Advocate says agency is lying to taxpayers.
Truckers driving through Austin will receive reduced toll road rates as an incentive to ease congestion on I-35.
TxDOT says the SH-130 Concession Company is underwriting the pilot program with a $100 million check.
"That payment that they made is going to be utilized to make up for revenue that will be lost during this discount period," TxDOT's Mark Cross tells KTRH News.
However, Terri Hall with the group Texans Uniting for Reform and Freedom calls that a flat out lie.
"Almost half of it went to a project at 46 and I-10 in Sequin, and the rest is going to build another toll road at Highway 71 and the airport in Austin," says Hall.
"They have something in their press release that admits that this pilot program has to end at some point because they don't have the money to cover the debt if they keep giving this discount to trucks," she says.
Hall says not only is the reduced rate unfair to other drivers, but taxpayers will be on the hook for future repairs because of the increased truck traffic on Austin toll roads.
