About 30 miles north of the the Downtown Austin gridlock, drivers have an important decision to make. Brave the stand-still rush hour on Interstate 35 or try a relatively new route around the city, the toll road, State Highway 130.
I can't speak for this particular road, but the reality usually is that states pay for major new high way projects with bonds, not tax money. And the tolls are used to pay off the bonds. Then after the bonds are paid off, it's a question of whether you have a corrupt state that floats new bonds (to pay for maintenance) so that they can keep the tolls in place, or removes the tolls and just have the maintenance paid for with tax monies. In Massachusetts, the Mass State toll road was built in the 50's and paid off sometime in the 80's, IIRC. But they floated another bond so that they could keep the tolls, and keep paying toll takers, supposedly to pay for the maintenance. And while it does pay for the maintenance, the road is maintained at a ridiculously high level that just wasn't justifiable. But the worst part is that the road is an East/West road, and the toll monies are also being used to pay for the massive "Big Dig" project through Boston, which just happens to be a North/South road (and NOT a toll road). And the people west of Boston were/are pissed to be having to pay the cost of a road that other people use.
@@crucisnh boston resident here. Always wondered why i93 is not tolled but i90 is. This explains a lot. BTW i really really hate i90 toll, it is such a useful road!
Jacob Cannon you’re right! Pause the video at 1:51 and it’s only $0.94 lol Texans must be some cheap bastards! Oh what I would give to pay less than $5 in tolls
I always set my GPS to avoid tolls, I can't see paying to drive on a road that should have been paid for by tax payers. Interstate highways should be paid for before starting a project and there should be penalties for jobs that were under bid.
That's Fk'd up that they're privately owned "for profit," roads. Here, in Canada we do toll roads until the project is paid off. After that the tolls stop
In Greece we pay tolls before the road is ready and we keep paying after its payed off. Some of them are not even highways, they are normal roads. Car accidents are often fatal. And many toll stations can't be avoided, as there are toll stations even at many entries and exits. Furthermore, there are many toll stations at the roads parallel to the highway. This is just legal theft...
Johnny5 I am in total agreement used tools until the road is paid off. When I get my car registered there's a Road and Bridge fee on there they can just use that for maintenance
IMO To me toll roads are a sham. If we are paying taxes for roads, why do we need private roads controlled by for profit companies in the first place? I live in NJ and my late father told me that the government promised that route 444 (Garden State Parkway today) would be a toll-free road once it was paid for. But that was in 1950's? So why are the toll still on the Garden State Parkway? I mostly avoid the toll roads if I can. I find it more joyful to drive on country roads or even state roads like route 9 in Southern shore area of New Jersey. And remember when Al Alberts sang "On the Way to Cape May" the Garden State Parkway was not even built yet.
well without watching this video.. Remove gas tax, car registration tax, and car inspection, and i would have money to use a toll road. Or, use alllll those taxes to pay for roads. You can't take best out of both worlds for the govenment!
All you potential toll road users hurry-up and get on the stick! The sooner you get with the program, the sooner I can enjoy the eased traffic on the non-tolled roads! I don't use toll roads, because the very few times I have used them, I got no less than 3 separate toll bills in the mail each time! With such a billing scheme, I have no idea if I'm being overcharged or not .... They could charge ANYTHING, and you'd be none the wiser!
This road made no sense to me. In San Antonio the road was hoped to ease rush hour gridlock both in the morning and late afternoon. Especially big rig traffic. State highway 130 has not accomplished this. I feel sorry for the investors.
So how much is the toll? Why is it people want to keep that info a secret? Of all the videos I've seen on toll roads, not one has ever mentioned how much the actual tolls are.
that toll road and one like it in Colorado are similar in that there was a need but poorly thought out and not convenient enough to use. I 25 in Colorado is a very convenient road to use at any time, unlike I35.
you want more traffic? trun your toll road into a lottory and give out prizes and money to lucky drivers who get randomly picked each month after driving on your toll road. the more they drive on it the better their chances of getting selected for the lottory drawing each month.
So Cities build a Road by Taxing the People that live in that state then Build a Toll that the same people & Tourists have to pay for the Road regularly ? Well if that isn’t a damn Scam I don’t know what is !!!! Wow
if that picture is accurate of where the road starts and ends, I would not use it because it goes from the Interstate to nowhere. If it went from I35 north to I35 south then it would make sense but it doesn't so why use it. very stupid idea from start to finish and the investors were just stupid to fund a road that went nowhere!
Why so cheap. In sydney one tollway costs $5 USD for 1 mile. Every single motorway here is tolled (world’s most tolled city).at least you have free interstate you can use.
i have a idea but the people will not like it !! the idea that i have is shut down I 35 throw Austin and make the people drive on the toll way 130 !!! that is my only idea !!
BY LAW all roadways are to be PAID IN FULL by year 7 after completion. That's PAID IN FULL folks, tolls are simply a revenue scam. GEE, can I start charging toll passage in front of my house? The road is PAID for, I pay taxes on its upkeep. They are incurring wear & tear on my piece of roadway.
You sure about that? A lot of toll roads are independently run(but are overseen by state governments,) in an effort to offset the cost of the roads to the taxpayers. Troopers assigned to the toll road are funded solely by toll revenue on toll roads in the state I live in. Honestly toll roads are a convenience to get around.
WTF is that posted 85mph sign for real? That just seems unreal! I really can't believe that there's any road in America that's actually approved to be safe enough to travel at speeds over 70mph.
Genapher S if people would actually pay attention to the road and not be on their phones or whatever else they're doing I think it's okay to drive 85 miles an hour if the road is safe because people can easily crash at 30 miles an hour if they're not paying attention besides the vehicles nowadays how much better than a older vehicles my car won't even let me change lanes unless I use the turn signal. I think things will get better.
One day these large southern metropolitan areas will have the audacity to build world-class public transit systems. Stubborn until you have no choice but to embrace progress and finally change.
