2015 Ed u cation a l Se r i e s
Toll Roads
Toll Roads
State Highway 130, Guadalupe County
OVERVIEW
Expanding the state road system
to enhance mobility faces a major
hurdle — funding. Highways in Texas
have traditionally been funded
with motor fuel taxes and vehicle
registration fees. However, state and
federal taxes no longer generate
enough money to keep pace with
the cost of building new roads and
upgrading and maintaining existing
ones. In fact, the majority of the 38
cents per gallon in state and federal
gas taxes that motorists now pay at
the pump is used to maintain the
more than 80,000 miles of state
highways. Transportation officials
and policymakers recognize that
traditional transportation funding
methods in Texas have left a large gap
between what is available and what is
necessary to address transportation
challenges. Over the years, the
Texas Legislature has enacted laws
that provide opportunities for the
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Texas Department of Transportation
(TxDOT) to fill that gap, and
department staff has been active in
pursuing these options.
With direction from the Texas
Legislature, one option pursued
by TxDOT and its transportation
partners is the construction of toll
roads. TxDOT utilizes both traditional
methods and public-private
partnerships to deliver these toll
roads.
Toll Roads
Tolling provides a way to build
roads and relieve traffic congestion
faster, because funds are borrowed
up front instead of waiting for
traditional funding from gas taxes and
registration fees to become available.
TxDOT’s network of toll roads across
the state provides Texans with more
choices to get where they want and
need to travel. These roads help
drivers bypass traffic congestion and
provide capacity for future growth.
Toll roads also have the advantage of
charging only those drivers who use
the road.
Texas toll roads are operated by
various governmentally authorized
entities, including state, regional and
county toll authorities. TxDOT is the
sole statewide toll authority, and its
network of toll roads includes the
Central Texas Turnpike System (CTTS)
around Austin, the Camino Columbia
(SH 255) near Laredo, and several
segments of the Grand Parkway
(SH 99) in Harris, Montgomery
and Chambers Counties, which
will eventually form a loop around
Houston.
Managed Lanes
Managed lanes are highway
facilities or lanes whose operation
is modified in response to changing
Educational Series: Toll Roads
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Toll Roads Operated by TxDOT
Map includes only toll roads operated and maintained by TxDOT. For a list of other toll road facilities in the state, see pages 6-7.
Educational Series: Toll Roads
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traffic conditions. Managed lanes
operate as an “expressway-withinan-expressway,” separated from the
general-purpose lanes. Examples
include high-occupancy vehicle
(HOV) lanes, value-priced lanes,
high-occupancy toll (HOT) lanes or
exclusive or special use lanes. Since
each of these concepts offers unique
benefits, careful consideration is
given to project goals and objectives
in choosing an appropriate lane
management strategy or combination
of strategies. Project goals may
include increasing transit use,
providing choices to the traveler or
generating revenue.
TOLL ROAD OPERATIONS
TxDOT oversees toll collection
operating system services for certain
toll roads. This includes TxTag
marketing, TxTag web support, toll
collection systems integration, cash
collections, back office operations,
customer service center operations,
regional mobility authority (RMA)
operational support and toll
management systems contracting and
installations.
The Toll Operations Division of TxDOT
is responsible for the oversight of
six functional areas that support toll
operations and the toll network:
• Customer Service and Marketing
• Project Development
• System Administration
• Revenue Collection
• Quality Assurance
• Toll Operations
Customer Service
TxTag’s Customer Service Centers
communicate with customers to
establish and maintain accounts
and receive payments, as well as
answer questions and concerns
regarding TxDOT’s toll facilities and
toll collections process. The functions
that support these efforts include
the inventory and distribution of
TxTags; receiving, processing and
reconciling TxTag and Pay By Mail
transactions; receiving and posting
account payments; interoperable
reciprocity with other toll operations
in Texas; and violations processing and
reconciliation.
An essential component of this
communication process is providing
timely information to customers,
investors, communities and
organizational entities (both internal
and external). TxDOT’s information
processes focus on three areas:
• TxTag branding
• Project public education and
outreach
• Internal communications among
TxDOT employees
System Administration
TxDOT’s toll systems are managed
by two separate private-sector
contractors that manage the
technology infrastructure (voice
and data networks), as well as the
toll collection and customer service
systems for TxDOT-operated toll roads.
Toll 49, Smith County
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The Toll Management
System contractor
provides in-lane vehicle
classification, toll
collection, violation
imaging and video
auditing components.
The Customer Service
Center System
contractor manages
the TxTag customer
accounts and TxTag
inventory. This
system also serves
as a consolidation
point where other
systems and agencies,
including banks,
collection agencies and
other toll agencies,
interface. These
vendors manage all new
Educational Series: Toll Roads
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enhancement features,
system development,
maintenance and
security.
DFW Connector, Grapevine
Revenue Collections
Revenue collection
efforts of focus on
maximizing payment
collections and
minimizing unpaid
tolls. These operations
include reconciling
transactions, reporting
revenue collections
data, and accounting
for the toll payments
collected and processed
under interoperability
agreements with other
toll authorities.
CONCLUSION
Transportation is the backbone of
a healthy economy, and the two
enjoy a symbiotic relationship.
Without an efficient, reliable and safe
infrastructure system, goods cannot
be delivered on time and employees
are stuck in traffic, thereby decreasing
productivity. As Texas continues to
experience exponential population
growth, demand on the system will
only increase. Businesses will be
making decisions about whether to
locate to Texas or remain here based
on how well their products and
employees can move on the state’s
roadways. These are inevitabilities.
