Commutes are never fun for anyone, especially here in Houston. There is the insane traffic, low-IQ drivers, and worst of all, tolls. The tolls have gotten out of control in Houston, and are making things tougher on people, who are already struggling. The toll roads in Houston have increased in price, and become more prevalent, as the years have ticked. Now, they have helped make Houston the most expensive city for commuters in the state, according to the study from Mercury Insurance.
The traveling to and from work for Houstonians is costing people $4,864 per year, equating to about 6.7 percent of their income. That makes it the highest in Texas, and the fourth most in the entire United States.
Terri Hall from Texans for Toll Free Highways says this rampant unaffordability signifies a larger concern.
"We are now making our urban areas so unaffordable and hostile to working families that it is going to start shrinking our economy, not growing it," she says.
The only cities ahead of Houston in terms of expense are New York and San Diego. But commute is not just about the cost. Precious time gets eaten away sitting in traffic. On average, Houstonians drive about 31 minutes to their jobs and back. That is money just lost by sitting in the car.
Hall adds there is a bill in Austin this legislative session that would address the issue. In short, the bill would force the removal of tolls when their debt is paid off. Some of these toll roads are making more profit than ever and should have their debts paid off already.
But that profit is too pretty to just leave sitting there untouched, especially for politicians.
"This becomes a slush fund...that then takes your toll money on road A and allows our elected officials to use them on road B or C...or worse, spend it on something that has absolutely nothing to do with the toll roads," says Hall.
For most families, transportation is the only thing lower than mortgage and healthcare costs. All so their hard-earned money can be a little pot of free money for other people. That is something lawmakers in Austin need to address quickly.
Hopefully, if they do, slashing back on the ridiculous tolls will help make freeways free again, and make Texas more Texas again.
"We are supposed to be this shining beacon of this pro family, pro taxpayer state...but urban areas are increasingly not a reflection of that," Hall says.
The cost of tolls will surely only go up, as more and more people are told to return to the office. It is up to Austin to bring some form of relief.
The city with the lowest commute cost? That would be Cardon City, Nevada, with an annual commute cost of $871 a year.
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