" Southwest Parkway users could pay as much as 19 cents per mile."
Area toll roads set to get pricier
Authorities plan to raise rates by '07 to keep up with project costs
September 15, 2005
By TONY HARTZEL
The Dallas Morning News
Copyright 2005
PLANO – The cost of driving on existing North Texas toll roads may soon be rising.
Faced with dramatic cost increases for two prominent projects, the North Texas Tollway Authority board of directors on Wednesday reviewed several proposals that call for higher tolls by January 2007.
"We're going to have to consider a toll rate increase," said board chairman David Blair Jr. "I don't think we have any other choice. It's not an easy thing to do. But we've got to consider it if we are going to continue to build transportation projects in North Texas."
The question board members must answer, perhaps as soon as next month, is whether to charge more at every toll booth in its system, charge higher tolls on the new, more expensive projects or come up with a combination of the two proposals.
In June, the agency released cost estimates for Southwest Parkway in Fort Worth and for the eastern extension of the Bush Turnpike through Garland, Rowlett and Sachse. Turnpike costs soared from $442 million to $782 million, and Southwest Parkway estimates almost tripled from $300 million to $825 million.
The agency then had to decide whether to delay those projects or raise tolls. With Mr. Blair vowing that Southwest Parkway would not be abandoned or delayed and eastern Dallas County cities clamoring for the 10-mile extension to connect to the existing 30.5-mile turnpike arc, toll increases became the preferred option.
How exactly to raise toll rates hasn't been decided.
All scenarios call for a 10 percent increase in early 2007, going from 10 cents a mile to 11 cents a mile with a TollTag. A drive on the entire Dallas North Tollway would rise from $2.10 to $2.30, and a drive on the entire Bush Turnpike would rise from $3 to $3.25. Beyond that, several options remain for how much to charge users of the new Bush Turnpike extension and Southwest Parkway.
One option calls for the new toll roads to have the same rates as other roads. Under another scenario, the higher-cost toll roads could have higher tolls. Those tolls also could be based upon lower speed limits or cost, such as community requests for extra amenities. Consultants say that lower speed limits reduce the number of toll road users, thereby reducing revenue potential.
Tollway authority consultants estimate that Southwest Parkway users could pay as much as 19 cents per mile, which would equate to about $1.50 to drive 8.2 miles. Eastern extension users could pay 15 cents per mile, or $1.50 to drive 10 miles.
Compromise sought
Board members expressed a desire to find a compromise, with most toll roads having the same rate but leaving the option open for higher tolls on certain projects. That most likely would apply to Southwest Parkway and the proposed Trinity Parkway in downtown Dallas, where city leaders have asked for lower speed limits.
Several board members, including Paul Wageman of Collin County, said the board should consider setting a basic toll road design and cost estimate and require cities to agree to higher-than-average toll rates if the project exceeds those guidelines.
"It perhaps is an appropriate way for a community to have a road that is different from our standard," he said.
That may sound good, but regional leaders need to ensure that such a policy won't harm central cities, where it generally is much more expensive to design and build highways or toll roads, said Michael Morris, director of transportation for the North Central Texas Council of Governments, the regional planning agency.
"If we're going to build along the Trinity, we're going to build to a higher design standard, or we're not going to build at all," he said, pointing out that charging higher tolls on certain projects could lead some counties to consider leaving the tollway authority and seek another builder for their toll roads.
Raising $2 billion
If approved, the higher toll rates are expected to raise $2 billion in cash over the next 35 years. That will net another $6 billion in bond revenue for other regional projects such as the Lewisville Lake toll bridge and Dallas' Trinity Parkway.
While higher tolls could push away some motorists, the tollway authority's consultants have said the agency could raise its rates much higher than the proposed fees without experiencing a dramatic effect.
"We're not going to price the projects as high as we can," Executive Director Allan Rutter said. "We're going to price the projects for what the public expects us to do."
The tollway authority last raised its rates in 2002, when it hiked rates on the Bush Turnpike. The agency also raised tolls on the Dallas North Tollway in 1999. That decision marked the first time in 17 years that motorists had to pay more to drive on the toll road.