Educational Series: Toll Roads
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The agency can now look back
on a growing list of successfully
implemented toll roads in Texas. The
members of the Texas Transportation
Commission and TxDOT look forward
to working with the Texas Legislature
and local communities on this issue in
the future.
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Toll Roads and Toll Bridges in Texas
There are four types of tolling authorities allowable
by current statute: state highway toll projects (TxDOT
projects, Transportation Code Chapter 228); regional toll
authorities, such as NTTA (Transportation Code, Chapter
366); county toll authorities, such as Harris County Toll
Road Authority, (Transportation Code, Chapter 284); and
regional mobility authorities (RMAs), such as the Central
Texas RMA, (Transportation Code, Chapter 370).
Statewide Toll Authorities
TxDOT is the only statewide tolling authority.
Facilities currently operated by TxDOT:
•The Central Texas Turnpike System (CTTS), Austin metro
area:
▫▫ LP 1 N
▫▫ SH 45 N
▫▫ SH 130 Segments 1-4
▫▫ SH 45 SE
•Camino Columbia (SH 255), Laredo
•Grand Parkway (SH 99), Chambers and Harris Counties
Facilities currently under construction to be
operated by TxDOT or by private contract for
TxDOT:
•North Tarrant Express (I-820/SH 183) managed lanes
•LBJ Freeway (I-635) managed lanes
•I-35E managed lanes
Regional Mobility Authorities (RMA)
(Transportation Code, Chapter 370):
1. Alamo RMA
2. Cameron County RMA
•Spur 550/511
3. Camino Real RMA
•Cesar Chavez Express
4. Central Texas RMA
•183A
•U.S. 290 East & U.S. 290/US 183 Interchange
•MoPac Improvement Project
5. Grayson County RMA
6. Hidalgo County RMA
7. Northeast Texas RMA
•Toll 49
8. Sulphur River RMA
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Regional Toll Authorities (RTA)
(Transportation Code, Chapter 366):
The North Texas Tollway Authority is the only RTA in the
state. Its tollways are:
•Sam Rayburn Tollway (SH 121)
•Dallas North Tollway •President George Bush Turnpike (SH 161)
•DFW Connector (SH 121/SH 114)
•Lewisville Lake Bridge •Mountain Creek Lake Toll Bridge •Addison Airport Toll Tunnel
•Chisholm Trail Parkway
County Toll Authorities (Transportation
Code, Chapter 284):
1. Harris County Toll Road Authority (HCTRA) tollways are:
•Katy (I-10) Managed Lanes
•Sam Houston Tollway
•Westpark Tollway
•Hardy Toll Road
•Sam Houston Tollway Ship Channel Bridge
2. Brazoria County Toll Road Authority (BCTRA)
3. Chambers County Toll Road Authority (ChCTRA)
4. Collin County Toll Road Authority (CoCTRA)
5. Fort Bend County Toll Road Authority (FBCTRA) •Fort Bend Parkway Toll Road
•Westpark Tollway
•Grand Parkway, Fort Bend County
6. Liberty County Toll Road Authority (LCTRA)
7. Montgomery County Toll Road Authority (MCTRA)
8. Waller County Transportation Authority (WCTA)
Ferries and Certain Toll Bridges
(Transportation Code, Chapter 342):
•Los Ebanos Ferry (privately owned)
County Toll Bridges (Transportation Code,
Chapter 363):
There are no bridges operating under this chapter.
Toll Bridges in Counties Bordering the Rio
Grande (Transportation Code, Chapter 364):
•Cameron County (three bridges, one in joint ownership
Educational Series: Toll Roads
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with the City of Brownsville: Gateway, Free Trade and
Veteran’s International bridges)
•Starr County (two Bridges, one in joint ownership with
Camargo Bridge Company: Roma – Ciudad Migel Aleman,
Rio Grande City – Camargo bridges)
Road Districts (Transportation Code, Ch. 365):
•Galveston County Road District #1 (1 bridge: San Louis –
Vacek Pass Bridge)
Municipal Toll Bridges over the Rio Grande
(Transportation Code, Chapter 367):
1. City of Pharr
•Pharr-Reynosa Bridge
2. City of McAllen
•McAllen-Hidalgo-Reynosa Bridge
3. City of Laredo
•Juarez-Lincoln Bridge
•Gateway to the Americas International Bridge
•Colombia-Solidarity Bridge
•World Trade Bridge
4. City of Eagle Pass
•Camino Real Bridge
•Piedras Negras Bridge
5. City of Del Rio
•Del Rio-Ciudad Acuna Bridge
6. City of El Paso
•Ysleta-Zaragosa Bridge
•Good Neighbor Bridge
•Paso del Norte Bridge
Private Toll Bridges in Operation, Not
Addressed by Statute
•B&M Bridge - Brownsville, TX (1908 Federal statute)
•B&P Bridge - Progreso, TX (1928 Federal statute)
•Presidio-Ojinaga International Bridge (tolling of
northbound traffic only)
Other International Toll Bridges
•Progreso-Nuevo Progreso Internat’l Bridge (Hidalgo Co.)
•Anzalduas International Bridge (McAllen)
•El Porvenir International Bridge (Fort Hancock)
•Fabens–Caseta International Bridge (Tornillo)
•Lake Amistad Dam International Crossing
Educational Series: Toll Roads
www.txdot.gov • Government Affairs Office • (512) 463-6086
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TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
MISSION STATEMENT
Work with others to provide safe and reliable transportation solutions for Texas.
GOALS
• Maintain a safe system
• Address congestion
• Connect Texas communities
• Become best-in-class state agency
VALUES
• Trust
• Integrity
• Responsibility
• Excellence
• Service
This document is part of an educational series on transportation issues
produced by the Texas Department of Transportation.