1 more of the 23 campo BOD says. NO!''

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Dear Neighbors,

I want to let you know that I am not in support of the proposed toll road plan as rolled out by TxDot and the CTRMA. True, Austin is in dire need for a better road system, but not one which is fractured and financed on the backs of previously taxed-motorists.

I just want to thank you for voicing your concerns about the proposed toll road plan that has been rolled out by TxDot and CTRMA. It is important that you be at CAMPO Board Public Meeting so they know your feelings.

See you at the CAMPO meeting!

CAMPO PUBLIC HEARING
Monday, May 10, 2004, 6:00 p.m.
LBJ Auditorium, University of Texas
2313 Red River, Austin

CAMPO Contact Info:
campo@campotexas.org
www.campotexas.org

Gerald Daugherty

Gerald Daugherty
Travis County Commissioner, Precinct 3
314 W. 11th St., Room 500
P.O. Box 1748
Austin, TX 78767
Office: 512-854-9333
Fax: 512-854-9376

sounds like a possible 4th

sounds like a possible 4th (slusher) campo bod saying ''NO''...FYI, 7 of the BOD are expected to say YES since they are from Williamson county and they have a lot more to gain from out tolls, with few or NO Tolls for themselves.

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Please find below Council Member Slusher's comments that he asked me to share with you.

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Thank you for your correspondence regarding proposed toll roads. I encourage you to attend the public hearing on May 10 both to give your views and to hear the public discussion of the proposal. This is a major proposal and it needs significant public discussion. I support the idea of some tolling of roads due to very limited highway funds in Texas. I have a number of concerns, however, both with the breadth of this proposal and with some of the specific areas proposed for tolling. I also have a number of financial questions. Please come on May 10 and participate in this very important discussion on the future of central Texas.

* Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization (CAMPO) Public Hearing on Proposed Toll Roads

* Monday, May 10, 2004, 6:45 PM

* LBJ Auditorium in the LBJ Library, University of Texas - 2313 Red River - Dean Keeton (26th St) and Red River, just south of the Joe C. Thompson Center Auditorium
(Please note that the former meeting location was the Thompson Center Auditorium but that has now changed to the LBJ Auditorium at TxDOT's request to accommodate more guests.)

* For questions, please visit www.campotexas.org, e-mail campo@campotexas.org, or call 512.974.2275

* Comments can be submitted at the public hearing or by fax, mail, or e-mail until May 28

______________________________________
Tina Bui, Aide
Office of Council Member Daryl Slusher
PO BOX 1088
Austin, TX 78767
phone 512.974.2260
fax 512.974.3212
http://www.ci.austin.tx.us/council/slusher.htm

HELP!


I have an important electronic file that I need a PDF made of ASAP.

Please email me to help out and STOP the Wm Cannon overpass Toll.

imacsal@aol.com

A resident speaks out

I attended the tollway informational meeting at Circle C and was encouraged by the packed house of citizens, many of whom seemed skeptical if not downright angry about this tolling plan that suddenly appeared 3 weeks ago; it looks like an egregious violation of public trust to charge tolls on projects already paid for with tax dollars, and it doesn't seem fair to toll long delayed roads like US183 in East Austin! The Regional Mobility Authority claims the toll rate would be about 15 cents per mile, but apparently there?’s a 50 cent minimum; that?’s what it would cost you to drive over Wm. Cannon on the section of Mopac under construction: for commuters, that's $250 a year to use ONE $4 million overpass! If your car gets 20MPG and you drive 20 miles to work, you pay 38.4 cents per leg or $192 a year in gas tax.

The huge costs in this pIan concerned me when I looked at the proposed changes on CAMPO?’s website: $43 million extra cost just to add tolls to the present construction on South Mopac, East Ben White and US183 east of I35! For just 7 miles of new road, this averages to $6 million a mile. Include all new sections of US290, SH71, US183 and Loop360 proposed for tolling---about 40 miles---this adds up to $240 million for toll equipment! Is it worth spending this much just to collect $161 million available locally for tolled projects? Also, the present projects?’ average cost is less than $15 million per mile (not including any direct connect ramps, a Colorado River bridge or right of way costs), but the new tolled planned segments average over $40 million per mile! The 7 mile segment of US290 East alone is billed at $400 million!

My last concern is with the pledge that no existing freeway lanes or overpasses will be tolled in this plan; the CTRMA has not yet posted any maps showing the toll station locations. In one instance each (under Parmer Ln.) on SH45 North/620 and Mopac north, this pledge WILL be violated on present tollway projects. Mr. Daigh of TxDoT promised at the meeting that the Mopac main lanes over US290 would not be tolled; but what about the 5 existing interchanges on Loop360 and US183 in East Austin?

I feel the public needs a lot more information before any decision should be made on this plan; anyone who shares these concerns should attend the CAMPO hearing on Monday (May 10th, 6:30PM at the LBJ Auditorium) or submit written comments to CAMPO!

Kevin R. Gray
fitzhugh.valley@juno.com