By building toll roads, aren Central Texans being “double taxed?
No, for two reasons: • Tolls are not a tax. Taxes are mandatory; everyone pays them, whether or not they use the services those taxes support. Everyone who drives pays gasoline taxes, regardless of what roads they drive on. Tolls are voluntary; they’re paid only by people who choose to use specific toll roads and lanes. Tolls are no different than the user fees charged for public transit, public parks and public parking facilities. • There is no “double” tax. Every major road project in Central Texas is part of a regional transportation network that’s built and maintained with local, state and federal funds. Regardless of how those funds are allocated to individual projects, this whole network is far from being “paid for.” Tolls provide additional revenue to help the region build and maintain the road network it needs – and do so more quickly.