San Antonio - Toll Free City.

[BigMattFromTexas]

OK, I'm sure I'm not the only one that realized that San Antonio has over 1,000,000 people and no toll roads. I like how they have no toll roads, and still have a good transportation system, the roads get you to where you need to go without the crazyness of other Texas cities. The traffic is better than Dallas, even though Dallas is smaller than San Antonio. I don't see any point in toll roads in the city, but who knows, TxDOT may feel it necessary to build them, I hope not. I mean San Antonio is one of the few Texas cities that has a true loop, actually they have two. 1604 gets people where they need to go quicker than going farther in town, and 410 gets people around the city, or to the airport, where ever people need to go. I think toll roads would mess up the system, I just think if a transportation system is fine, don't mess with it. And hopefully that's what TxDOT will do, for as long as transportation in San Antonio is fine.
BigMatt

[codyg1985]

El Paso also doesn't have any toll roads, although I think there is one that is planned.

[FreewayDan]

El Paso also doesn't have any toll roads, although I think there is one that is planned.

The one toll road planned in El Paso is the Northeast Parkway.  Part of the route is planned to be blended in with NM 404.

http://www.tollroadsnews.com/node/875

[Chris]

The traffic is better than Dallas, even though Dallas is smaller than San Antonio.

Yes, city proper-wise, however Dallas has a far larger suburban area that has about 4 times more population than San Antonio. So it's not a big surprise traffic in San Antonio is better with 1.5 million vs 6 million inhabitants.

Still, San Antonio's road network is pretty good for a city of that size.

By the way, I think San Antonio is probably America's least known major city outside the United States.

[TheStranger]

By the way, I think San Antonio is probably America's least known major city outside the United States.

San Jose probably would be up there, despite having a million people now...

In terms of San Antonio being toll free: basically, they lucked out in that most of their projects were built when traditional sources of funding (i.e. Interstate funds) were still plentiful, and there's enough land that developers continue to be able to provide right of way to TxDOT, the same way that Houston's Southwest Freeway gained its right of way.

[agentsteel53]

San Jose probably would be up there, despite having a million people now...

and being the 10th-largest city in the US.  But I'd be willing to bet most people think San Francisco is larger.

[TheStranger]

San Jose probably would be up there, despite having a million people now...

and being the 10th-largest city in the US.  But I'd be willing to bet most people think San Francisco is larger.

Considering that Caltrans signs US 101 for San Francisco as early as Ventura, yet doesn't mention San Jose until about King City/Salinas or so...yeah, I can see where outsiders get that perception.

[Revive 755]

Wasn't there consideration for a new toll facility around San Antonio not that long ago, or am I just thinking of a HOT lane proposal for 1604?

[golden eagle]

By the way, I think San Antonio is probably America's least known major city outside the United States.

If not for the Spurs, it'd be even less known. I don't think most people in America realize large San Antonio is. I bet most people even in Texas think Dallas proper is larger than San Antonio proper.

fix-a-quote: it's also a garden tool!

[Stephane Dumas]

Wasn't there consideration for a new toll facility around San Antonio not that long ago, or am I just thinking of a HOT lane proposal for 1604?

I think it was a ETL (Express toll lanes) system for Loop 1604, there more infos on Brian Purcell's San Antonio site  http://www.texashighwayman.com/tollsys.shtml

Edit: Correction, seems to be a HOT system and not a ETL system, a similar set-up could also be use on I-35 and I-10