TxDOT pushes for S.H. 249 toll road in Navasota
City council hears toll road pitch
By Dave Lewis, Managing Editor
The Navasota Examiner
Copyright 2005
The Navasota City Council unanimously approved the first reading of an ordinance authorizing the issuance of $285,000 in certificates of obligation Monday to pay for building the Navasota Center.
However, most of the meeting was consumed in discussion of whether or not the council favored making proposed S.H. 249 from Tomball a toll road.
Brian Woods with the TxDOT regional office in Bryan told the council and approximately a dozen in attendance that the new highway coming toward Grimes County from Houston would cost between $150-$180,000 to build. TxDOT already has the funds allocated for the Grimes County portion of the project, but that unless the four-lane divided highway comes in as a toll road, it wouldn't happen until around 2035.
As a toll road, the time frame shrinks to 2014, and, Woods added, the county would begin to realize revenue from the project in its first year.
TxDOT hasn't unveiled the exact proposed route for S.H. 249 but will do so at a public meeting Oct. 25 at 6 p.m. at Brosig Auditorium.Woods did say the road will parallel S.H. 105 and F.M. 1774 southeast of Navasota. It wouldn't add to traffic on those arteries.
”We'll propose the route Oct. 25, then see what the response is. Making the highway a toll road, ”Isn't something you have to do but it makes no sense to connect a toll road with a free highway,“ said Woods.
Groundbreaking has already taken place in Tomball on service roads for S.H. 249, which will be a toll artery in Harris County.
Answering questions about the road's proximity to the news Navasota ISD elementary in Stoneham, Woods said the route would miss the location.
Asked about double taxation - gasoline taxes being used to fund the road plus a toll structure - Woods said in a sense that was true.
Woods noted the state's fuel tax and road construction costs have not increased in relation to one another. Future road construction will have to be funded by increased fuel taxes, tolls or some other form of consumer taxation.
Woods did say that it might be possible for a local election to be held to determine if Grimes County residents wanted to pursue the toll idea or not.
Based on figures TxDOT has compiled for S.H. 249 and population growth in the area, a toll road the highway could be generating as much as $21 million a year in revenue. Overall, he said, Grimes County would realize approximately $100 million over 40 years to be used solely in the county for improvements to state-owned roads.
Woods also stated that S.H. 249 was in no way connected to plans for the I-69 Trans-Texas Corridor.
The Navasota Examiner: www.navasotaexaminer.com
By Dave Lewis, Managing Editor
The Navasota Examiner
Copyright 2005
The Navasota City Council unanimously approved the first reading of an ordinance authorizing the issuance of $285,000 in certificates of obligation Monday to pay for building the Navasota Center.
However, most of the meeting was consumed in discussion of whether or not the council favored making proposed S.H. 249 from Tomball a toll road.
Brian Woods with the TxDOT regional office in Bryan told the council and approximately a dozen in attendance that the new highway coming toward Grimes County from Houston would cost between $150-$180,000 to build. TxDOT already has the funds allocated for the Grimes County portion of the project, but that unless the four-lane divided highway comes in as a toll road, it wouldn't happen until around 2035.
As a toll road, the time frame shrinks to 2014, and, Woods added, the county would begin to realize revenue from the project in its first year.
TxDOT hasn't unveiled the exact proposed route for S.H. 249 but will do so at a public meeting Oct. 25 at 6 p.m. at Brosig Auditorium.Woods did say the road will parallel S.H. 105 and F.M. 1774 southeast of Navasota. It wouldn't add to traffic on those arteries.
”We'll propose the route Oct. 25, then see what the response is. Making the highway a toll road, ”Isn't something you have to do but it makes no sense to connect a toll road with a free highway,“ said Woods.
Groundbreaking has already taken place in Tomball on service roads for S.H. 249, which will be a toll artery in Harris County.
Answering questions about the road's proximity to the news Navasota ISD elementary in Stoneham, Woods said the route would miss the location.
Asked about double taxation - gasoline taxes being used to fund the road plus a toll structure - Woods said in a sense that was true.
Woods noted the state's fuel tax and road construction costs have not increased in relation to one another. Future road construction will have to be funded by increased fuel taxes, tolls or some other form of consumer taxation.
Woods did say that it might be possible for a local election to be held to determine if Grimes County residents wanted to pursue the toll idea or not.
Based on figures TxDOT has compiled for S.H. 249 and population growth in the area, a toll road the highway could be generating as much as $21 million a year in revenue. Overall, he said, Grimes County would realize approximately $100 million over 40 years to be used solely in the county for improvements to state-owned roads.
Woods also stated that S.H. 249 was in no way connected to plans for the I-69 Trans-Texas Corridor.
The Navasota Examiner:
posted by Porkus Maximus Tex: at Tuesday, October 11, 2005
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