Sign and share -- End the Tollroads

[EW]

The only thing from keeping the tollways from turning into parking lots are the fees.

and...if people don't use it just raise the price.

[bcoop]

and...if people don't use it just raise the price.

No, they just like to raise the price when traffic is experiencing longer than usual delays. In any other industry, that is called price gouging, and is illegal. But it's fine and dandy for the toll roads.


I agree with you on this, Rodney. However, isn't Change.org a Fed level website? They can't do jack shit about state law.

[Forever_frost]

No, they just like to raise the price when traffic is experiencing longer than usual delays. In any other industry, that is called price gouging, and is illegal. But it's fine and dandy for the toll roads.


I agree with you on this, Rodney. However, isn't Change.org a Fed level website? They can't do jack shit about state law.

Depends. Are these roads "Post roads?"

[bcoop]

Depends. Are these roads "Post roads?"

Could be, but I don't think I've ever seen a postal vehicle on a tollway.

[A_A_G]

Use public transportation or don't drive during peak hours.

[Sgt Beavis]

Folks continue to bitch about toll roads but aren't willing to consider a gas tax hike to pay for new roads that would eliminate the need for a toll road. We haven't raised it in over 20 years and last I checked, building roads didn't get cheaper. A gas tax is a helluva lot cheaper than paying a toll everyday. Folks that don't drive toll roads just don't care. They don't see how this is becoming a trend that is going to eventually bite them in the ass. 35E is getting Lexus lanes. LBJ and 820 already have them. More are being planned. When those financially fail (and they will) I bet you'll see the NTTA either coming to Texas for a bailout or expanding tolls to existing public roads.

I'm not totally against toll roads. I-30 is a good example of how a toll road should be conducted. "But I-30 isn't a toll road", you say. That's because they turned it onto a normal highway after the tolls paid for its construction. The NTTA has zero intention of doing that for any road.

The thing is, if you do the math, raising the gas tax ends up being cheaper if you have to drive any significant mileage on a toll road.

Texas charges 20 cents per gallon. If I drive to my office in Plano, I have to pay that gas tax + the tolls. Round trip, I'm using 3 gallons for 60 cents in taxes. The round trip toll is $4.04. So, $4.64 a day in which over 4 bucks is used to cover just 10.2 miles of my commute. You could double the gas tax and I'd still come out ahead if the tolls disappeared.

Setting all that aside. Just wait until they move from a gas tax to a road use fee based on miles driven. Other states are already testing it. Your driving habits will be tracked and you'll be billed on your miles driven.

[svauto-erotic855]

Enlighten me.

Form an LLC in another state and register your cars in the LLCs name in that state. NTTA doesn't has access to most out of state records and can not send you a bill. You can also get tags good for life if the car is older then 10 years in Montana.

[Baba Ganoush]

They closed the loop hole on out-of-state tags long ago. You will be billed.

Best solution is to avoid driving them altogether, move closer to work, leave earlier and drive surface streets and possibly pay more in gas, and so on.

I boycotted them once they stopped accepting cash.

[svauto-erotic855]

They closed the loop hole on out-of-state tags long ago. You will be billed.

Best solution is to avoid driving them altogether, move closer to work, leave earlier and drive surface streets and possibly pay more in gas, and so on.

I boycotted them once they stopped accepting cash.

I have been doing this for a very, very, very long time and have never seen a bill from the NTTA. I'd say that "loop hole" is still wide open.

Edit: I meant to say that I have never seen a bill from the NTTA for a car registered out of state.

[Mach1]

I just leave the ole tailgate down

[GhostTX]

Folks continue to bitch about toll roads but aren't willing to consider a gas tax hike to pay for new roads that would eliminate the need for a toll road. We haven't raised it in over 20 years and last I checked, building roads didn't get cheaper. A gas tax is a helluva lot cheaper than paying a toll everyday. Folks that don't drive toll roads just don't care. They don't see how this is becoming a trend that is going to eventually bite them in the ass. 35E is getting Lexus lanes. LBJ and 820 already have them. More are being planned. When those financially fail (and they will) I bet you'll see the NTTA either coming to Texas for a bailout or expanding tolls to existing public roads.

I'm not totally against toll roads. I-30 is a good example of how a toll road should be conducted. "But I-30 isn't a toll road", you say. That's because they turned it onto a normal highway after the tolls paid for its construction. The NTTA has zero intention of doing that for any road.

The thing is, if you do the math, raising the gas tax ends up being cheaper if you have to drive any significant mileage on a toll road.

Texas charges 20 cents per gallon. If I drive to my office in Plano, I have to pay that gas tax + the tolls. Round trip, I'm using 3 gallons for 60 cents in taxes. The round trip toll is $4.04. So, $4.64 a day in which over 4 bucks is used to cover just 10.2 miles of my commute. You could double the gas tax and I'd still come out ahead if the tolls disappeared.

Setting all that aside. Just wait until they move from a gas tax to a road use fee based on miles driven. Other states are already testing it. Your driving habits will be tracked and you'll be billed on your miles driven.

I agree. As you indicated, we're getting double dipped for driving on the toll road. IMO, all toll roads should do the I-30 route. No way anyone can prove the high cost of the tolls are still needed for road "maintenance" after the construction is paid for on those short hops when the gas tax does the same thing for the entire state. I'd love to see the NTTA's daily revenue stream for each highway.

[GhostTX]

I just leave the ole tailgate down

My understanding is they now have camera's that catch the front, too, so you'd need to leave the front plate off as well.

[GrayStangGT]

http://www.12voltvillains.com/the-villain-license-plate-concealer.html

[Craizie]

My understanding is they now have camera's that catch the front, too, so you'd need to leave the front plate off as well.

No one has front plates on their cars! I've not had a front plate on any car I've ever owned. That shit is gay! ( offense to Tremor about the gay slur ).

[Mach1]

I thought they let a law expire that required front plates in TX, I don't have a front plate on any of my cars.