The North Texas Tollway Authority is risking a fight over Highway 121
Tollway Authority Moves To Build New Toll Road
May 10, 2006
CBS 11 TV (Dallas-Fort Worth)
Copyright 2006
The North Texas Tollway Authority is risking a fight over Highway 121 in Collin County. By a 4-3 vote it decided not to merely run the proposed toll road---but to build it as well, putting it in competition with private sector heavyweights.
NTTA directors saw it as an all-or-nothing proposition. "We've got a real dilemma here," observed NTTA chair David Blair.
The issue is whether the agency should step out of its traditional role of merely collecting tolls or build the whole tollway system from the ground up. That's called a comprehensive development agreement, or CDA.
Supporters think the agency can beat the private sector. Among them is a man Collin County appointed to the board, director Paul Wageman. "The CDA process is going to require a 70% higher price at the peak period than we currently charge on our roads. So we'll generate a lower toll rate but still generate enough excess revenue to build other projects in the region."
The Denton County portion of Highway 121 is finished but unopened because there's no one to collect any tolls yet. The NTTA wants to build the rest of the tollway to McKinney.
One problem the NTTA faces is if it's unsuccessful winning the bid, it could be shut out of the Highway 121 process altogether. Tarrant County appointee William Meadows opposed the measure, which passed by a single vote. "My guess is the NTTA will not prevail and it'll be a private contractor that will build and operate the roadway," he said, agreeing that the agency might wind up on the outside of the project looking in.
The agency is also bumping up against both the Texas Department of Transportation and the Regional Transportation Council. Those agencies will make the final decisions and would rather see the NTTA in its traditional role, partly because they want the traveling public to see toll plaza consistency. They also want no further delays in attacking another $60 billion worth of toll road needs for an aging infrastructure in North Texas.
Michael Morris, who's with both the regional transportation council and the North Central Texas Council of Governments, tells CBS 11 News, "The money is not in the bank to replace these facilities, so this is an upcoming crisis in transportation." Morris adds that most of this area's highways were built between World War II and 1975. He fears widespread highway failure by 2030.
© 2006 CBS Stations Group of Texas http://cbs11tv.com
May 10, 2006
CBS 11 TV (Dallas-Fort Worth)
Copyright 2006
The North Texas Tollway Authority is risking a fight over Highway 121 in Collin County. By a 4-3 vote it decided not to merely run the proposed toll road---but to build it as well, putting it in competition with private sector heavyweights.
NTTA directors saw it as an all-or-nothing proposition. "We've got a real dilemma here," observed NTTA chair David Blair.
The issue is whether the agency should step out of its traditional role of merely collecting tolls or build the whole tollway system from the ground up. That's called a comprehensive development agreement, or CDA.
Supporters think the agency can beat the private sector. Among them is a man Collin County appointed to the board, director Paul Wageman. "The CDA process is going to require a 70% higher price at the peak period than we currently charge on our roads. So we'll generate a lower toll rate but still generate enough excess revenue to build other projects in the region."
The Denton County portion of Highway 121 is finished but unopened because there's no one to collect any tolls yet. The NTTA wants to build the rest of the tollway to McKinney.
One problem the NTTA faces is if it's unsuccessful winning the bid, it could be shut out of the Highway 121 process altogether. Tarrant County appointee William Meadows opposed the measure, which passed by a single vote. "My guess is the NTTA will not prevail and it'll be a private contractor that will build and operate the roadway," he said, agreeing that the agency might wind up on the outside of the project looking in.
The agency is also bumping up against both the Texas Department of Transportation and the Regional Transportation Council. Those agencies will make the final decisions and would rather see the NTTA in its traditional role, partly because they want the traveling public to see toll plaza consistency. They also want no further delays in attacking another $60 billion worth of toll road needs for an aging infrastructure in North Texas.
Michael Morris, who's with both the regional transportation council and the North Central Texas Council of Governments, tells CBS 11 News, "The money is not in the bank to replace these facilities, so this is an upcoming crisis in transportation." Morris adds that most of this area's highways were built between World War II and 1975. He fears widespread highway failure by 2030.
© 2006 CBS Stations Group of Texas
posted by Porkus Maximus Tex: at Wednesday, May 10, 2006
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