Unpopular Toll Road Idea We Said Was Dead Might Not Be Dead

By Amy Silverstein Tue., Oct. 28 2014 at 2:31 PM

Mark Haslett

Michael Morris, transportation director for the North Central Texas Council of Governments, is no longer recommending Texas Turnpike Corp.'s private toll road project. But the state still sort-of is.

North Texas' regional transportation officials recently announced that they would no longer recommend forcing people out of their homes in the countryside northeast of Dallas to build another toll road, because it turned out that people didn't like the idea. "We thought we had consensus that we should proceed in this direction, and obviously we were wrong," said Michael Morris, transportation director of the North Central Texas Council of Governments, when we talked last week.

But does a regional transportation official's recommendation even mean anything anymore? In this fast-paced world of Texas transportation officials and unpopular toll road projects, the state is sending mixed messages about whether the toll road is really dead.

People have noticed that an important planning document released by the Texas Department of Transportation, called the 2015 Unified Transportation Program, still lists the toll road. "NEW LOCATION TOLL ROAD-BLACKLANDS CORRIDOR," TxDOT's UTP says.

We thought that the state wasn't supposed to approve the toll road unless the region did. So what's the toll road doing in the state's plans? A TxDOT spokesman offers this explanation in an email:

The Blacklands Corridor is included in the 2015 UTP for informational purposes as a privately funded project. There are no TxDOT, federal or RTC [regional transportation council] funds designated for the project. Because the proposed project does not involve RTC funds, it does not first have to go through the RTC for TxDOT to include it in the UTP. Ultimately, if the project advances, TxDOT and RTC plans will have to align.

The state doesn't need the region's approval, but it all has to align in the end. Another TxDOT spokesman explained the competing agendas of the region and the state this way to The Dallas Morning News: "They do cross paths, but they're not mutually exclusive."

Garland state Representative Cindy Burkett says it's bad news that the toll road is already in the document. "I am taken aback by the Transportation Commission's action of approving this UTP, on August 28, 2014, with the Blacklands toll road project contained therein given the overwhelming public opposition to this project," she says in a letter she sent to TxDOT a few days ago.

Meanwhile, there's been some talk of getting the Legislature to close a legal loophole that gives the private company proposing the toll road the power of eminent domain. On the other hand, the toll road company's founder John Crew has donated some money to lawmakers over the years, topping out at $15,000 this year for state senator/attorney general candidate Kenneth Paxton.

Burkett's letter to TxDOT is below:

Blackland Corridor Letter (1)

Send your story tips to the author, Amy Silverstein.

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ScottsMerkin topcommenter

Wouldn't widening I30 by a few lanes be a better plan than building a whole new road through peoples property?

riconnel8

If I remember right toll road contracts have a clause in them that prevent any other road to be built within a certain distance for a very long time, if ever. If that memory is correct it would be something to think about.

noblefurrtexas topcommenter

The longest living creature on Earth is a government program. That's because it's one of the most difficult creatures to kill.

My dear old dad once told me that insanity is contagious. The State keeps proving him right.

WhiteWhale

What do you expect when the primary purpose of government is to maximize tax revenues and perpetuate itself? This is the inevitable result of crony capitalism, all encompassing big government and the erosion of property rights. Most Observer writers and posters lean to the left, support an all powerful government with it's finger in every pie and rail against the one percent. The irony is that the majority of the one percent loves the same thing.

Sotiredofitall topcommenter

"gives the private company proposing the toll road the power of eminent domain" Where is the general outrage by both political parties? Oh that's right, both are on the take.

Tim.Covington

The people with money want it, so it will happen.

squeakywheel88

Fat cats don't care about what the people want. Only what the copmanies sliding them favors under the table want. For the politicians and by the politicians, not for the people and by the people. It just might be time to break out the tar and feathers for some old school justice if needed.

TheCredibleHulk topcommenter

They're not going away, just regrouping.

I'm guessing that they knew there would be significant opposition and had to stage the theatrics, if only to truly gauge how costly and difficult ramming this thing thru was going to be.

Thx, again for keeping this in print.

TheCredibleHulk topcommenter

@ScottsMerkin

Only to everyone but the people that stand to make a bundle building a new road.

TheCredibleHulk topcommenter

@WhiteWhale

I'm not sure what you're getting at, but, this is a private company with the power of eminent domain. The principal of this company did an end-run around the law to take advantage of an archaic rule that is no longer necessary and is actually counter-productive.

Take that away from them and then let them come to us, hat in hand, and beg to put this toll-road thru. Put them on equal footing with their would-be adversaries (local land owners) and then I'm all for them trying to build this thing, and good luck to them.

Otherwise, make a compelling case for a need to actually add a gov't sponsored road rather than improve I-30 to accommodate the expected increase in traffic from that region and let's have a real debate about that.

WhiteWhale

@Tim.Covington And the easiest way to make money is through the government.

CrackerDaddy

@TheCredibleHulk Spot on.....this was a probe to gauge resistance.

squeakywheel88

@TheCredibleHulk @WhiteWhale Absolutely WW. There is no need for a new road. None what so ever. They try to justify it with created figures and try to ram it down our throats. IT IS TIME FOR THE PEOPLE TO STAND UP!!!