Tag Archives: toll roads

A free word of advice for Fort Bend County

Posted on August 20, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Start building out a real mass transit network, like, now. In just one year, Fort Bend County gained 27,000 residents – cementing its position as one of the fastest growing counties in the nation, according to the most recent U.S. … Continue reading →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles, The great state of Texas | Tagged buses, demography, Dexter McCoy, Fort Bend County, Fort Bend Transit, KP George, light rail, Metro, Texas, toll roads, traffic | Comments Off

Yes, you can use toll road funds for non-road projects

Posted on May 13, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

Who knew? Surplus revenues from Harris County’s toll road system for years have paid for improvements to nearby roads and infused funds into street rebuilds around the county. Now, the Harris County Toll Road Authority is about to go off-road. … Continue reading →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | Tagged bicycles, bike trails, Commissioners Court, construction, Harris County, HCTRA, toll roads | 3 Comments

Flooding affects toll roads, too.

Posted on September 21, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

This makes sense to me. Commissioners Court on Tuesday voted to create a local government corporation to manage Harris County’s toll road system in a move expected to provide a windfall to county coffers and allow surplus toll collections to … Continue reading →

Posted in Local politics | Tagged bonds, Commissioners Court, flooding, Harris County, HCTRA, Jack Cagle, Lina Hidalgo, property taxes, revenue cap, Rodney Ellis, Steve Radack, toll roads | 10 Comments

What can we really do about I-45?

Posted on September 10, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

Urban planner Jeff Speck is once again warning us about the negative effects of widening I-45. TxDOT cites three principal motivations for advancing the I-45 project: reducing traffic congestion, improving driver safety, and improving air quality. These laudable goals are … Continue reading →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | Tagged congestion pricing, construction, Houston, I-45, Make I-45 Better Coalition, Texas, The Lege, toll roads, traffic, TxDOT, urbanism | 3 Comments

Meanwhile, in Montgomery County

Posted on March 11, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

There they go again. The Republican primary defeat of embattled Montgomery County Judge Craig Doyal — and close contests in two county commissioner races headed for runoffs — could signal major leadership changes and a shift further to the right … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2018 | Tagged County Judge, Craig Doyal, Election 2018, Jay Stittleburg, Mark Keough, Montgomery County, primaries, Republican Party, Steve Toth, The Lege, toll roads | 4 Comments

SH130 operator emerges from bankruptcy

Posted on July 4, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Good for them. The firm that oversees a stretch of highway with the country’s fastest speed limit says it is on better financial footing and under new ownership. The SH 130 Concession Company, which operates a 41-mile stretch of the … Continue reading →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | Tagged bankruptcy, SH 130, SH 130 Concession Company LLC, Texas, toll roads | Comments Off

Trump’s toll roads

Posted on December 1, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Who wants more toll roads? Part of president-elect Donald Trump’s promise to create new jobs for Americans relies on a “deficit-neutral plan” to spend $1 trillion on public works projects, including hundreds of billions for roads and rail. But the … Continue reading →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | Tagged Don Huffines, Donald Trump, Joe Pickett, President, Senate, Terri Hall, Texas, The Lege, toll roads, TURF, TxDOT | 2 Comments

SH 130 operator to give up its ownership stake

Posted on August 22, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Another step on the road to bankruptcy. SH 130 Concession Co. filed a bankruptcy reorganization plan Friday that proposes transferring company ownership to its largest lenders, which include the Federal Highway Administration and a group of European banks. The company … Continue reading →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | Tagged bankruptcy, Cintra, Federal Highway Administration, SH 130, SH 130 Concession Company LLC, Texas, toll roads, TxDOT | Comments Off

SH 130 operator files for bankruptcy

Posted on March 5, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Boom. A private company that operates part of the Texas toll road with the highest speed limit in the country filed for bankruptcy Wednesday, fewer than three years after the section of the road it oversees first opened. The SH … Continue reading →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | Tagged Cintra, SH 130, SH 130 Concession Company LLC, Texas, toll roads, TxDOT | Comments Off

Metro and HCTRA exploring other payment options

Posted on December 31, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Look for them soon. Many transit riders are clamoring for smartphone payment for Metro buses and trains, which the agency originally announced would be ready by the end of 2015. Those plans have been delayed because of contract negotiations, but … Continue reading →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | Tagged cellphones, Harris County, HCTRA, Houston, Metro, toll roads | Comments Off

Would the elevated 610 lanes really reduce congestion?