E-mail thartzel@dallasnews.com
Dallas Morning News: www.dallasnews.com
Authorities plan to raise rates by '07 to keep up with project costs
September 15, 2005
By TONY HARTZEL
The Dallas Morning News
Copyright 2005
PLANO – The cost of driving on existing North Texas toll roads may soon be rising.
Faced with dramatic cost increases for two prominent projects, the North Texas Tollway Authority board of directors on Wednesday reviewed several proposals that call for higher tolls by January 2007.
"We're going to have to consider a toll rate increase," said board chairman David Blair Jr. "I don't think we have any other choice. It's not an easy thing to do. But we've got to consider it if we are going to continue to build transportation projects in North Texas."
The question board members must answer, perhaps as soon as next month, is whether to charge more at every toll booth in its system, charge higher tolls on the new, more expensive projects or come up with a combination of the two proposals.
In June, the agency released cost estimates for Southwest Parkway in Fort Worth and for the eastern extension of the Bush Turnpike through Garland, Rowlett and Sachse. Turnpike costs soared from $442 million to $782 million, and Southwest Parkway estimates almost tripled from $300 million to $825 million.
The agency then had to decide whether to delay those projects or raise tolls. With Mr. Blair vowing that Southwest Parkway would not be abandoned or delayed and eastern Dallas County cities clamoring for the 10-mile extension to connect to the existing 30.5-mile turnpike arc, toll increases became the preferred option.
How exactly to raise toll rates hasn't been decided.
All scenarios call for a 10 percent increase in early 2007, going from 10 cents a mile to 11 cents a mile with a TollTag. A drive on the entire Dallas North Tollway would rise from $2.10 to $2.30, and a drive on the entire Bush Turnpike would rise from $3 to $3.25. Beyond that, several options remain for how much to charge users of the new Bush Turnpike extension and Southwest Parkway.
One option calls for the new toll roads to have the same rates as other roads. Under another scenario, the higher-cost toll roads could have higher tolls. Those tolls also could be based upon lower speed limits or cost, such as community requests for extra amenities. Consultants say that lower speed limits reduce the number of toll road users, thereby reducing revenue potential.
Tollway authority consultants estimate that Southwest Parkway users could pay as much as 19 cents per mile, which would equate to about $1.50 to drive 8.2 miles. Eastern extension users could pay 15 cents per mile, or $1.50 to drive 10 miles.
Compromise sought
Board members expressed a desire to find a compromise, with most toll roads having the same rate but leaving the option open for higher tolls on certain projects. That most likely would apply to Southwest Parkway and the proposed Trinity Parkway in downtown Dallas, where city leaders have asked for lower speed limits.
Several board members, including Paul Wageman of Collin County, said the board should consider setting a basic toll road design and cost estimate and require cities to agree to higher-than-average toll rates if the project exceeds those guidelines.
"It perhaps is an appropriate way for a community to have a road that is different from our standard," he said.
That may sound good, but regional leaders need to ensure that such a policy won't harm central cities, where it generally is much more expensive to design and build highways or toll roads, said Michael Morris, director of transportation for the North Central Texas Council of Governments, the regional planning agency.
"If we're going to build along the Trinity, we're going to build to a higher design standard, or we're not going to build at all," he said, pointing out that charging higher tolls on certain projects could lead some counties to consider leaving the tollway authority and seek another builder for their toll roads.
Raising $2 billion
If approved, the higher toll rates are expected to raise $2 billion in cash over the next 35 years. That will net another $6 billion in bond revenue for other regional projects such as the Lewisville Lake toll bridge and Dallas' Trinity Parkway.
While higher tolls could push away some motorists, the tollway authority's consultants have said the agency could raise its rates much higher than the proposed fees without experiencing a dramatic effect.
"We're not going to price the projects as high as we can," Executive Director Allan Rutter said. "We're going to price the projects for what the public expects us to do."
The tollway authority last raised its rates in 2002, when it hiked rates on the Bush Turnpike. The agency also raised tolls on the Dallas North Tollway in 1999. That decision marked the first time in 17 years that motorists had to pay more to drive on the toll road.
E-mail thartzel@dallasnews.com
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posted by Porkus Maximus Tex: at Thursday, September 15, 2005
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