Regional Transit Funding

     I see the North Texas toll way authority has voted to build a road in Southwest Ft. Worth that won’t generate enough revenue to pay for itself, even after 30 years. That means we will have to cover the shortfall with money from busier roads. I’ve got a problem with that. I’ve lived here since 1973 and for all of that time we have had enormous road construction projects under way and we still have not been able to keep up with traffic. Now, instead of concentrating on reducing congestion officials want to spend precious funds on a road that apparently won’t be very busy. And the state is jumping into the act trying to get their hands on our money to spend it someplace else.
     I understand and support the need for regional, statewide, and national transportation systems. I also understand that we need roads in rural areas that will require a disproportionate share of funding. That’s what the gasoline tax is for. But the gas tax hasn’t been sufficient to support the enormous growth in North Texas so we’ve had to look for other sources of money, including tolls. But those tolls only get public support when they are earmarked for specific projects. At least that’s the only time they get my support. When officials start looking at them as a general source of revenue that they can use for projects they don’t have to justify to users the deal is off.
     When I first came to North Texas the Dallas Ft. Worth Turnpike was a toll road. The toll had gotten public approval with the proviso that the revenue be used to pay off the necessary construction bonds. Once the bonds were repaid the tolls were to end. When the day came the tolls were ended and the turnpike authority disbanded over howls of protest. It’s the only time I’ve ever seen that happen. When something similar came up with the Dallas North toll way the tolls were kept in place to extend it to State Highway 121. I was ok with that and I think most affected people were. Now we are extending it further through Frisco and I’m ok with that too. The population has continued to expand to the north and there is a clear need for it. But I don’t remember any suggestion that those tolls be used to fund other roads. We recently approved the reconstruction of Highway 121 from McKinney to DFW as a toll road because otherwise it would take many years to complete it. I believe it. I’ve been driving to and from DFW regularly since it opened in 1976 and Route 121 has been under construction all of that time. We approved construction of the George Bush Turnpike as a toll road for the same reason. All of those were local projects that got public support for specific purposes. I didn’t approve any toll road in Ft. Worth, nobody asked me about and if my money is going to be used to pay for it I most certainly do not approve. Let people in Ft. Worth pay for their boondoggle.
     When the Route 121 project was under discussion there was a lot of concern that the revenues would be diverted. It turns out the concerns were justified. I just don’t like the idea of paying tolls for roads I’m not using. Taxes are one thing. There is a legislative process for that. Tolls are user fees that should be used for the user’s convenience. Maybe it’s time we reconsidered our participation in the regional authority.