The Kansas Turnpike Authority already can seem as if it’s more private than public in its independent-minded operation of the state’s premier 236-mile tollway. But leasing or selling the turnpike seems a questionable idea, especially if privatization would demand higher tolls. And that was the conclusion of the unsolicited proposal received last week from Citigroup and Goldman Sachs. It deserves consideration, as would any idea with the potential to deliver the state an estimated $300 million to $3.1 billion. But if the state is ever to take this drastic step, it should expect the wrath of all those old enough to remember being promised the turnpike one day would be toll-free.
Posted by Rhonda Holman
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13 Comments
Orange County, California, opened a private tollway on the 91 freeway about 12 years ago. The cost increases have been constant, to the point where it is more than triple what it was when it first opened as the nation’s first privately operated toll way.
It is not ‘pay as you go’, you must have a pre-paid electronic device to use it. And, you are charged a minimum charge of $5 a month whether you use it or not.
It has not relieved congestion as promised, is not well maintained, and is a horribly bad example of private ownership/operation of toll ways.
My husband and I have traveled thousands of miles across this country, and the only place we have had to pay for the privilege of driving on the roads (other than a toll bridge or two) has been on the Kansas Turnpike! There’s got to be a better way to pay for highway maintenance. I think selling the turnpike to a private company is a horrible idea!
Gertie–
You have obviously missed the:Pennsylvania Turnpike, the NJ Tollway, the NY Thruway, the Chicago Beltway, the Florida Turnpike, the Massachusetts MassPike, etc., etc. There are many, many of them all over the country.
She missed Oklahoma! They have a bunch of turnpikes and they are privatly ran. But Oklahoma is a corrupt state, so it is not a good example for privatization.
We keep the turnpike in great condition, so I say, leave it as it is. It’s a cheap toll also.
I remember when the Turnpike was new. As a ten year old, I was so impressed by the restaurant/fuel plazas. Now I’m thinking about moving back to Kansas, but. . .hmmmmmm, seems to be an expensive place.
Sorry, Ray, most of our travels have been to Michigan and back — and the only toll road between here and there is the Kansas Turnpike. I realize there are other toll roads around the country. How many of them are run by private companies?
In the history of Kansas, its trails, railroads and highways tended to run from the northeast to the southwest.
The Santa Fe Trail left Westport, now in midtown Kansas City, to travel southwestward to Santa Fe, New Mexico. By a marvelous coincidence of nature, by traveling southwestward, the Santa Fe Trail was able to follow advantageous contours and ridge lines and avoid crossing large rivers including the Missouri and Arkansas rivers.
Later, the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railroad and Rock Island Railroad ran generally southwesterly. In one of the great geographical mistakes (for Wichita, that is), the Santa Fe Railroad’s main line was routed through Newton and Hutchinson rather than through Wichita. The Santa Fe did run a dogleg track south to Wichita.
The Rock Island Railroad ran its main Chicago to Los Angelos line southwesterly through Herington, Hutchinson, Pratt, Albuquerque and to El Paso, Texas in order to proceed west to California south of the Rocky Mountains in that warmer climate.
In the 1920 and 1930’s, developing highways tended to follow along side major railroad lines. Highways 50 and 56 followed the Santa Fe Railroad. Highway 54 in Kansas competed with Highway 66 in Oklahoma. Both traveled from Chicago to Albuquerque before Highway 54 turned southerly to El Paso. Highway 54 advertised on billboards back in the 1950’s that it was the “shortcut” road from Chicago to California. Highway 54 from Wichita westward followed and paralleled the Rock Island Railroad to El Paso, Texas.
Then in the late 1950’s and early 1960’s, Eisenhower’s Interstate Highway system came to Kansas and somehow clashed with the effort to build the Kansas Turnpike. What should have been a free interstate instead became a state sponsored, bond financed toll-road.
As stated by another blogger above, the Kansas Turnpike on balance probably has been good for Kansas over the past 45 years. It is generally maintained well and furnishes a good, picturesque route through the Kansas flinthills. The rates have generally been satisfactory over the years. We might not have had the well furnished reststops if the highway had been public.
However, the Kansas Turnpike planners made a terrible error back in the 1950’s. They routed the turnpike from Kansas City, Kansas via Lawrence, Topeka, Wichita and south to the Oklahoma border — thereby connecting Kansas largest population centers.
Some might remember that for several years, Oklahoma failed to connect its highways to that southern terminus of the Kansas Turnpike.
But, now, with 20-20 hindsight, in my opinion, Kansas Turnpike planners back in the 1950’s should have routed the Kansas turnpike around Wichita on the north side about halfway between Wichita and Newton and continued southwestward perhaps along Highway 50, crossing US 281 about halfway between Pratt and Great Bend, crossed the Arkansas River at Kinsley and then southwestward near Dodge City and out of Kansas near Liberal into the Oklahoma and Texas panhandles.
This would have earned Kansas millions of dollars in turnpike fees over the last 45 years and earned even more millions in gasoline sales taxes especially from the thousands of 18-wheelers that traverse Kansas everyday.
Anybody agree or disagree?
JWink,Excellent post.
Having traveled through the panhandle on many occasion, I would have welcomed a toll road in order to bypass the many towns along the way. It would have saved me at least 2 hours driving time, and many headaches from the two lane roads and it’s drivers. It would have been a boon to the state.
JWink I respectfully disagree!
The only toll road I know for a fact that is privately owned is the one on Hwy 91 in Orange County, CA. There could be more, I don’t know, but I do know about that one.
It is an abysmal failure..rates have tripled, congestion has not decreased, commute time is just as long, and maintenance is lacking.
I remember when they told us the turnpike would be paid off in 30 yrs. I agree keeping it a toll road provides many jobs in Kansas and it is usually in good shape, but turning it over to a private company will hurt us all. They will want to make a profit and the roads will suffer as well as the rest of us Kansans.
My feeling on toll roads is,if you do not want to pay to travel the turnpike,do not travel it.Buy a map and make alternate plans.No one forces you to take that route.
I’m from New Jersey and I can tell you first hand that toll roads are horrible abominations of a highway (NY State Taxway, Garden State Porkway, NJ Turnpork, every bridge from NJ to any other state, etc). Tolls are a big waste and if you commute to work on a toll road you pay thousands of dollars a year. The only thing more expensive than maintaining a highway is maintaining a highway, hundreds of toll collectors, several six-figure executives, and rest areas, etc. The northeast is a horrible place to have to drive…if you have to go there, make sure your wallet is full (it won’t be by the time you’re done). The earlier poster who said she’s never been there is lucky!