Toll Road Operations

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TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION 2021-2022 EDUCATIONAL SERIES TOLL ROAD OPERATIONS

• TxTag and TxDOT Toll Road Operations

• Statewide Toll Operations

• TxDOT Veteran Toll Waiver Program

• TxTag.org

• TxTag Fee Structure

• Texas Toll Roads and Toll Bridges Map

• Connecting You With Texas

TxDOT RESOURCE LINKS Scan the QR codes with your mobile device or click on the resource link buttons located here and at the bottom of every page of this document to direct you to additional resources and more details on the information provided in this document.

Texas Department TxDOT 2021-2022 Visual of Transportation Educational Series Dictionary

TxDOT’s public website for agency TxDOT’s complete 2021-2022 Educational TxDOT’s Visual Dictionary is designed information and resources focused on Series that focuses on a range of to provide better understanding of meeting the needs of drivers, businesses, transportation issues affecting TxDOT and transportation elements, words, and government officials, the state of Texas. concepts. and those who want to learn more about TxDOT.

PUBLICATION DATE: JANUARY 2021 TOLL ROAD OPERATIONS OVERVIEW TxTag AND TxDOT TOLL ROAD State law authorizes a variety of governmental entities, OPERATIONS including regional mobility authorities, regional and TxDOT oversees toll collection operating services for most county toll authorities, and the Texas Department of TxDOT toll facilities and some regional mobility authority Transportation (TxDOT) to develop and operate public toll toll roads. TxDOT’s toll operations include TxTag services, roads. TxDOT is the only state-wide toll authority. TxDOT Pay By Mail services, web support, toll collection systems and the Texas Transportation Commission have limited integration, back-office operations, customer service legal oversight roles that vary for each type of toll authority center operations, regional mobility authority operational in Texas. (For a list and map of all toll roads and toll bridges support, and interoperability coordination with other toll by toll entity, see Texas Toll Roads and Toll Bridges Map on authorities. page 6). CUSTOMER SERVICE, TOLL COLLECTIONS, TxDOT’s network of approximately 220 centerline miles of AND TOLL FEES toll roads includes some of the toll roads around Austin TxDOT’s toll customer service operations communicate (Central Texas Turnpike System), several segments of the with customers to establish and maintain accounts, Grand Parkway (State Highway 99) in Harris, Montgomery, receive payments, answer questions, and address concerns and Chambers Counties, and several different tolled regarding TxDOT’s toll facilities and toll collections process. facilities in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metro area. TxDOT The functions that support these efforts include: is responsible for the development and maintenance of all TxDOT toll facilities and uses a contracted vendor • Maintaining an inventory and distributing TxTags; to provide customer payment management services that support TxDOT toll operations on TxDOT toll roads, • Receiving, processing, and reconciling TxTag and Pay By except for those in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metro area. In Mail transactions; accordance with state law, TxDOT has an arrangement with the North Texas Toll Authority (NTTA) to provide toll • Receiving and posting TxTag account payments; operations support for TxDOT’s Dallas-Fort Worth Metro area toll facilities. • Assuring interoperable reciprocity with other toll operators;

• Processing and reconciling toll violations; and

• Operating the call center, the TxTag website, the walk-up counter service at the TxTag Customer Service Center, and other customer service operations.

2 2021-2022 EDUCATIONAL SERIES: TOLL ROAD OPERATIONS WWW.TxDOT.GOV • GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS DIVISION • (512) 463-6086 TxDOT toll collection efforts focus on maximizing payment The Texas Transportation Commission set the current collections of tolls and minimizing unpaid tolls so that maximum amount of the administrative fee that TxDOT TxDOT can meet the debt, operations, and maintenance charges for failure to pay for the use of a toll road at $4 obligations of TxDOT’s toll facilities. These operations per month/invoice, for a maximum of $48 per year, as include reconciling transactions and distributing revenue in long as the tolls remain unpaid (see TxTag Fee Structure on accordance with toll project agreements, reporting revenue page 5). Pursuant to state law, this administrative fee cap collections data, and accounting for the toll payments only applies to toll collections for the following TxDOT toll collected and processed under interoperability agreements facilities: with other toll authorities. • State Highway 130 (Austin to Seguin); TxDOT’s toll collection, enforcement, and Pay By Mail programs allow a customer to: • Loop 1 (Austin) – excludes MoPac managed lanes under • Prepay tolls with a TxTag account; the jurisdiction of the Central Texas Regional Mobility Authority; • Check toll expenses and account balance or make payments to an account online or by phone; • State Highway 45N (Austin);

• Provide electronic toll collection customers the option • State Highway 45SE (Austin); of authorizing automatic payment of tolls through the withdrawal of funds from the customer’s bank account; • State Highway 99 - Grand Parkway (Houston) – excludes portions under the jurisdiction of the Fort Bent County • Send a written request for a review of the toll Toll Road Authority; assessments contained in an invoice; • State Highway 288 Toll Lanes (Houston) – excludes • Limit the Class C Misdemeanor to one charge of $250 per portions under the jurisdiction of the Brazoria County year for two or more unpaid invoices; and Toll Road Authority; and

• Receive invoices electronically for Pay By Mail toll • Border Highway West (El Paso). customers.

