Jan 18, 2006 11:05 pm US/Central
Bumpy Road For North Texas Tollway Authority
by Jack Fink
DALLAS (CBS 11 News) ―
A political feud over north Texas toll roads is dividing local leaders. Now, the North Texas Tollway Authority chairman is trying to restore calm after a dispute that could lead to the Authority's breakup.
The four counties, Dallas, Collin, Tarrant, and Denton created the Tollway Authority in 1997 to operate the area's toll roads. Now, Authority board members worry it could be dissolved.
That is a bold move considering toll roads are now the only highways being built in Texas. The reason - the state only has enough gas tax revenues to maintain existing highways.
One day after Dallas County leaders threatened to pull out of the North Texas Tollway Authority, the chairman of the tollway board said the move would be a mistake.
"Pulling out of this is not the way to go... destroying this agency is not the way to go," said David Blair, Tollway Authority chairman.
The split with the four counties re-directed a tollway planning meeting Wednesday.
On Tuesday, Judge Margaret Keliher called for Dallas, Collin, Denton, and Tarrant counties to use the Tollway Authority to build and operate future toll roads in the region.
The Authority now faces competition from the private sector.
If the counties can't agree Keliher said Dallas County could pull out of the agency and that could be a fatal blow.
That was a chilling threat to the tollway board. "Getting these core counties to come together and on the same sheet of music is what we need to do," said Alan Sims, Tollway Authority board member.
Last month, the Tollway Authority voted to spread out the cost of the Southwest Parkway toll road.
Dallas and Collin counties think Tarrant County residents should pay more of the cost for the Fort Worth toll road.
"It was our own action that helped create the dissension among the four counties. The fuse has been lit," said Collin County board member Paul Wageman.
It's unclear what would happen to the existing and planned toll roads if Dallas County decided to leave the Tollway Authority. One tollway board said, 'it would be chaos.
Collin, Tarrant, and Denton counties want the Authority to remain in place.
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