Tollways Would Borrow From Peter to Pay Paul
- Share via
The sad saga of the San Joaquin Hills toll road goes on and on. When opponents fought its construction, they said it would be a road for the rich and not many others would use it. Guess what? For the last six years the 73 has brought in less than half of the projected revenue. The bonds are near junk status. The public will pick up the tab if it defaults. As we all know, the Transportation Corridor Agencies are in the business of building toll roads, solvent or not. They will not quit easily.
The latest scheme the TCA has cooked up to bolster the ailing 73 toll road is to merge that road’s agency with that of the 241 Foothill Eastern toll road, borrowing from Peter to pay Paul.
Never mind that the southern extension of the 241, at an estimated cost of $900 million, is the most expensive per-mile component of the toll road system.
Add to this shell game the fact that a good part of the TCA’s revenue comes from development impact fees, and we have a recipe for disastrous development in south Orange County. The southern extension of the 241 will bring more congestion, negating any benefit from its construction.
The TCA is a quasi-governmental agency that prefers to operate in the shadows. The harsh light of fiscal responsibility is something they don’t want. The people of Orange County do not deserve to have the last bit of open space squandered by an inept company’s desire for profit.
John Pfeffer
Laguna Beach
Sign up for Essential California
The most important California stories and recommendations in your inbox every morning.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