2021-2022 EDUCATIONAL SERIES: TOLL ROAD OPERATIONS 3 WWW.TxDOT.GOV • GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS DIVISION • (512) 463-6086 TxDOT VETERAN TOLL WAIVER PROGRAM As allowed by state law and current policy of the Texas Transportation Commission, TxDOT currently waives tolls on several Texas roads for qualified vehicles of eligible veterans. In accordance with the bond indenture for the Central Texas Turnpike System the lost revenue from the waived tolls on these roads must be replaced to hold the bond holders harmless, and the Texas Transportation Commission funded this program through August 2021. The Veteran Toll Waiver Program is available to the owners of vehicles that, at the time of the toll transaction on a participating TxDOT toll road, are: • Registered with the State of Texas, Texas Department of Motor Vehicles;

• In compliance with all TxDOT program rules and requirements; and STATEWIDE TOLL OPERATIONS Recent changes to state law address various toll billing and • Issued and properly displaying one of the following payment practices for all toll entities, including TxDOT, to qualifying specialty license plates: provide more uniformity and predictability to toll billing across the state. These changes in law include: — Congressional Medal of Honor; • Requiring all toll entities, prior to mailing an invoice or — Air Force Cross (Legion of Valor); a notice of unpaid tolls to a customer or charging any administrative fee, to first determine whether there is an — Distinguished Service Cross (Legion of Valor); active account connected to a vehicle transponder. If the account exists, the toll entities must pay the toll from the — Purple Heart; or account; — Disabled veterans. • Ensuring that if a toll customer has more than 10 transponder misreads in a month, tolling entities must For the most up-to-date information on TxDOT’s Veteran inform the customer that there may be a problem with Toll Waiver Program such as eligibility requirements and the transponder; applicable toll roads, please visit txtag.org, key word search “Veteran Discount Program.” • Requiring notices or invoices of unpaid tolls sent by tolling entities must clearly state that the document is a To see if you are eligible for a qualifying license plate, bill that must be paid; and veterans should visit the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles. Vehicle owners may resolve any problems or • Allowing toll entities to provide invoices via email to discrepancies with vehicle registrations or with specialty customers who authorize this contact delivery method. license plates with the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles.

These recent changes in state law also address requirements for electronic toll tag customers using a transponder. These include requiring the customer to: TxTag.org • Activate and mount the transponder in accordance with the procedures provided by the toll entity; For the most up-to-date information • Provide to the toll entity accurate license plate and on TxTag, TxDOT toll rates, TxDOT customer contact information; and toll operations, and other customer service information. • Update all customer information as required by the toll entity. https://www.txtag.org/en/home/index.shtml

4 2021-2022 EDUCATIONAL SERIES: TOLL ROAD OPERATIONS WWW.TxDOT.GOV • GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS DIVISION • (512) 463-6086 TxTag FEE STRUCTURE

THIS FEE STRUCTURE IS PER INVOICE/STATEMENT

First Statement Mail Fee ($1.15) = $1.15

Past Due Statement Add 2nd Mail Fee + Late Fee ($1.15 + $1.15 + $4.00) = $6.30

Final Notice Add 3rd Mail Fee + 2nd Late Fee ($1.15 + $1.15 + $1.15 + $4.00 + $4.00) = $11.45

Account Eligible for Collections Status Add 4th Mail Fee + 3rd Late Fee ($1.15 + $1.15 + $1.15 + $1.15 + $4.00 + $4.00 + $4.00) = $16.60

Late fees not to exceed $48 in one calendar year. All fees are in addition to tolls that are owed.

2021-2022 EDUCATIONAL SERIES: TOLL ROAD OPERATIONS 5 WWW.TxDOT.GOV • GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS DIVISION • (512) 463-6086 TEXAS TOLL ROADS AND TOLL BRIDGES MAP

Click here or use the QR Code to view full sized map.

6 2021-2022 EDUCATIONAL SERIES: TOLL ROAD OPERATIONS WWW.TxDOT.GOV • GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS DIVISION • (512) 463-6086 CONNECTING YOU WITH TEXAS TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION Project Tracker

Project Tracker is the gateway to up-to- date information about TxDOT highway TxDOT is committed to your safety and to the reliability improvement projects, providing of the information contained on this site. While road 24/7-access to the public, conditions can change rapidly, DriveTexas.org is an employees, and elected industry leader in providing some of the most accurate officials. and up-to-date travel-related information currently available to drivers in Texas. Information presented here is as close to real time as possible. For those who use our roads, please do not use this site while operating a motor vehicle.

Be Safe. Drive Smart. Thank you!

TEXAS DEPARTMENT TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION 2021-2022 Educational Series OF TRANSPORTATION Government Affairs TxDOT’s complete 2021-2022 Educational Series that focuses on a range of transportation issues affecting TxDOT’s Government Affairs Division works closely with TxDOT and the state of Texas. government on both the state and federal levels though the State Legislative Affairs and Federal Affairs sections.

2021-2022 EDUCATIONAL SERIES: TOLL ROAD OPERATIONS 7 WWW.TxDOT.GOV • GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS DIVISION • (512) 463-6086