Toll Roads

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JBAG064
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11:29a, 5/21/25
AG
There is a proposed toll road that will be put either right next to my house or very close, the actual route to the best of my knowledge hasn't been finalized.

I think there are a scam and I don't want to live next to one plus this a rural area SW of Houston and its going to ruin everything. I know there is an option to move which I guess i'll probably have to end up doing but i'm not going down without a fight. Anyone been thru something like this before?

There is a bill sitting in the TX House, HB1589, proposing that these scams be voted on but who knows how long that will take. Our state rep has been contacted and told our opinion and others in our community have as well.
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Waffledynamics
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11:36a, 5/21/25
AG
Don't worry! The tolls will go away after it's paid off.
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schmellba99
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11:41a, 5/21/25
AG
If you are talking 99, the route has been finalized for a while IIRC.
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sushi94
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11:42a, 5/21/25
AG
Eminent Domain - the fight is useless.
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Ellis Wyatt
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In reply to JBAG064 • 11:47a, 5/21/25
If you're depending on the democrat House to accomplish anything for Texans, you'll be severely disappointed. They don't care about you. They're only there to take kickbacks.
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Greener Acres
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In reply to JBAG064 • 11:49a, 5/21/25
AG
JBAG064 said:
There is a proposed toll road that will be put either right next to my house or very close, the actual route to the best of my knowledge hasn't been finalized.

I think there are a scam and I don't want to live next to one plus this a rural area SW of Houston and its going to ruin everything. I know there is an option to move which I guess i'll probably have to end up doing but i'm not going down without a fight. Anyone been thru something like this before?

There is a bill sitting in the TX House, HB1589, proposing that these scams be voted on but who knows how long that will take. Our state rep has been contacted and told our opinion and others in our community have as well.
It looks like that bill was left pending in committee.

The problem is that the growth is coming whether you want it or not. And that growth needs infrastructure to move people around. The governing bodies don't have the funding for massive infrastructure projects like a highway and with the multitude of entities they traverse it is really hard to get a consistent road in place. So you have a Council of Governments that works to allocate federal funds and alternative funding options for these across the region.

Toll operators often pay for the entire project, plus maintenance for decades in exchange for the tolls. This allows the state/county/city to get badly needed infrastructure without needing more money from all taxpayers. Plus its specifically paid for by those who use it.

As a neighbor, I'm sure your concern is more about being next to a highway and that sucks whether its a toll or non-toll. The latest toll projects I have seen have done a good job of landscaping in developed areas. And if not, lots of people will want the access to the toll road so you may be able to sell easily.
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Nagler
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11:49a, 5/21/25
AG
I know a guy who was building a house when they found out 99 was coming through. He finished the house and the state bought it from him for more than it was worth. He then went and built the same house elsewhere and bought the cabinets in the original house from the state for penny's on the dollar and moved them to the new house. Made some good money on that transaction.
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JBAG064
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11:52a, 5/21/25
AG
Appreciate the responses and was more or less what I was expecting. Guess I just hopeful, I dont like change.
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Teslag
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In reply to Waffledynamics • 11:52a, 5/21/25
AG
Waffledynamics said:
Don't worry! The tolls will go away after it's paid off.


They did for I-30
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CDUB98
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11:53a, 5/21/25
AG
Quote:
I think there are a scam
Every toll road is a scam.

hth
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Funky Winkerbean
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In reply to Teslag • 11:53a, 5/21/25
AG
Teslag said:
Waffledynamics said:
Don't worry! The tolls will go away after it's paid off.


They did for I-30


Republicans in charge of?
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Teslag
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In reply to Funky Winkerbean • 11:54a, 5/21/25
AG
Funky Winkerbean said:
Teslag said:
Waffledynamics said:
Don't worry! The tolls will go away after it's paid off.


They did for I-30


Republicans in charge of?


Democrats
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Teslag
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In reply to CDUB98 • 11:56a, 5/21/25
AG
CDUB98 said:
Quote:
I think there are a scam
Every toll road is a scam.

hth


I see this said a lot but why? I like them. You can pay to bypass the riff raff and get somewhere faster.
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TexAgsSean
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In reply to Teslag • 12:00p, 5/21/25
AG
Teslag said:
CDUB98 said:
Quote:
I think there are a scam
Every toll road is a scam.

hth


I see this said a lot but why? I like them. You can pay to bypass the riff raff and get somewhere faster.


Doesn't our tax money already go to build the roads? So we are having to pay a fee for driving on a road that we already paid for?

