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Early in 2003 the Texas Legislature was charged with finding alternative methods of highway funding as Governor Rick Perry had said there would only be limited funding from the state revenues for local projects. A primary cause of this is the increased burden on the state budget introduced by Rick Perry's controversial $175 Billion massive mega-highway plan called the Trans-Texas Corridor. On March 13, 2003 Jon Lindsay filed his Senate Bill 1463 which allowed for the conversion of state highways to toll roads. A day later, March 14, 2003, Peggy Hamric filed her bill, HB 3545 in the House that also specifically authorized the conversion of a state highway to a toll road. Peggy Hamric's bill was offered and accepted as an ammendment to the larger transportation bill known as HB 3588 on May 9, 2003. Both SB1463 and HB3588 passed each house unanimously meaning your senator and congressman voted for the bills. SB 1463 was signed by Governor Perry on June 20, 2003 and HB 3588 was signed by Governor Perry on June 22, 2003. Both are now part of the Transportation Code (see Chapter 284), with the language from SB 1463 specifically applying to the eight county Houston area, allowing for the diversion of toll road revenue away from the roadway where it is collected. Before June of 2003, the conveyance of a state highway to a local county for the purpose of toll road revenue was illegal. This action was only made possible through the efforts of our own local representatives.
With the conveyance of state highways to local counties to operate as toll roads now legalized, the Texas Department of Transportation must hold public hearings and develop specific plans for toll facilities. The TxDOT strategy is to limit the available non-tolled access so their profits from the tolls can be maximized. This is happening all across our area and across Texas as toll projects are planned for US290, SH249, SH288, and I-10 to name only a few [TxDOT Toll Projects]. This is only the start as the Texas Transportation Commission is now seeking to legalize the use of our lax state law over federal law regarding all roadways in the state and the authorization to buy federal interstate highways from the U.S. government for the purpose of converting them to toll roads. TxDOT is only accountable to the Texas Transportation Commission which has five members appointed directly by Governor Perry. The chairman of the TTC Ric Williamson has said, "in your lifetime most existing roads will have tolls".
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If the conversion proposal is approved by the Texas Transportation Commission, the proposal must be accepted by the local county authorities as it will become their property. In the Houston area, it would be the five Harris County Commissioners which form the Harris County Commissioners Court. These officials are Robert Eckels, Jerry Eversole, Steve Radack, Sylvia Garcia, and El Franco Lee.
As TxDOT and the Texas Transportation Commission are not elected officials, they are not accountable to us except through Governor Perry. Our local representatives which voted for HB 3588 or SB 1463 are accountable to us, but their vote was in stark contrast to the 97% of the public who opposed proposed conversions in their areas. These legislators should be made aware of your viewpoints concerning their actions and whether you wish them to remove this legislation from the Texas Transportation Statutes.
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