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I)allasNews.com
City leaders at odds over tolls on Highway 121
Collin County: Study of plan's feasibility discussed at workshop
10:14 PM CDT on Wednesday, May 25, 2005
By TONY HARTZEL / The Dallas Morning News
McK1NNEY - Tolls on State Highway 121 would raise hundreds of millions of dollars for Collin
County road projects, but many local leaders continued to differ Wednesday on the proposal's merits.
A Collin County Commissioners' Court toll road workshop drew dozens of
participants to a jury room annex at the Collin County Courthouse.
Commissioners did not take public comments because the meeting was not a
public hearing, but about 50 residents attended to get more information.
"They've done a lot of talking about how much money this road will make,
but they haven't looked at the impact on citizens," said Randy Jennings,
founder of stop 121 tolls.com.
Council study
Members of the Piano, Frisco, Allen and McKinney city councils also
attended. Together, they reviewed a recently issued Highway 121 toll road
feasibility report from the North Central Texas Council of Governments.
The report shows:
JUAN GARCIA/DMN
Traffic is heavy on State
Highway 121 at Preston
Road. A feasibility report
from the North Central
Texas Council of
Governments says a toll
road could be built by
2010 at a cost of $381
million.
· Tolls could raise $381 million in bond revenue for immediate road projects. An estimate presented
Wednesday put the cost at $310 million to build Highway 12 l's main lanes and major parts of
intemhanges at the Dallas North Tollway and Central Expressway.
· The toll road could open by 2010. Tolls could be set at either 15 cents a mile or 25 cents a mile, and
would be charged from the Tollway to Central or from Hillcrest Road to Central. The most-discussed
option, 15 cents per mile from the Tollway to Central, would cost motorists $1.70 per trip.
· Tolls could raise an additional $7 million to $10 million a year after paying bond market obligations.
Those figures could jump to $20 million a year in 20 years and $50 million a year in 30 years.
The numbers didn't change the minds of the McKinney and Frisco leaders who stood their ground on
their original positions Wednesday night.
Frisco Mayor Mike Simpson said he will continue to push for tolls only on the Highway 121 portion
east of Hillcrest Road.
"I don't think it changed my mind personally," he said.
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McKinney Mayor Bill Whitfield said he was encouraged by the public discussion.
"Whatever length of time the process time takes, that's fine," he said. "I don't know if you can find five
people in McKinney who are opposed to it."
If tolls are approved, any excess revenue could be split among the four cities and Collin County to help
pay for other projects. An exact formula has not been determined but could be based on the road's
estimated use by drivers in each city that abuts the highway.
Other projects
Some local leaders say they are tom on the idea of imposing tolls because they are not expected to
generate a large amount of money to build projects other than along State Highway 121.
Others have encouraged officials and commuters to consider the long-term benefit of having a toll road
that could raise millions of dollars a year for road projects in a county that is expected to increase in
population by 600,000 people in 25 years. In comparison, Highway 121 might not be completed as a
regular highway for at least 15 years or as long as 32 years, according to state estimates.
Tolls could be approved or rejected within several months.
During Wednesday night's meeting, the Collin County Commissioners Court scheduled another
workshop on the matter. It will be held in about six weeks.
City Councils in Piano, Frisco and Allen, which have had past briefings on the issue, also are expected
to schedule public hearings and formal votes for or against tolls. Those decisions must be made by Aug.
15, according to state officials. The McKinney City Council voted last summer to support tolls along
State Highway 121 but could hold additional public discussion soon.
Local leaders have said the project probably would not go forward if one city or the county objects.
Although regional leaders say they need a unanimous decision for tolls, Mr. Simpson remains leery of
that requirement changing.
"The question is, will everyone still think it has to be unanimous," he said. "I hope we can find a
resolution showing that all four cities are working together, and more importantly, all four cities can
come up with something they can live with."
Added Mr. Whitfield: "I'm sure everyone will be able to come to some conclusion. And that's fine.
Whether it's positive or negative, I can't say."
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