I've never looked into that before, so I could very well be wrong.
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JBAG064
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12:00p, 5/21/25
AG
Aren't the taxes we pay enough to have roads provided?
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Teslag
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In reply to JBAG064 • 12:03p, 5/21/25
AG
JBAG064 said:
Aren't the taxes we pay enough to have roads provided?


You get what you pay for.
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Tramp96
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In reply to Waffledynamics • 12:05p, 5/21/25
Waffledynamics said:
Don't worry! The tolls will go away after it's paid off.


Fine print: as long as the road needs maintenance, it will never be paid off.
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redag06
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In reply to Teslag • 12:30p, 5/21/25
Teslag said:
CDUB98 said:
Quote:
I think there are a scam
Every toll road is a scam.

hth


I see this said a lot but why? I like them. You can pay to bypass the riff raff and get somewhere faster.
Says the one who drives on them for free
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eiggA2002
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1:08p, 5/21/25
AG
They are avenues of growth and development and ultimately more tax revenue for counties/cities veiled as a way to get around traffic. They have huge proponents in developers, both residential and commercial. A toll road will bring massive amounts of residential development and then the commercial developments will follow. It's a tried and true method that has been done for decades. The only way to get that road out there is with tolls. The jurisdiction isn't building a highway in the boondocks just because. It sucks and most of the land along the path has most likely already been acquired by homebuilders.
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schmellba99
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In reply to Teslag • 1:14p, 5/21/25
AG
Teslag said:
CDUB98 said:
Quote:
I think there are a scam
Every toll road is a scam.

hth


I see this said a lot but why? I like them. You can pay to bypass the riff raff and get somewhere faster.
I see you don't drive on toll roads in Houston.
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Teslag
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In reply to redag06 • 1:15p, 5/21/25
AG
redag06 said:
Teslag said:
CDUB98 said:
Quote:
I think there are a scam
Every toll road is a scam.

hth


I see this said a lot but why? I like them. You can pay to bypass the riff raff and get somewhere faster.
Says the one who drives on them for free

Not all of them are free for DV's. Basically all of Tarrant County isn't free.
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schmellba99
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In reply to Teslag • 1:18p, 5/21/25
AG
Teslag said:
Waffledynamics said:
Don't worry! The tolls will go away after it's paid off.


They did for I-30
That would be about the only one then.

The San Luis Bridge toll booth is finally going to be removed. The bridge was paid off 40+ years ago.

And now there are talks of a new bridge, so the tolls will be back before too long again. Only higher than the $2 it was.

I get the concept of toll roads, but still dislike the **** out of them. The 288 toll road is stupid expensive to use. Even for the use of the ramp from 288 to BW8 it is $2.50 - that's for the ramp only. If you drove from where it begins in Pearland to where it ends in the Med Center it is something like $28 one way. One.Way. And they didn't even bother to salt the overpasses during the last freeze either.
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txyaloo
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1:18p, 5/21/25
AG
Good luck. I lived right next to 130 when it was being built in Austin. Was a complete mess. I hated them at the time because I was broke and couldn't afford to drive them. Now I appreciate being able to bypass Austin traffic.

I'd likely still hate them if I lived in the city and had to drive them daily.
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StandUpforAmerica
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1:18p, 5/21/25
The people who built 99 North of Houston were extremely shortsighted. They should have built it three lanes each way from the very beginning. Instead, it was too small from day one, and now they're paying way more than they needed to by coming back less then 10 years after the initial construction to work on the expansion.
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JobSecurity
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In reply to StandUpforAmerica • 1:20p, 5/21/25
AG
StandUpforAmerica said:
The people who built 99 North of Houston were extremely shortsighted. They should have built it three lanes each way from the very beginning. Instead, it was too small from day one, and now they're paying way more than they needed to by coming back less then 10 years after the initial construction to work on the expansion.
At least they have the room to expand it. Westpark is paying for literal ****ing torture. Only 2 lanes each way with basically no shoulders so when there is an accident (daily) it's slower than walking. And it'll never be expanded
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Bazooka Joe
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1:22p, 5/21/25
AG
Not a tax revenue stream and not be removed when paid off.

The tolls are now negotiated with the highway builder who takes a roll in construction financing and receives toll fees for a given period after highway completion. It's a boon for contractors who build high volume use toll roads. But the tolls are going to contractors…not where most people think.
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TarponChaser
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In reply to JBAG064 • 1:22p, 5/21/25
JBAG064 said:
There is a proposed toll road that will be put either right next to my house or very close, the actual route to the best of my knowledge hasn't been finalized.

I think there are a scam and I don't want to live next to one plus this a rural area SW of Houston and its going to ruin everything. I know there is an option to move which I guess i'll probably have to end up doing but i'm not going down without a fight. Anyone been thru something like this before?

