Texas Toll Roads

[BigMattFromTexas]

Just about all the toll roads in the state of texas are just loops or spur routes. I was just wondering if you think these type of toll roads are good idea's or waste's of money. The only real toll road in texas i know of that get's you a greater distance is Camino Colombia Toll Road and that is a 2-lane highway

[Sykotyk]

There's no point to toll a bypass. It just encourages people to go straight through the already congested area.

Because of current laws, you can't toll the thruway and make the bypass free to alleviate congestion.

All the tolls in Texas, the E-470 in Colorado, or even the I-287 in New York are all flawed thinking.

Also, the Camino Columbia toll road in Texas acts as a direct detour for commercial traffic into Mexico, especially HAZMAT loads.

Sykotyk

[Greybear]

How could the Dallas North Tollway or the PGBT be 'flawed thinking'?

[yanksfan6129]

Tolling on I-287 in New York?

[mightyace]

Tolling on I-287 in New York?

I think Sykotyk is referring to the section of I-287 that is multiplexed with its parent I-87 on the New York State Thruway including the Tappan Zee Bridge.

[yanksfan6129]

Oh. I thought he was referring to how trucks have to pay a toll on that multiplexed section.

[Chris]

Tolls roads are needed to construct roads. Too bad the effect on downtown is near zero, since, as said, people will take the existing route through downtown (which is usually shorter too). Toll Roads are only improving traffic that moves around suburban areas.

How congested is the Hardy Toll Road in Houston actually? Seems like a good alternative to the I-45, if only it reached downtown...

[Alex]

When Texas Toll 130 is completed, it will provide a long distance bypass of Austin and that terrible double-deck section with its bottlenecks. The route will cost a pretty penny too.

[Greybear]

How congested is the Hardy Toll Road in Houston actually? Seems like a good alternative to the I-45, if only it reached downtown...

Plans are already in the works to extend the Hardy Toll Road downtown, where it will connect with the Eastex Freeway (US 59) near I-10. Construction will start in August 2009 with completion sometime in 2011.

[BigMattFromTexas]

"When Texas Toll 130 is completed, it will provide a long distance bypass of Austin and that terrible double-deck section with its bottlenecks. The route will cost a pretty penny too" :aaroads

yeah that is one toll road in texas that acually get you a further distance

[74/171FAN]

Referring to Texas a new bill has been passed allowing the tolling of "state highways" in which the number of free lanes must be maintained as before(I'm assuming by the frontage roads)  http://www.tollroadsnews.com/node/4090

[andy3175]

Push back in the land of toll roads ... er, I mean North Texas:

http://www.dallasnews.com/news/transportation/20141113-north-texas-transportation-planners-shift-away-from-toll-projects.ece

The Regional Transportation Council on Thursday excluded a controversial rural toll road from its long-range plan and dropped efforts to involve the state Transportation Department in financing the divisive Trinity Parkway toll project. Those votes highlight a shift away from the planning entity's years-long practice of using tolls to finance road construction as state lawmakers repeatedly failed to solve transportation funding shortfalls. The moves also come amid mounting public opposition to toll roads in North Texas, where virtually every major highway project under construction includes tolling. The region will soon be home to the nation's largest network of managed toll lanes, which are being added to existing highways to help add capacity and finance renovations or expansions.

Texas voters last week agreed by a nearly 4-1 ratio to give TxDOT about $1.7 billion a year in additional funding, with the caveat that the new money could not be used on toll projects. That still leaves TxDOT with an estimated $3.3 billion shortfall that the agency says it needs to maintain existing roads and build more to keep up with expected population growth.

The North Central Texas Council of Government's transportation department, which executes the RTC's policies, originally recommended putting the divisive Northeast Gateway toll road into a long-range transportation plan. NCTCOG staffers rescinded that recommendation amid massive opposition to the project and criticism over how the agency managed public information about it. The road was planned to run from Garland to Greenville. Residents criticized NCTCOG for basing its support for the road on traffic estimates that far outpaced population growth projections. The project remains an "area of study" in the plan.

