What Will CAMPO Do?
October 8th, 2007 at 6:03 pm
At a high school in northwest Austin, members of the Transportation Policy Board of the Capitol Area Metropolitan Planning Organization are gathering once again. The voting members of the 19-person board are preparing to vote on whether to approve a second round of toll roads.
The tolls in question, this time, involve existing roads, including parts of U.S. 290 and Texas 71 near the ‘Y’ in Oak Hill as well as huge sections of U.S. 183 and TX 71 east of I-35.
These roads have been built and paid for once via the gas tax, and while they are constantly clogged with traffic, and dotted with poorly timed red lights, transforming the roads into tollways will only help those who are willing (and able) to pay.
The board is stacked in favor of toll roads, with mayors and representatives from outlying cities like Georgetown, Round Rock, Buda, and Kyle. These communities all stand to benefit from toll roads like SH 130. The common assumption is that the plan will pass easily. We shall see.
In a bit of irony, however, as the meeting was set to begin, many of those wishing to attend may well be stuck in traffic. The radio says a pile-up on I-35 has blocked all northbound lanes, and an accident on the flyover from I-35 to U.S. 183 has blocked the easiest path to where the meeting is being held.
October 8th, 2007 at 10:23 pm
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