Honkin' Mad

No more huge late fees for tolls #fwtrans

Many motorists have reported being billed hundreds of dollars in late fees for relatively small toll violations on the North Texas tollway system -- and state lawmakers are a step closer to passing a law that limits those dollar amounts.

A Senate transportation committee on Thursday passed SB 469, which was authored by state Sen. Jane Nelson, R-Flower Mound. The bill limits the North Texas Tollway Authority to a single $25 invoice fee -- regardless of the number of toll transactions -- for drivers who pay within 30 days. Also, a sliding scale allows fees up to $225 for second notices sent to drivers with multiple transactions.

"I fully recognize that toll authorities need tools at their disposal to deal with toll violations and delinquent collections. However, I have heard from more than 160 constituents who have seen relatively small unpaid toll bills balloon into invoices totaling hundreds -- in some cases thousands -- of dollars," Nelson said.

Supporters say the limitations are important, as more Texas communities embrace all-electronic tolling, in which motorists either pay tolls automatically with a transponder device known as a TollTag, or have their license plate photographed and get a bill in the mail. The North Texas Tollway Authority's entire system is now all-electronic, meaning there are no longer staffed toll booths. And later this year the authority is scheduled to begin full-blown construction of a new Southwest Parkway/Chisholm Trail Parkway toll road from downtown Fort Worth to Cleburne.

-- G.

Transportation funding gets an F #fwtrans

Perhaps Texans won't be surprised to learn that the state's transportation funding system gets a failing grade. But this time, it's not politicians or supporters of the construction or consulting industries that's passing judgment. It's a blue ribbon panel known as the 2030 committee.

The group includes respected business leaders -- Fort Worth-based BNSF Railway's Roger Nober among them -- and they're recommending that Texans make a tough decision about what to do next.

The options include increasing taxes and fees, or raising vehicle use and operating costs -- read TOLLS -- to pay for highway, rail and other improvements.

The alternative is to let the state's infrastructure rot away, and eventually chase away many of Texas' employers.

All that stuff and much more is in a report dubbed It's About Time: Investing in Transportation to Keep Texas Economically Competitive. Read the whole dang thing here. The Texas Transportation Commission on Thursday adopted the report.

"The majority of Texas roadways were built more than 40 years ago and are reaching the end of their design life," said Dr. C. Michael Walton, chair of the Committee. He's also Ernest Cockrell Centennial Chair in Engineering at the University of Texas at Austin. “This phenomenon —combined with significant declines in transportation funding for maintenance and construction of new roads, plus our state’s rapid population and job growth — has created a ‘perfect storm’ for our transportation system. We must address these challenges to keep Texas competitive and provide a quality of life that is sustainable."

 

 

 

-- G.

 

I-35W at Heritage Trace, signals about to go live #fwtrans

A reader asked the other day when the new traffic signals at I-35W and Heritage Trace Parkway in far north Fort Worth would be turned on.

Val Lopez, a spokesman at the Texas Department of Transportation Fort Worth office, says the intersection will be striped maybe as early as next week. After that, he said, the lights will be turned on, and they'll flash red for about 30 days before they're programmed.

That area is exploding with residential and commercial growth. It seemed like just yesterday Basswood Boulevard and North Tarrant Parkway didn't connect with I-35W, but now those intersections as well as Heritage Trace are all grown up (Sniff! Excuse me while I wipe a tear of joy!) 

-- G.

Use HOV lane to Rangers Ballpark on #openingday

Here's a tip for our friends heading to Rangers Ballpark in Arlington Friday afternoon from the Dallas area on Opening Day: the new managed HOV lane on Interstate 30 will be open. The lane will be available Saturday and Sunday, too.

The lane dead-ends at a T-shaped intersection at the Legends Way/Baird Farm Road bridge, and from there motorists are taken directly into the Rangers' parking area. If you have two or more people in the car, it's a neat way to go.

The T-shaped ramp will be open westbound from 1-3 p.m., and eastbound (for post-game traffic) from 5:30 to 8 p.m. For more info, check out the Dallas Area Rapid Transit website.

Another great #openingday traffic limerick

The Ballpark spent winter with banners furled.

Now pennants and flags are in breezes swirled.

The traffic's a mess

But that's alright, I guess.

It beats anything going on in JerryWorld.

-- Another gem of a limerick by Ian McVea.

I'll be tweeting #openingday at Rangers Ballpark, so follow me @gdickson ...

Limerick for #openingday

The crack of the bat splits the air.

Where's the ball? Is it foul? Is it fair?

The Opening Day roar

Is what I live for.

If the traffic moves, I might get there.

Star-Telegram picture editor Ian McVea is a man of many talents. He can whip up a good limerick lickety-split. So, since I'll be tweeting at Rangers Ballpark on Friday, I asked him to write me a tribute to Opening Day traffic, and he graciously obliged.

I'll be tweeting from Rangers Ballpark on #openingday, so follow me @gdickson ...

Wildflowers not blooming on roadsides #fwtrans

Every year, 33,000 pounds of wildflower seeds are spread along Texas highways, but this year they're not blooming much.

Ode to tweeting transportation #fwtrans

Drivin' along out in old Cowtown,
Heard a beep, then looked down.
Was a traffic alert there on the Twitter.
Eyes off the road, car went into a skitter.
There was a Crash! A Boom! A Bang! A Bam!
...And a beep: A Gordo tweet about my traffic jam.

-- This little ditty was written by Ben Keck, an old friend from the El Paso Times, now living in western Arkansas.

@gdickson

Transportation is Twitterific! #fwtrans

Dear readers:

Want your transportation news delivered even faster? Consider following me on Twitter. My Twitter ID is @gdickson ...

If you don't already follow me on Twitter, I'd like to ask you to give me a try for a few weeks. And, if you like what you see, tell your friends to follow me, too! I'm gonna try some new things to make transportation informative and fun!

-- Gordon.

 

I-20 closure in Arlington #fwtrans

Motorists heading through Arlington Wednesday night and Thursday morning might want to avoid Interstate 20. Weather permitting, the freeway will be reduced to one lane in each direction 9 p.m. Wednesday to 6 a.m. Thursday at Farm Road 1578/Cooper Street. Crews will be removing bridge rails as part of a $3 million highway improvement project that includes new rails, six-foot sidewalks and additional bridge lanes. During this time, the FM 157/Cooper Street lanes will remain open. For more information, go to txdot.gov and type in keyword "road conditions."