We all know traffic has been getting progressively worse around here. It also just got more expensive. Two toll stories popped up this morning, one not really helping the other.
Apparently, some of the existing toll equipment around town has double-billed drivers 50,000 times since the toll roads were opened in January. The story mentions that there are three trouble spots, but only identifies the westbound center lane at the Lake Creek toll plaza on Texas 45 North. Makes you want more toll roads, doesn’t it?
The good news is that if you don’t use the existing toll roads enough that you’re concerned about this double-billing, you’re going to get your own chance at double-billing in the not too distant future. CAMPO approved the much maligned tolls to five existing roads last night.
The new tolls will make it pretty much impossible to get to the airport from downtown via a highway without paying a toll. As this handy little map shows, they’re going to toll 183 from Springdale Road to 71 and 71 from Riverside to Thornberry. Those of you with more time on your hands than money can take Montopolis (either from Riverside or Ben White) to Burleson to FM 973 to 71 and approach the airport from the east to avoid that toll. I hope the people on Burleson Road are ready for a traffic increase.
Two of the other tolls, 290 between 183 & 130 and 45 between Mopac & 1626 are too far north or south for me to care too much about. It’s not clear to me where the toll at the Y at Oak Hill starts and ends, but that one might catch me on occasion and will certainly catch all of you Dripping Springs people.