FREE PLUG:IBTTA in Houston

The International Bridge Tunnel and Turnpike Association (IBTTA) the tollsters trade group has its annual conference in Houston TX this year, and we volunteer this plug for the conference. IBTTA’s annual conference is a great opportunity to meet the people most involved in toll projects around the world, pick up odd literature and hear presentations and see exhibits. It is usually attended by about 600 people. Houston’s a humid steambath of a place to be this time of the year, but by the time of the IBTTA meeting in the fall should be quite pleasant. Houston has recently become a major center of tolling, thanks to the success of the Harris Co Toll Road Auth. A number of other toll projects are under study. There’s local toll stuff to tour and see. It is the one real city in America that has eschewed the leftist nonsenses of land use zoning and rail transit and is eminently diverse, liveable and affordable as a result. It has one of the world’s most complete and best flowing highway networks for a city of 4m. Unlike Dallas which was built on dusty cow paddocks, Houston was built on coastal forest and has lots of trees. See www.ibtta.org or email schuster@ibtta.org tel 202 659 4620

WTA or WASIHIBATO

The idea of a new name for IBTTA “World Toll Association” has been shelved for now. We thought it was a good idea but that wasn’t enough. Apparently most IBTTA members were pretty indifferent but a small outspoken group of members said something like “tolls are what we use, but not what we are” and did not want the name to emphasize ‘toll’. They see themselves as being independent self-financing bridge, tunnel and highway operators so perhaps the trade group should be the World ASsociation of Independent HIghway Bridge And Tunnel Operators (WASIHIBATO).

Sounds Japanese eh?

Nothing wrong with that but we have to mightily protest at the campaign against the word ‘toll.’ Like all those great 4-letter anglo-saxon words ‘toll’ is under assault from the spinmeistering conmen, the pompous prevaricators and assorted longwinded mumblers. It’s a shame. So no jails any more but correctional institutions. And down my street, where I take my aluminum cans or buy old rebar, it is no longer “Reliable Junk,” as previously indicated by a handpainted but perfectly readable sign. This week I noticed that tail-chasing-dog recycle logo.had appeared and then an awful new boring bureaucratic business sign in neat green lettering which announces “Reliable Recyling Center”.

We need to form an Association in Defense of Four Letter Words — ASS4?