"TxDOT is cocking their guns."

Proposed Dallas County Toll Roads Debated

Apr 25, 2006
CBS 11 News, Dallas
Copyright 2006

When it comes to building new highways in north Texas, Dallas County Commissioner Kenneth Mayfield believes the state has the county backed into a corner.

Because the state doesn't have enough money, any new roads will have to be toll roads, and Mayfield says the state is demanding private firms build them... against the county's wishes.

"TxDOT is cocking their gun and they're saying 'you gotta maximize the revenue out of here or we're not going to approve your projects' we're not going to give you funds for that," Mayfield said.

A TxDOT spokesman agrees. The state favors private firms over the North Texas Tollway Authority because a private firm can pay the state millions of dollars up front for the right to build the toll roads.

The Tollway Authority can only pay the state back over many years.

"I'm not going to cave in," Mayfield said.

Commissioners say the problem is fairness.

While other counties in the region would receive extra money back from the private firms operating the new toll roads, Dallas County residents don't get that now from their existing toll roads.

All of the money stays with the Tollway Authority and is used to build toll roads in other counties.

Commissioner Mike Cantrell says, ""It does put our area at a disadvantage... it does form an inequity."

To be fair, commissioners want the Tollway Authority to give Dallas County back some of the toll revenues.

(CBS 11 News)

© 2006 CBS Stations Group of Texas cbs11tv.com