Thursday, September 06, 2007

"Texas officials said this year that they would lobby the federal government for permission to 'buy back' federal highways and charge tolls."

Bill would ban state tolls on existing interstates

9/6/07

By GORDON DICKSON
Fort Worth Star-Telegram
Copyrithg 2007

Texas and other states would be prohibited from charging tolls on existing interstates, according to a bill filed Wednesday by U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison.

The Republican took action after Texas officials said this year that they would lobby the federal government for permission to "buy back" federal highways and charge tolls.

"I will work with members of the Texas congressional delegation and the state Legislature to ensure that Texans are never asked to pay a toll of an existing interstate highway," Hutchison said in a statement.

Texas Department of Transportation officials have said they didn't intend to place tolls on existing interstates without the blessing of local officials.

Hutchison's bill applies to existing interstate lanes and would not affect plans in Tarrant County to charge tolls on planned lanes on roads such as Interstate 35W and Northeast Loop 820, a spokesman in her Washington office said Wednesday.

Gordon Dickson, 817-685-3816
gdickson@star-telegram.com


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