NCTCOG staffers had also recommended lobbying state lawmakers to give TxDOT the authority to find a private developer to help finance the Trinity Parkway tollway. They backed away from that proposal after Texas Transportation Commission member Victor Vandergriff said he didn't want the agency involved in the controversial project. Dallas and North Texas Tollway Authority have an agreement to build that road, which would mostly run inside the Trinity River's levees. But more than $1 billion in funding needed for the $1.5 billion project has yet to be identified. Traffic estimates used to justify that road have also been criticized. But many Trinity opponents also say that the project will further subsidize suburban sprawl to the detriment of Dallas' downtown core. And they say it is incompatible with planned lakes, parks and recreational areas the city plans to put along the road and the Trinity River.

[Guysdrive780]

Here is something I thought was interesting. You can connect the dots too. Look up Trans Texas Corridor. And Let me show you a map here that I connected the 35 TTC would be like.   

If you connect TX 225 to Tx 130. Then Connect 130 to Future Loop 9 and the PGBT and then to the Future Grayson County Toll Road to the Oklahoma Border. You get this. I also thought that I-69 would be a Texas Turnpike at first so here it is on a map. (Also Marking the old route around Houston Via TX 99)

[Guysdrive780]

Also One more thing. I think Austin will have the most toll roads then any large city in texas. Just look at this video

Here is there next project

[dfwmapper]

Pretty sure Houston wins for most toll roads, at least in terms of mileage, with over 175 miles open to traffic, 43 more under construction, and around 100 more scheduled to start construction in the next 5 years. And that's not counting express lanes or the extension of SH 249 to College Station. DFW and Austin are pretty close in terms of mileage, though that's mostly due to the extra 40 miles of SH 130 south of SH 45, which is a bit of a reach to call part of the Austin area. This is not counting tolled express lanes. If you factor in the completed, started, and soon to start express lanes, DFW would pull far ahead of Austin.

[Guysdrive780]

Guys. There is plans in the works for the Alliance Gateway Freeway SH170/ Loop 9/ the new SH360 etc. You can find some of the info at nctcog.org for the Dallas Area

[Marc]

Also One more thing. I think Austin will have the most toll roads then any large city in texas.

Maybe not the most, but certainly the most without a free expressway/freeway alternative.

[US81]

Also One more thing. I think Austin will have the most toll roads then any large city in texas.

Maybe not the most, but certainly the most without a free expressway/freeway alternative.

Almost certainly the most toll roads relative to area population, too. Houston and DFW have far greater respective populations.

[Guysdrive780]

Also One more thing. I think Austin will have the most toll roads then any large city in texas.

Maybe not the most, but certainly the most without a free expressway/freeway alternative.

Almost certainly the most toll roads relative to area population, too. Houston and DFW have far greater respective populations.

The funny part is that San Antonio and El Paso will almost get one or 2 toll roads

[US 41]

How exactly does TX 255 work? Can you drive it if you haven't bought a day pass or tx tag? The website isn't specific on whether or not pay by mail is an option.

[Guysdrive780]

How exactly does TX 255 work? Can you drive it if you haven't bought a day pass or tx tag? The website isn't specific on whether or not pay by mail is an option.

It used to be a pay when you get there now its electronic

[Stephane Dumas]

I heard then TXDOT will plan to add some HOT lanes/menaged toll lanes on TX-288 and it include a stack interchange linking Beltway-8 with the future toll lanes. I saw once the plans of the interchange somewhere. I saw some schematics at http://ftp.dot.state.tx.us/pub/txdot-info/hou/sh288_toll_lanes/project_documents/schematic_plans/initial/
and the ultimate version with the interchange
http://ftp.dot.state.tx.us/pub/txdot-info/hou/sh288_toll_lanes/project_documents/schematic_plans/ultimate/sh288_ultimate_sheet_08.pdf

[dfwmapper]

Good summary of the current status of the Trinity Parkway was posted today on the DMN's Transportation Blog.

http://transportationblog.dallasnews.com/2014/12/10-things-to-know-about-trinity-parkway.html/

[HandsomeRob]

The Aggie Expressway, or at least a portion of it, is now showing up on Google Maps. I'm thinking that this road is not actually built yet? http://goo.gl/maps/gqp7X

[NE2]

The Aggie Expressway, or at least a portion of it, is now showing up on Google Maps. I'm thinking that this road is not actually built yet? http://goo.gl/maps/gqp7X

Apparently a bug is causing some proposed roads to show up. The Goog to self-driving car owners: oops.