Highway 121: Conversion of public highway to a private toll road would be "mortgaging away our future."
Frisco no longer backs 121 toll plan
Transportation officials say removal of support won't stop project
April 4, 2006
By BILL LODGE
The Dallas Morning News
Copyright 2006
FRISCO – The Frisco City Council rescinded support Tuesday for the expansion of 11 miles of State Highway 121 as a toll road through Collin County.
The council's 5-1 vote sets the stage for a showdown with state officials who are thinking about granting a tollway contract to a private company.
"This absolutely does not stop the project," said Bob Brown, deputy engineer for the Dallas district of the Texas Department of Transportation.
If necessary, Mr. Brown said, state officials will take the matter to the Regional Transportation Council for mediation.
Frisco officials had been expected to bolt from their support of tolls.
For weeks, City Manager George Purefoy, Mayor Mike Simpson and others said state officials' refusal to limit the toll to 12 cents per mile would unfairly punish Frisco residents for highway improvements that would benefit people throughout the Dallas area.
Excess toll revenues should not be siphoned off for other highway projects, Frisco officials said.
"We all should pay equally," Mr. Purefoy said at a recent meeting with Frisco homeowners. He said state officials also have proposed including in that contract a toll escalator that would be tied to the federal consumer price index.
Frisco officials say the North Texas Tollway Authority would operate 121 at cheaper rates than a private firm, noting that the NTTA charges about 10 cents per mile for travel on the Dallas North Tollway.
"I believe in the long term, this will economically hurt Frisco," Mr. Purefoy said. He also said the toll price could easily escalate to more than 25 cents per mile.
Grady Smithey, a member of both the Duncanville City Council and the Regional Transportation Council, said he disagrees with Frisco's position. He said Frisco and other Collin County residents have received more state gas-tax dollars over the last 15 years than residents in southern Dallas County.
"My main point is that Collin County officials cannot be regionalists only when they are on the receiving end of the revenue generated," he said.
City, state connections
Council member Tony Felker cast the lone vote against withdrawing support for the toll road. While he agreed with his colleagues that it's wrong to turn over public roads to a private entity, he said it's important for the city to continue a dialogue with state officials.
He added that the council had two responsibilities in the matter: "Be a pain in the neck" and "Keep a seat at the table."
Other Frisco officials argued that their city is about to become a cash cow for a grossly underfunded state transportation system.
"It's almost the same as the school finance mess," Mr. Purefoy said, referring to the Robin Hood plan that funnels tax dollars from wealthy school districts to those that are poor.
"This is not Robin Hood," Mr. Smithey responded. "When they say that, it makes me madder than hell."
TxDOT's Mr. Brown agreed with Mr. Smithey on that point.
Mr. Brown said excess revenue from Highway 121 tolls would be limited to projects within TxDOT's Dallas district – Dallas, Collin, Denton, Rockwall, Ellis, Kaufman and Navarro counties.
He noted that Dallas-area officials have long supported a regional approach to funding highway projects.
What residents say
But Mr. Purefoy and several members of Frisco's City Council have generated support from local residents for their position on Highway 121.
Frisco resident Jeff Trykoski said Tuesday that allowing the state to convert 121 from a public highway to a tollway and turning it over to a private operator would "be mortgaging away our future."
Fred Lusk, president of the homeowners association for Frisco's Hillcrest Estates, attended a meeting with city officials last week.
"I'm pretty much in support of George Purefoy's position," Mr. Lusk said later. "I believe the money ought to stay here. They're taxing us to pay for deficiencies in state road funds elsewhere.
"And it'll be a real shame if they grant this [toll contract] to a private company."
Plano resident Sharon Overall argued: "Everyone in the state should have access to free freeways." Otherwise, she said, "only the rich will have access to our highways."
Mr. Brown said TxDOT officials have been puzzled by Frisco's arguments against their plans for Highway 121.
"I just can't understand it, especially when we've done so much for Frisco," Mr. Brown said.
Over the past 15 years, Mr. Brown said, state highway funds have helped Frisco grow to a city of about 85,000 that is poised to triple in size by 2020.
"We made them a priority," the deputy engineer said. "For them to impede our ability to build ...
"We're just disappointed."
Mr. Purefoy and Mr. Simpson, the mayor, noted that Mr. Smithey and other members of the Regional Transportation Council have never overridden a local government's opposition to a toll road.
But Mr. Brown, Mr. Smithey and Mr. Lusk said they believe Highway 121 will have to be tolled and expanded to keep traffic jams from becoming unbearable.
"I don't like toll roads any better than anyone else," Mr. Lusk said. "But I'm convinced the only way I'll see 121 improved in my lifetime is if it's tolled."
