Tag Archives: HCTRA

The death of bad bills is always worth celebrating

Posted on May 31, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Good, good, good. A handful of bills that would have stopped local governments from enacting their transportation priorities and hamstrung local transit efforts are likely dead. The measures failed to pass before key deadlines as the legislative session draws to … Continue reading →

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How much does Houston want to piss off its neighbors?

Posted on April 28, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

This is me, shaking my head. A proposal to cut Houston in on revenue generated through the county’s toll roads is threatening the city’s relationship with county officials and neighboring jurisdictions. The legislation making its way through both the Texas House … Continue reading →

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Houston’s bridges are not falling down

Posted on April 21, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

But an assessment to see how they’d do in the event a ship crashed into them would be a good idea. Some Houston area bridges are among those that a new report says should be evaluated to determine whether they’re … Continue reading →

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Taking from Harris to give to Houston

Posted on April 13, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

This story from Tuesday perplexed me a little at first. Harris County would have to turn over tens of millions in toll road dollars to the city of Houston for use on public safety and emergency services under a bill … Continue reading →

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Hardy Toll Road connector approved

Posted on March 29, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

It’s a very different project than what was first proposed. A planned extension of the Hardy Toll Road through the Near Northside into downtown Houston will proceed, but with various community-driven design elements. Harris County Commissioners on Tuesday approved a … Continue reading →

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The Hardy Toll Road Connector is back

Posted on March 21, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

This has been in the works for a long time. The plan for the Hardy-Downtown Connector began in earnest in 2003, but the project stalled for many years due to budget concerns. The basic plan is a four-lane highway that … Continue reading →

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Yes, you can use toll road funds for non-road projects

Posted on May 13, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

Who knew? Surplus revenues from Harris County’s toll road system for years have paid for improvements to nearby roads and infused funds into street rebuilds around the county. Now, the Harris County Toll Road Authority is about to go off-road. … Continue reading →

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Let’s try again to fix that flood bond deficit

Posted on July 1, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Hope this works. Harris County on Tuesday [unveiled] a new plan to address a funding gap for its flood bond program, which will rely more heavily on diverted toll road revenue instead of federal aid that may never arrive. The … Continue reading →

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Commissioners Court partially fills the flood bond funding gap

Posted on May 1, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Good. Harris County Commissioners Court took initial steps this week to plug a $1.4 billion funding hole for its flood bond program by diverting revenue from the county’s toll roads system. Court members also laid out a “backstop” plan to … Continue reading →

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Flooding affects toll roads, too.

Posted on September 21, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

This makes sense to me. Commissioners Court on Tuesday voted to create a local government corporation to manage Harris County’s toll road system in a move expected to provide a windfall to county coffers and allow surplus toll collections to … Continue reading →

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We could be getting to the end of 290 construction

Posted on January 5, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

By the end of the year. We think. Most major construction along the main lanes of U.S. 290 will end in 2018. Every new wide lane open. Every bridge built. Eleven lanes, including a reversible HOV lane, from Loop 610 … Continue reading →

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Lamenting the lost rail opportunity

Posted on December 11, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

What could have been. Harris County Judge Ed Emmett’s speech Tuesday may have included jabs at state lawmakers, but it was a hit with transit advocates for a single line. “We cannot go back in time and undo some poor … Continue reading →

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Remember the Katy Prairie

Posted on August 31, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

From the four things we could have done differently to maybe mitigate some of the worst effects of Harvey: Preserve and restore as much prairie land as possible Much of northwest Houston used to be covered in prairie land, where … Continue reading →

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From the “we don’t want those people coming here” files

Posted on July 30, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Stay classy, Spring. The headline wasn’t subtle: “Stop Metro from coming to Spring.” The article,published July 15 on the website Spring Happenings, warned that bus service would “give criminals an easy way in and out” of the north Harris County … Continue reading →

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Metro and HCTRA exploring other payment options

Posted on December 31, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Look for them soon. Many transit riders are clamoring for smartphone payment for Metro buses and trains, which the agency originally announced would be ready by the end of 2015. Those plans have been delayed because of contract negotiations, but … Continue reading →

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Now how much would you pay to drive on that toll road?

Posted on May 27, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

How about ten bucks each way at peak times, beginning on May 30? Toll rates on the I-10 lanes, also known as the Katy Managed Lanes, will increase as officials seek to ease congestion by reducing use of the lanes … Continue reading →

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City and county make a deal on airport toll road revenues

Posted on September 8, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Good. After two years of negotiations, the Houston City Council approved an agreement Wednesday that provides toll revenue from the airport connector to the city for the first time – 24.5 percent, to be precise. Officials at Harris County, which … Continue reading →

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But was it worth it?

