The neighborhood where residents cannot leave or enter without paying a toll – Jalopnik

When buying a home, you expect that certain ongoing costs, such as the mortgage, property taxes, and possibly fees, will make for a terrible HOA. One expense that most homeowners don’t have is tolls for driving in and out of the neighborhood. That’s exactly the situation residents of Creekland Village near Cypress, Texas, have found themselves in, reports say KHOU.

The only way in and out of the neighborhood is State Highway 99, also known as the Grand Parkwaya tolled partial beltway around much of the ever-expanding greater Houston area. Neighborhoods like Creekland Village are part of that expansion and just opened in 2023, according to the newspaper Houston Chronicle. It is located along segment E of the Grand Parkway, which opened to traffic a decade earlier in 2013, according to the Texas Department of Transportation. Texas has an obsession with seemingly endless roads, but they don’t exist in the Creekland Village area, leaving the turnpike as the only way in or out.

It’s easy to blame the residents who bought their homes there. There is an argument that they should have done their research and known what they were getting into. On the other hand, residents claim that the development company never discussed the toll situation before purchasing their homes.

Nestled in one of the Houston region’s fastest-growing corridors near US 290, Creekland Village in Bridgeland offers an easy commute to regional hotspots for employment and entertainment.

Although the community is located just two miles south of the toll-free US 290, there’s no way to get there without taking the Grand Parkway toll road. Early residents say there was initially no toll, but residents later had to pay 56 cents every time they entered or left their neighborhood. It may not be the most expensive highway to drive on, but it adds up quickly.

Residents have complained to the various companies and government agencies involved, hoping for some relief from the constant tolls. It seems like one person is pointing the finger at the other, while little is being resolved in the process. Texas DOT told KHOU that the district was built after the tolled Grand Highway was the only access point, and that it is up to third parties to build frontage roads. The Precinct 4 County Commissioner says he is working with the developer to address the concerns. Howard Hughes Holdings, Inc. KHOU issued the following statement:

“They recognize residents’ input and are working with state and local partners to address the concerns. These efforts will continue in coordination with community stakeholders,” the statement said.

It seems to me that an easy solution would be to waive, or at least significantly reduce, the toll fee for Texas toll tags registered to addresses in Creekland Village to get in and out of their neighborhoods. But that would eliminate the captive audience for toll revenue, which Texas DOT must have known would be the case when the neighborhood was built. It is possible that this arrangement is not a bug, but a feature.