There is a bill sitting in the TX House, HB1589, proposing that these scams be voted on but who knows how long that will take. Our state rep has been contacted and told our opinion and others in our community have as well.

I got news for you man, that "rural area SW of Houston" has been slated for development for a long, long time and it's coming whether you like it or not.

Land trading north of $50K an acre around Needville for residential development. Closer you are to 59, 36, or 288 the more expensive.

I will admit that I deal with some moral and ethical ambivalence about my chosen profession in the business but it's how I support my family.
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JBAG064
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1:31p, 5/21/25
AG
I know. Its just a kick in the you know what after working so hard for something to see it ruined, but such is life I guess and realize there are people in the world with bigger issues.

My profession is in ag and I also see whats happening in TX and the loss of production agriculture very troubling but thats a different topic for another day I suppose.
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schmellba99
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In reply to TarponChaser • 1:40p, 5/21/25
AG
Yep. Even George Ranch is on borrowed time at this point. They already sold a chunk for the Austin Point development, my guess is that as 99 gets closer and closer to development through the area, more and more of it will go from farmland to master planned subdivisions.

Out of the way places like Whaley Corner and Juliff are going to fall off the map soon.
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fullback44
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2:06p, 5/21/25
AG
I like toll roads- I just wish they would raise the rates so the peasants can't afford them and there is less traffic on them

Kind of like skipping the line when you use VIP service
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HTownAg98
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In reply to Greener Acres • 3:05p, 5/21/25
Greener Acres said:
JBAG064 said:
There is a proposed toll road that will be put either right next to my house or very close, the actual route to the best of my knowledge hasn't been finalized.

I think there are a scam and I don't want to live next to one plus this a rural area SW of Houston and its going to ruin everything. I know there is an option to move which I guess i'll probably have to end up doing but i'm not going down without a fight. Anyone been thru something like this before?

There is a bill sitting in the TX House, HB1589, proposing that these scams be voted on but who knows how long that will take. Our state rep has been contacted and told our opinion and others in our community have as well.
It looks like that bill was left pending in committee.

The problem is that the growth is coming whether you want it or not. And that growth needs infrastructure to move people around. The governing bodies don't have the funding for massive infrastructure projects like a highway and with the multitude of entities they traverse it is really hard to get a consistent road in place. So you have a Council of Governments that works to allocate federal funds and alternative funding options for these across the region.

Toll operators often pay for the entire project, plus maintenance for decades in exchange for the tolls. This allows the state/county/city to get badly needed infrastructure without needing more money from all taxpayers. Plus its specifically paid for by those who use it.

As a neighbor, I'm sure your concern is more about being next to a highway and that sucks whether its a toll or non-toll. The latest toll projects I have seen have done a good job of landscaping in developed areas. And if not, lots of people will want the access to the toll road so you may be able to sell easily.
That depends if it's a controlled access highway or not. If it is, and it's a new facility not replacing an existing highway, there may not be free frontage roads with access.
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Line Ate Member
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3:08p, 5/21/25
AG
Fort Bend County is exploding right now. Go towards Victoria from Houston/Richmond/Rosenberg, Beasley has several new housing units. Kendleton has Emberly and another one closer into Rosenberg. Those last two have at least 1000 homes.

Before long they will be adding another loop outside of 99…
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HTownAg98
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In reply to JBAG064 • 3:08p, 5/21/25
JBAG064 said:
Aren't the taxes we pay enough to have roads provided?
It's nowhere close. Growth has outpaced our gas tax receipts, and TxDOT is way, way behind on building roads that are needed.
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HTownAg98
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In reply to Nagler • 3:12p, 5/21/25
Nagler said:
I know a guy who was building a house when they found out 99 was coming through. He finished the house and the state bought it from him for more than it was worth. He then went and built the same house elsewhere and bought the cabinets in the original house from the state for penny's on the dollar and moved them to the new house. Made some good money on that transaction.
That's not uncommon for residential relocation. TxDOT assigns a retention value of 10% to every improvement being acquired, and the owner can buy it back for that amount. I don't know how fixtures are handled though. The best thing that can happen to you if someone is going to be widening a roadway is to have your house acquired by the condemning entity. You make out like a bandit when it comes to relocation. If you choose do to so, you can literally leave the breakfast dishes on the table, and movers will pack everything for you and move it. Business relocation sucks.
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jt2hunt
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In reply to HTownAg98 • 3:15p, 5/21/25
AG
Why do you think it's outgrown the gas tax? Are you trying to imply that the revenue collected from gas tax over all of the years has only been used on road construction and was not able to keep up?
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