Texas to lower speed limit on Interstate 35 in order to push traffic to private toll road

[kurth]

Slower I-35 helps TxDOT in tollway deal
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Tuesday, November 06, 2007

The state's deal with private contractors to build and operate a toll road from Austin to Seguin would reward the state for lowering the speed limit on Interstate 35.

The state's privatization contract with Cintra-Zachry for the 40-mile stretch of Texas 130, which will run parallel to I-35, includes the option for the state to lower the amount of money that it could have to pay the toll operator in the future by taking measures to push traffic from free state roads to Texas 130. That includes by lowering I-35 speed limits, the San Antonio Express-News reported Monday.

The state signed the Texas 130 deal in March with a consortium made up of Cintra of Spain and Zachry Construction Corp. of San Antonio.

Under the deal, Cintra-Zachry will finance, build and operate the $1.3 billion tollway in the hope of eventually turning a profit.

http://www.statesman.com/news/content/news/stories/local/11/06/1106tolls.html

[GOPisEvil]

1. Your headline is a bit misleading.

TXDot states in the article that there are no plans to reduce the speed limit on IH-35.

Now, I do agree that this is a STUPID thing to promise to do, but it hasn't been done. Yet.

[tammywammy]

2. The article says they're NOT lowering the speed limit

"But a spokeswoman for the Texas Department of Transportation said the agency won't do that, even for financial gain.

"We don't expect to be reducing speed limits on I-35," spokeswoman Gaby Garcia said. "They are set by traffic engineering studies and not by economic gain.""