Megan Jones Guest Blogger: Texas Toll Road Debate

A few weeks ago Megan Jones, no relation, emailed me asking if I ever had Guest Bloggers or accepted contributions, or something like that.

Megan gave me some examples of her blogging and her website, which is about nursing colleges. I really did not see a connection between this Blog and Megan, but I replied, telling her that she seemed to be very medical advice oriented, while my Blog is all over the place, sometimes about my day in Texas, or something else in Texas. Or elsewhere. Or just about me being annoyed about something. Or someone.

I told Megan she could send me a sample blogging that she thought fit in with my blog. I got that sample blogging this morning. She is writing about something I've paid no attention to. Or know anything about. That being a debate here in Texas over toll roads.

Anyway, below is the Megan Jones Guest Blogging in its entirety....

Toll Road Debate

Recently, toll roads have become a big deal for legislation for Texas lawmakers, as a special session has been called in order to re-authorize the ability for the Texas Department of Transportation and regional mobility authorities to partner with private companies to build and operate toll roads. Toll roads are remarkable inventions that serve to cost us more money as taxpayers while still allowing us to get stuck in traffic. The only way to avoid such traffic is to purchase a toll tag which simply allows you to pay for the toll via credit card, rather than millions of quarters. However, toll roads have served their purpose in allowing us to get to certain places around large cities without directly traveling through the city and thereby encountering more unneeded traffic.

This new bill would in effect afford protection to Texans while allowing an important financing tool for roads, which is desperately needed in these economic times. One project in the Dallas-Fort Worth area is classified as a comprehensive development agreement though does not involve a private company. In order to finance this endeavor, a tolled segment is included although it is backed by public revenue, not bonds. The toll revenue will therefore support several other projects as well as support upkeep on the road. Toll roads are tricky piece of legislation to pass because of the limited use which they get across the state. Smaller towns and areas are not faced with a continuous usage of the roads, which are typically placed in larger cities like Houston and Austin. These tolls are a god-send for the citizens of the area and allow them to navigate around the city at an easier pace then they would have otherwise.

This bill has gained a lot of press recently because it is one of the most hotly contested issues in the state, as many funds are needed to finance increasing road projects. Incorporating public and private companies into one sphere to complete these projects seems to be the most logical conclusion, although many lawmakers are skeptical over the ability to attract private businesses to invest. With the economy on a seemingly downturned spiral, it becomes important to question whether or not companies will be willing to invest in such a major project when they have their own finances to worry about. Texas is one state that has fared for the better throughout the recession due to the many revenues that the Gulf Coast brings in, although this has been slowly changing as the economy has not repaired itself as speedily as many national lawmakers would have liked. While toll roads are one way to aid in boosting revenue across the state, many more sessions need to be called in order to counteract the impending economic woes and thereby allow citizens to go on leading their carefree lives.

This post was contributed by Megan Jones, who writes about the nursing colleges. She welcomes your email feedback.