Planning entity’s years-long practice
The Regional Transportation Council on Thursday excluded a controversial rural toll road from its long-range plan and dropped efforts to involve the state Transportation Department in financing the divisive Trinity Parkway toll project.
Those votes highlight a shift away from the planning entity’s years-long practice of using tolls to finance road construction as state lawmakers repeatedly failed to solve transportation funding shortfalls.
The moves also come amid mounting public opposition to toll roads in North Texas, where virtually every major highway project under construction includes tolling.
The region will soon be home to the nation’s largest network of managed toll lanes, which are being added to existing highways to help add capacity and finance renovations or expansions.
“It’s been by force of nature, really, from Austin,” said RTC vice chairman Mark Riley, who also is Parker County judge. “We’ve been given a task but no funds.”
Texas voters last week agreed by a nearly 4-1 ratio to give TxDOT about $1.7 billion a year in additional funding, with the caveat that the new money could not be used on toll projects. That still leaves TxDOT with an estimated $3.3 billion shortfall that the agency says it needs to maintain existing roads and build more to keep up with expected population growth.
RTC member Jungus Jordan called the election results a mandate.