E-mail blodge@dallasnews.com
© 2006 The Dallas Morning News www.dallasnews.com
Transportation officials say removal of support won't stop project
April 4, 2006
By BILL LODGE
The Dallas Morning News
Copyright 2006
FRISCO – The Frisco City Council rescinded support Tuesday for the expansion of 11 miles of State Highway 121 as a toll road through Collin County.
The council's 5-1 vote sets the stage for a showdown with state officials who are thinking about granting a tollway contract to a private company.
"This absolutely does not stop the project," said Bob Brown, deputy engineer for the Dallas district of the Texas Department of Transportation.
If necessary, Mr. Brown said, state officials will take the matter to the Regional Transportation Council for mediation.
Frisco officials had been expected to bolt from their support of tolls.
For weeks, City Manager George Purefoy, Mayor Mike Simpson and others said state officials' refusal to limit the toll to 12 cents per mile would unfairly punish Frisco residents for highway improvements that would benefit people throughout the Dallas area.
Excess toll revenues should not be siphoned off for other highway projects, Frisco officials said.
"We all should pay equally," Mr. Purefoy said at a recent meeting with Frisco homeowners. He said state officials also have proposed including in that contract a toll escalator that would be tied to the federal consumer price index.
Frisco officials say the North Texas Tollway Authority would operate 121 at cheaper rates than a private firm, noting that the NTTA charges about 10 cents per mile for travel on the Dallas North Tollway.
"I believe in the long term, this will economically hurt Frisco," Mr. Purefoy said. He also said the toll price could easily escalate to more than 25 cents per mile.
Grady Smithey, a member of both the Duncanville City Council and the Regional Transportation Council, said he disagrees with Frisco's position. He said Frisco and other Collin County residents have received more state gas-tax dollars over the last 15 years than residents in southern Dallas County.
"My main point is that Collin County officials cannot be regionalists only when they are on the receiving end of the revenue generated," he said.
City, state connections
Council member Tony Felker cast the lone vote against withdrawing support for the toll road. While he agreed with his colleagues that it's wrong to turn over public roads to a private entity, he said it's important for the city to continue a dialogue with state officials.
He added that the council had two responsibilities in the matter: "Be a pain in the neck" and "Keep a seat at the table."
Other Frisco officials argued that their city is about to become a cash cow for a grossly underfunded state transportation system.
"It's almost the same as the school finance mess," Mr. Purefoy said, referring to the Robin Hood plan that funnels tax dollars from wealthy school districts to those that are poor.
"This is not Robin Hood," Mr. Smithey responded. "When they say that, it makes me madder than hell."
TxDOT's Mr. Brown agreed with Mr. Smithey on that point.
Mr. Brown said excess revenue from Highway 121 tolls would be limited to projects within TxDOT's Dallas district – Dallas, Collin, Denton, Rockwall, Ellis, Kaufman and Navarro counties.
He noted that Dallas-area officials have long supported a regional approach to funding highway projects.
What residents say
But Mr. Purefoy and several members of Frisco's City Council have generated support from local residents for their position on Highway 121.
Frisco resident Jeff Trykoski said Tuesday that allowing the state to convert 121 from a public highway to a tollway and turning it over to a private operator would "be mortgaging away our future."
Fred Lusk, president of the homeowners association for Frisco's Hillcrest Estates, attended a meeting with city officials last week.
"I'm pretty much in support of George Purefoy's position," Mr. Lusk said later. "I believe the money ought to stay here. They're taxing us to pay for deficiencies in state road funds elsewhere.
"And it'll be a real shame if they grant this [toll contract] to a private company."
Plano resident Sharon Overall argued: "Everyone in the state should have access to free freeways." Otherwise, she said, "only the rich will have access to our highways."
Mr. Brown said TxDOT officials have been puzzled by Frisco's arguments against their plans for Highway 121.
"I just can't understand it, especially when we've done so much for Frisco," Mr. Brown said.
Over the past 15 years, Mr. Brown said, state highway funds have helped Frisco grow to a city of about 85,000 that is poised to triple in size by 2020.
"We made them a priority," the deputy engineer said. "For them to impede our ability to build ...
"We're just disappointed."
Mr. Purefoy and Mr. Simpson, the mayor, noted that Mr. Smithey and other members of the Regional Transportation Council have never overridden a local government's opposition to a toll road.
But Mr. Brown, Mr. Smithey and Mr. Lusk said they believe Highway 121 will have to be tolled and expanded to keep traffic jams from becoming unbearable.
"I don't like toll roads any better than anyone else," Mr. Lusk said. "But I'm convinced the only way I'll see 121 improved in my lifetime is if it's tolled."
E-mail blodge@dallasnews.com
© 2006 The Dallas Morning News
posted by Porkus Maximus Tex: at Tuesday, April 04, 2006
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