Posted on December 21, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Color me skeptical. The elevated lane design, officials said, would allow traffic headed around the loop, and not into the Uptown area, to flow more freely. The lanes would have no access to exits for San Felipe, Westheimer, Richmond or … Continue reading →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | Tagged construction, Galleria, Houston, I-10, I-610, toll roads, traffic congestion, TxDOT, US59 | 5 Comments

Elevating the West Loop

Posted on December 6, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

I suppose this was inevitable. Planners on Dec. 10 are scheduled to detail plans for elevated managed lanes along Loop 610, from north of Interstate 10 to U.S. 59. Long constrained by the development and parkland along the freeway, the … Continue reading →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | Tagged construction, Galleria, Houston, I-10, I-610, toll roads, traffic congestion, TxDOT, US59 | Comments Off

Why that empty private toll road has been so empty

Posted on August 24, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Someone did a study to try to answer that question. In the Austin area, more than 220,000 vehicles travel on I-35 on a daily basis. In contrast, SH 130, the tolled bypass around Austin only carries 40,000 vehicles daily. Why … Continue reading →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | Tagged privatization, SH 130, Texas, Texas Transportation Institute, toll roads, TxDOT | 4 Comments

Now how much would you pay to drive on that toll road?

Posted on May 27, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

How about ten bucks each way at peak times, beginning on May 30? Toll rates on the I-10 lanes, also known as the Katy Managed Lanes, will increase as officials seek to ease congestion by reducing use of the lanes … Continue reading →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | Tagged commuter rail, Harris County, HCTRA, HOV lanes, I-10, Texas, toll roads, traffic | Comments Off

On driving the empty private toll road

Posted on February 15, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Robert Rivard takes a ride on the lonely private toll road SH 130. Let me explain: SH 130, completed in October 2012, runs from an intersection just east of Seguin on I-10 to an intersection just north of Georgetown on … Continue reading →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | Tagged privatization, SH 130, Texas, toll roads, Trans Texas Corridor | Comments Off

SH 130 operator in default

Posted on July 22, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

But it’s not default-default just yet. Although the company that built and operates the southern leg of the Texas 130 toll road recently managed to work out a payment extension with its lenders, an investor service that monitors the project … Continue reading →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | Tagged Cintra, SH 130, SH 130 Concession Company LLC, Texas, toll roads, TxDOT | 1 Comment

Company operating SH 130 may default

Posted on June 22, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

Oops. The company behind a privately operated Texas toll road that sports the country’s fastest speed limit is dangerously close to defaulting on its debt, according to a credit rating agency. According to a report released this week by Moody’s … Continue reading →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | Tagged Cintra, SH 130, SH 130 Concession Company LLC, Texas, toll roads | 1 Comment

Maybe there’s a problem with building roads where there are no drivers

Posted on November 9, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

The high speed toll road keeps having problems relating to not having enough paying customers. SH 130 has not been the immediate success story its backers had hoped. Last week, lower-than-expected traffic revenue prompted credit ratings firm Moody’s Investors Service … Continue reading →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | Tagged bonds, I-35, Lockhart, New Braunfels, San Antonio, San Marcos, Seguin, SH 130, Texas, toll roads, TxDOT | 2 Comments

So what is the capacity of the Katy Freeway these days?

Posted on September 17, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

This story was about the increase in the toll on the managed lanes of the Katy Freeway, but there was a tidbit at the end that caught my eye. When officials started widening the freeway in 2003, at an eventual … Continue reading →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | Tagged construction, Houston, I-10, managed lanes, toll roads, traffic, traffic congestion | 6 Comments

City and county make a deal on airport toll road revenues

Posted on September 8, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Good. After two years of negotiations, the Houston City Council approved an agreement Wednesday that provides toll revenue from the airport connector to the city for the first time – 24.5 percent, to be precise. Officials at Harris County, which … Continue reading →

Posted in Local politics | Tagged Annise Parker, Commissioners Court, HCTRA, Houston, Houston City Council, IAH, Mario Diaz, Steve Radack, toll roads | Comments Off

Opposition gearing up for the water fund amendment

Posted on June 11, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

The legislation to create a state water infrastructure fund, and the joint resolution that authorized tapping the Rainy Day Fund for up to $2 billion to seed it, had a rocky road in the legislature and wasn’t completed until the … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2013 | Tagged Constitution, constitutional amendments, Election 2003, Election 2005, Election 2007, Election 2009, Election 2011, Election 2013, gay marriage, H2O4Texas, rainy day fund, Senate, SWIFT, Texas, The Lege, toll roads, tort reform, turnout, water | 2 Comments

Building speculative privatized toll roads is risky business

Posted on June 4, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Just ask the Texas 130 investors. Moody’s Investor Service has downgraded the credit rating of the private company that built and operates the Texas 130 toll road extension, a rating that could continue to drop unless traffic “aggressively” grows on … Continue reading →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | Tagged Cintra, privatization, SH 130, Texas, toll roads, TxDOT | 1 Comment

