BIKE: Implications of the toll road plan for Austin

[rcbaker]

Scetchy information on the hidden costs of the toll road plan freshly released by 
CAMPO -- about $3.3 billion. ( http://www.campotexas.org/pdfs/tmmp.pdf   page 31)

Due to the release of a document Titled CAMPO's draft Texas Metropolitan Mobility 
Plan, dated June 21 (only four days before the final CAMPO cutoff date for public 
response to the toll roads, assuming they knew of its existance), we now know have an 
estimate of the  previously unknown cost of the secondary roadway expansions on 
arterials totalling 922 line miles implied by the toll roads to local governments (chiefly 
the city of Austin). 

It seems likely that the added cost to Austin might be about $2 billion.

There is, however, no local government toll revenue to support the related traffic 
implied by the toll roads, meaning that they would have to be funded totally out of 
general obligation funds. They would thus be directly in competition with local needs 
like parks and libraries and public safety, (and ped and bikeway projects too). 
Since these plans are for the year 2030, this is 25 years. 

If we we assume that $2 billion of this would have to be assumed by the city of Austin, 
this is a a previously hidden, unfunded toll-road-related obligation of roughly $100 
million per year in current dollars for the next twenty years in current dollars.

Following  is the link to this key document: http://www.campotexas.org/pdfs/tmmp.pdf
Most of the important information cited here is in this draft, pages 28-31. According to 
the CAMPO planner, this draft is being revised now and will be different 
on Monday. Here is the Friday June 25 email from CAMPO planner Daniel Yang. 

             ******************************************************

Roger, 

Below is a link that can lead you to the first draft of the TMMP report;
http://www.campotexas.org/comm_tac_agendas.php
<http://www.campotexas.org/comm_tac_agendas.php> .  The TMMP report is under
agenda item 1.  Please be advised that this report is being updated as we
speak.

Daniel Yang 
Demographic Forecasting and Travel Demand Modeling 
Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization (CAMPO) 
P.O. Box 1088 
Austin, TX 78767-1088 
Ph: 512-974-6423 
Fax: 512-974-6385 
http://www.campotexas.org <http://www.campotexas.org>  
Email: daniel.yang 

                   *****************************************************

Here are some interesting features of the new draft TMMP. 

The price has risen from $9.5 billion in the old 2025 plan approved on 2000, 
which included a lot of transit like light rail. There was an estimated cost 
of $1.3 billion estimated for local roads in the 2000 plan.

Now that the light rail has been omitted, and the emphasis has been placed 
on new and expanded roads like toll roads, and the cost of the new 2004 
plan has risen to $13.8 billion.

Page 28 is a map of the many road expansions needed to relieve congestion. 
Windsor/24th would need to have ten new lanes added, Dean Keeton/26th 
over to Manor would need 3 to 9 new lanes, etc. 

The Edwards Aquifer would bear an increased burden. 
Escarpment Blvd. would need 6-9 new lanes for example.

Sincerely, Roger Baker 
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