.