Texas Transit Association

Officials looking for alternative ways to deal with growing traffic congestion may ask motorists to consider doing something they never have done before — pay tolls on local roads. Several planned highway lanes on the North and West sides have been identified as potential candidates for the first toll roads in Bexar County.

Drivers could face tolls on Bexar highways
By Patrick Driscoll San Antonio Express-News 02/27/2003

The question is whether the agony of being stuck in traffic is worse than paying 50 cents or so to zip by several miles of crawling cars.

“We need to find a threshold of pain,” said Gabe Perez, a member of two committees that met jointly Wednesday to begin oversight of a $500,000 study to see if toll roads are feasible.

The focus of the study will be Texas 151, Loop 1604 across the North Side, U.S. 281 north of Loop 1604 and ramps directly connecting two directions of the interchange at Loop 1604 and U.S. 281, said John Kelly, head of the local office of the Texas Department of Transportation.

“It is going to take a huge paradigm shift,” Kelly said. “It’s been some kind of alien concept in Bexar County.”

Two to four toll lanes could be added to Loop 1604, he said. Where highways are expanded, such as U.S. 281 and part of 1604, tolls could be used on through lanes while drivers wouldn’t be charged to use access roads.

The best option for a toll might be the four lanes of Texas 151 under construction, Kelly said, because that would deliver the quickest results. The existing access roads would not carry tolls. The main lanes of 151 are expected to be complete in June 2004.

If tolls are approved, drivers could use electronic toll tags that would deduct tolls from a prepaid account or pay in traditional collection booths, he said.

However, booths wouldn’t be used on any interchange ramps. Police would use cameras to enforce payments.

Motorists say they understand the need for tollways but have a wait-and-see attitude.

“As long as it’s better than what it is now, I would be willing to pay, as long as it’s not outrageous,” Juan DeHoyos said.

The study will look at what drivers are willing to pay and how much travel time they could save, said Edward Pensock, who is with the transportation department’s turnpike division. The half-dozen toll roads in Houston and Dallas average 12 to 15 cents a mile.

Research may be done by the end of summer, Kelly said. If it shows one or more toll roads can be successful, county commissioners then might ask the Texas Transportation Commission for permission to form a Regional Mobility Authority.

The authority could sell bonds and use them in combination with state funds to build toll roads. The study would try to determine the split.

Bonds also can be used for non-toll roads and transit. Tolls would pay off the bonds.

With $5.3 billion in highway improvements needed countywide over the next 25 years and just $1.7 billion in revenues expected, Kelly said, officials must seriously consider other ways to raise money.

“There’s no way to build our way out of congestion,” he said. “We’ve got to look at other sources and ways to do stuff.”

Motorist Edward Quintana said tolls could help ease congestion but he’s not sure if it’s a good idea to keep charging after a road is paid for.

“I probably wouldn’t mind paying for a certain amount of time, but it makes you wonder where that money will go,” he said. “You can only build so many highways.”

Lyle Larson, a county commissioner who chairs one of the toll oversight committees, said he would like to see any proposals for a toll road put to a public vote.

“I think it’s important that people in this community have a say in this,” he said.