SA: Final Hurdle Cleared Makes Way for Tolls in SA

sirkingwilliam · #1 Posted **Aug 15, 2007, 10:55 PM**

http://blogs.mysanantonio.com/weblog.../post_170.html

Building six to eight toll lanes, replacing the existing highway with frontage roads and adding merging and turning lanes to 8 miles of U.S. 281 on the North Side would not significantly impact people or the environment, according to a letter sent to the Texas Department of Transportation.

The letter doesn't mention how tolls, which earlier studies indicate might start at 14 to 16 cents a mile, could impact driving habits or household budgets but does say the tollway is needed to make traveling safer, reduce traffic congestion and speed up construction.

Construction could start early next year, barring hurdles such as a lawsuit like the one filed in 2005 to demand a full-blown environmental study. Work on the road was stopped in January 2006 so more study could be done, but the "assessment" approved Tuesday is not the more detailed "impact statement" asked for.

The width of planned tollway would range from 10 to 20 lanes from Loop 1604 to Borgfeld Road and cover another 70 acres with asphalt and concrete. Such impervious cover is typically referred to as the bad boy of roads and development when it comes to Edwards Aquifer recharge areas, but the letter says sealing the ground could actually increase recharge:

spursfan · #2 Posted **Aug 15, 2007, 11:06 PM**

wow...10-20 lanes? I had no idea it was going to be that big.

BigBird9 · #3 Posted **Aug 16, 2007, 2:02 AM**

10-20 lanes?!?!?!? I'm not sure how that compares to other cities but I can't recall ever being on a freeway 10 lanes on one side (except Atlanta maybe).

21bl0wed · #4 Posted **Aug 16, 2007, 2:58 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by BigBird9

10-20 lanes?!?!?!? I'm not sure how that compares to other cities but I can't recall ever being on a freeway 10 lanes on one side (except Atlanta maybe).

Phoenix has like a 24 lane section of I10. It was 24 I think or more actually.

NBTX11 · #5 Posted **Aug 16, 2007, 4:11 AM**

That includes the Frontage road lanes. There will probably be 6-8 toll lanes, and then 4-6 "free" lanes or more, AKA access roads outside of the toll lanes. personally, i think it is great and will really cut down on congestion. Tons of other cities have toll roads. You don't have to take them, no one is forcing you to. You can take the access roads, and stop at all the same lights people do now, or you can take the toll road.

tone mayne · #6 Posted **Aug 16, 2007, 4:15 AM**

i got to agree, even tho i will rarely be that far north and probly will never have to use that toll road, i still agree.

kornbread · #7 Posted **Aug 16, 2007, 4:23 AM**

10 - 20 is a pretty big and vague range. If it was just 10 that would be fairly sizeable.

Although, now that I think about it, some areas of 45 in Austin might be around 20 lanes: 2 lanes of access road; 1 lane of "we screwed you out of an existing road (620) so here it is back"; 4 cash lanes; and 4 TexTag lanes. I'll have to check on that.

The statement that really floored me was

Quote:

Such impervious cover is typically referred to as the bad boy of roads and development when it comes to Edwards Aquifer recharge areas, but the letter says sealing the ground could actually increase recharge:

Hey everybody! Enjoy your tollway runoff.

NormalgeNyus · #8 Posted **Aug 16, 2007, 5:20 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by NBTX11

That includes the Frontage road lanes. There will probably be 6-8 toll lanes, and then 4-6 "free" lanes or more, AKA access roads outside of the toll lanes. personally, i think it is great and will really cut down on congestion. Tons of other cities have toll roads. You don't have to take them, no one is forcing you to. You can take the access roads, and stop at all the same lights people do now, or you can take the toll road.

No one is forcing you to take them as of yet. Have you seen some of the ideas for the highways in austin? they want to make every highway a tollway. the only highway they do not have a plan on tolling as of yet is IH -35. So far we have stopped phase two of the toll roads but they will be at it again. we have to keep fighting the tolls there is no need for them. there are plenty of funds out there to build roads we just have to have people in power that will fight for that money.

JACKinBeantown · #9 Posted **Aug 16, 2007, 1:33 PM**

All those car lanes and not a single rail. The oil companies are winning, people!

trafficdogn · #10 Posted **Aug 18, 2007, 10:36 PM**

going 281 north is a prefect opportunity to get rid of access roads that plague this region.

6 lanes would then work.

trafficdogn · #11 Posted **Aug 18, 2007, 10:38 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by NormalgeNyus

the only highway they do not have a plan on tolling as of yet is IH -35.

If there was 1 highway that needed to be tolled, it would be i-35. thats the only way the congestion on that road is going to ever be alleviated.

BigBird9 · #12 Posted **Aug 18, 2007, 11:09 PM**

How will tolling a road get rid of congestion? Is it because it will discourage people to drive on it? If so, I would think that that would only increase congestion on other roads.............. but then again I don't know, I'm just wondering how tolling a road helps with congestion..........

And with 1604 and 281, how long will that be under construction? I imagine traffic will be a nightmare for some time.

DrewDizzle · #13 Posted **Aug 18, 2007, 11:32 PM**

The trend these days is to, since government can't keep up with transit capacity, install punitive measures to DISCOURAGE people from driving. It's pretty back-ass-wards.