290 toll lane opens

Posted on May 20, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

You solo drivers on US 290 can now take advantage of the HOV lane to make your daily commute a little less grim, beginning today. Based on time of day, drivers will pay between $1 and $5 for using the … Continue reading →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | Tagged construction, Houston, HOV lanes, Metro, toll roads, US290 | Comments Off

More on that underutilized high speed toll road

Posted on April 16, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

More toll road travails. Traffic counts on the new section of Texas 130, released Friday by the Texas Department of Transportation based on newspaper open records requests, show that the tollway southeast of Austin in its first couple of months … Continue reading →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | Tagged Austin, Cintra, San Antonio, SH 130, Texas, toll roads, TxDOT | Comments Off

There’s no such thing as a free road

Posted on April 5, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

I have an issue with this. Texas’ boom of toll roads has made the “free” part of freeway mean something different lately. As toll lanes become the preferred choice for adding capacity to Texas roads, a growing number of state … Continue reading →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles, That's our Lege | Tagged bonds, construction, Donna Campbell, gas tax, George Lavender, Kevin Eltife, Senate, Texas, The Lege, toll roads, TURF, TxDOT | 4 Comments

Maybe there are fewer people who want to drive 85 than we thought

Posted on April 2, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Oops. The privately operated section of the Texas 130 tollway south of Mustang Ridge is attracting about half the predicted traffic, according to Moody’s Investor Service, prompting it to investigate downgrading credit ratings for more than $1.1 billion in debt … Continue reading →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | Tagged Cintra, Lockhart, Senate, SH 130, Texas, toll roads, TxDOT | 7 Comments

The 288-to-the-Medical-Center connector takes a step forward

Posted on February 8, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

I still have a bad feeling about this. In a first step toward providing relief, transportation officials will spend the year winnowing six possible locations for reversible toll lanes that would provide a direct connection between the sprawling medical campus … Continue reading →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | Tagged construction, Harris County, Hermann Park, Houston, Medical Center, SH288, toll roads, traffic congestion, TxDOT | Comments Off

“Please don’t mow down the wildlife”

Posted on November 11, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

As we know, the new 85 MPH toll road is now open, and while it is largely free of traffic, there are other obstacles to watch out for. “That is a known pig route,” said Caldwell County Precinct 1 Constable … Continue reading →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | Tagged feral hogs, SH 130, speed limits, Texas, toll roads | 1 Comment

The 85 MPH toll road is now open

Posted on October 27, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

So far, it seems like the only people on the newly-opened 85 MPH Texas 130 toll road are reporters writing about what it’s like to legally drive that fast. About an hour after road workers removed the hundreds of bright … Continue reading →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | Tagged SH 130, speed limits, Texas, toll roads, TxDOT | 1 Comment

It was nice knowing you, Lockhart

Posted on October 7, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

There’s so much that’s wrong with this. Community leaders believe the four lanes of Texas 130 will spur growth — despite what is expected to be a charge of about 15 cents a mile to drive on it. The tollway, … Continue reading →

Posted in The great state of Texas | Tagged Austin, Caldwell County, Lockhart, San Antonio, Texas, toll roads | 2 Comments

85 MPH speed limit officially approved

Posted on September 9, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

Ladies and gentlemen, start your engines. The Texas Department of Transportation has approved an 85 mph speed limit for an upcoming 40-mile stretch of Texas 130 from Austin to Seguin. Currently, no road in the country has a posted speed … Continue reading →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | Tagged Austin, Cintra, speed limits, Texas, toll roads, TxDOT | 1 Comment

Toll hike

Posted on July 17, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

I have three things to say about this. Starting in September, that jaunt on a Harris County toll road might save you time, but it won’t spare your change. Unless Commissioners Court intervenes, rates at main-lane toll plazas on the … Continue reading →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | Tagged Commissioners Court, Ed Emmett, gas tax, Harris County, HCTRA, The Lege, toll roads | Comments Off

More on the 288 to Medical Center connector

Posted on June 21, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

The more I hear about this idea, the worse it sounds. A proposal to build a highway connector between Texas 288 and the Texas Medical Center via North MacGregor Way has drawn criticism. Among those opposed to the flyover is … Continue reading →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | Tagged Harris County, HCTRA, Hermann Park, Houston, Medical Center, SH288, toll roads | 3 Comments

Tomorrow’s traffic jams are being planned today

Posted on April 10, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

I have two things to say about this. Projects to widen U.S. 290 and Texas 288 with a mix of free and toll lanes in an attempt to ease congestion in the traffic-choked corridors would get a jump-start under a … Continue reading →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | Tagged Commissioners Court, construction, Harris County, HCTRA, I-10, Medical Center, SH288, toll roads, traffic congestion, TxDOT, US290, US59 | 4 Comments

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