Posted on October 18, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

No doubt that traffic on the Katy Freeway moves a lot more smoothly now than it used to. But there’s a lot more to the question of whether the $2.8 billion that was spent to widen it was a good … Continue reading →

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Toll hike

Posted on July 17, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

I have three things to say about this. Starting in September, that jaunt on a Harris County toll road might save you time, but it won’t spare your change. Unless Commissioners Court intervenes, rates at main-lane toll plazas on the … Continue reading →

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More on the 288 to Medical Center connector

Posted on June 21, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

The more I hear about this idea, the worse it sounds. A proposal to build a highway connector between Texas 288 and the Texas Medical Center via North MacGregor Way has drawn criticism. Among those opposed to the flyover is … Continue reading →

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Tomorrow’s traffic jams are being planned today

Posted on April 10, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

I have two things to say about this. Projects to widen U.S. 290 and Texas 288 with a mix of free and toll lanes in an attempt to ease congestion in the traffic-choked corridors would get a jump-start under a … Continue reading →

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Tomball toll road

Posted on January 27, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

They want a toll road in Tomball, and they’re probably going to get it. The Harris County Toll Road Authority is asking that it be allowed to look at State Highway 249, also known as Tomball Parkway, to see whether … Continue reading →

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Here come the HOT lanes

Posted on January 14, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

Those of you who commute from the ‘burbs into the central core will have new options for how to get there, if you don’t mind spending a few bucks. Solo drivers willing to pay extra to breeze through heavy traffic … Continue reading →

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HuffPo on the Grand Parkway

Posted on September 14, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

The Huffington Post take a look at that great boondoggle in northwest Harris County, the Grand Parkway Segment E extension from I-10 to 290. Texas faces a transportation funding gap of $315 billion over the next 20 years, according to … Continue reading →

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Let’s share that toll road revenue

Posted on August 28, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Have you ever taken the toll road connector from the Hardy Toll Road to IAH? I have, many times. Being able to bypass the traffic on Beltway 8 and JFK Boulevard makes it worthwhile for me to take the Hardy … Continue reading →

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Hardy Toll Road extension gets final OK

Posted on August 25, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

After many years of planning, a project to extend the Hardy Toll Road all the way into downtown is finally headed to the drawing board. The Harris County Toll Road Authority is seeking the court’s permission to begin final negotiations … Continue reading →

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Who wants to help build the Grand Parkway?

Posted on July 6, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

The State of Texas wants to know. The Texas Department of Transportation, which has responsibility for the parkway in Harris, Montgomery and Chambers Counties, is moving toward use of a public-private partnership to get faster funding for the multibillion-dollar, 184-mile … Continue reading →

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Harris County hands the Grand Parkway back to the state

Posted on January 14, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Commissioners Court wants TxDOT to take over construction of the Grand Parkway. Harris County took control of the project about 15 months ago in the belief that the Texas Department of Transportation did not have the money to build it, … Continue reading →

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Full fees ahead

Posted on July 27, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

The cost of doing business for Harris County keeps going up. Rising credit card fees have increased that portion of the county government’s banking bill by $1.7 million in two years. In the year that ended in February, the county … Continue reading →

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Harris County CIP will ignore Hempstead managed lanes

Posted on June 21, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

Earlier this month, I blogged about the status of the US 290 expansion, for which TxDOT’s plan rested on the assumption that the Harris County Toll Road Authority would go forth with the construction of managed lanes along Hempstead Highway. … Continue reading →

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The 290 FEIS

Posted on May 24, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

The prep work for the expansion/overhaul of US290 is entering its final stages. The Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) for the proposed transportation improvements on the US 290/Hempstead Corridor is now available for review. The proposed US 290 Program Corridor … Continue reading →

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Why was EZ Tag airport parking so expensive to operate?

Posted on February 6, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

As we know, the program that allows people with EZ Tags in their cars to use them to pay for parking at the airports is going to be shut down because it was losing money. This Chron article that examines … Continue reading →

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No more EZ Tag parking at the airport

Posted on January 13, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

As you probably knew, if you had an EZ Tag in your car you could use it to pay for parking at IAH. But not any more, as Commissioners Court will shut it down. The program provides special lines at … Continue reading →

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City not paying toll road fines

Posted on October 31, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Oops. The city has avoided paying county toll road fines using a defense it does not want motorists to use when contesting red-light camera violations. […] A city finance official claimed the toll fines are owed by the individual employees … Continue reading →

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