The Harris County Toll Road Authority (HCTRA) operates toll roads within the Greater Houston Metropolitan region through the use of EZ TAG. Hillcroft Avenue / Ft Bend Pkwy ▷. How do you keep thieves from getting into your car? MORE ‘HOW TO’: How to get in and out of Texas DPS quickly, In Google Maps, tap the three-bar icon left of the search bar, then settings and then go to “Navigation” under “Getting Around.” In Waze, tap the cog above the search bar and then go to “Navigation” under “Driving Preferences.”, Apple Maps is trickier. counterpart. (The agency said the feature can only be used once every 365 days.). Peter Key, HCTRA’s interim Executive Director, says protocols were followed. If you would rather suffer through miserable traffic than cough up a few bucks to use the a toll road, your options are either to conduct all your business within the loop or turn on the “avoid tolls” feature on your chosen map app. Then reality set in. Or download the compatibility quick-reference guide in PDF. PREVENTING AUTO BURGLARIES: How do you keep thieves from getting into your car? It varies on a case-by-case basis. And where can you get one? Purchasing an EZ Tag still costs a few coffees. While toll calculations are available for a variety of vehicles, including commercial vehicles, routing for vehicles other than 2-axle cars and motorcycles should be verified by independent means. But cash payment isn’t an option for those traveling late at night — on the west side of the tollway, it’s electronic-only from 11:30 p.m. to 4:30 a.m. On your iPhone or iPad, go to Settings and select “Maps” from the list. Here’s why. The $1.6 billion — it’s really your money, not the government’s money.”. If you’re paying with cash, that’ll be $5.75. Texas was the first US state to surpass 1 million COVID-19 cases. Use our toll calculators to learn how much your trip will cost. “I don’t know if we let the public know through social media.”. Driving on a toll lane without payment could result in a violation invoice. Houston’s toll roads all take electronic payments, and a select few portions of Sam Houston Tollway accept cash. Traffic’s not a breeze in Houston, but it’s a heck of a lot easier when you put an EZ Tag in your car and cruise onto the tollways past the other cars. If you don’t see yourself using toll roads for longer than a certain period, try the EZ Tag Express app (iOS, Android). Calculate tolls for cars, trucks, vans, SUVs, RVs, commercial vehicles and tractor-trailers. HOUSTON – The Harris County’s toll road system is described as one of the best and most financially successful urban toll road systems in the country. What if I miss a toll? How to get in and out of Texas DPS quickly, Texas Department of Transportation’s portions of Grand Parkway. Texas vehicle classes and definitions are shown, along with information to pay missed tolls. TxTag, the state’s electronic toll tag, and EZ Tag, Houston’s toll tag, work on all the toll roads around the area. Sam Houston Northeast Mainline Toll Gantry ▷, ▷ But what’s the difference between EZ Tag and TxTag? Tolls are calculated by sensors at on-ramps, checkpoints and off-ramps. HCTRA began the design of the Sam Houston Tollway Ship Channel Bridge in 2015. Check your toll tag bills frequently to make sure you haven’t been overcharged. For toll pass and electronic payment information, see the section about toll passes. We work with government agencies to provide you with accurate information. Calculate tolls for cars, trucks, vans, SUVs, RVs, commercial vehicles and tractor-trailers. Here’s how to get around on Houston’s toll roads. Depends on how far you go, how you’re paying and what vehicle you’re driving. HCTRA (281-875-3279), TxDOT (888-468-9824) and Fort Bend (855-999-2024) all allow drivers to pay online and have call centers to handle violations. “For sidewalks, and transit, and flood control, whereas before they weren’t being used.”. The cost also goes up if you drive a vehicle with more than two axles or hitch a trailer to your vehicle. Toll rates occasionally tick up. The State of Texas issues an electronic toll pass called TxTag. You already know our maps show clear navigation information, including specific information about each exit. The Banc Pass, which costs $25 for the tag and $15 to prefund the tolls, allows you to reload using cash. A three-axle vehicle would pay $11.75 regardless of payment form. If law enforcement pulls over a vehicle with a hefty list of unpaid violations, they have the authority to impound the car, according to the agency. The system, which includes the Sam Houston Tollway, Hardy Toll Road, Westpark Tollway, Tomball Tollway, and Katy Freeway Toll Lanes, covers 128 miles across the county. Tidwell Road / to US 90/Crosby Fwy ▷, ▷ As a reporter, I usually ask the questions, but I can’t be the only one wondering how something works. You can find the rates for the Texas Department of Transportation’s portions of Grand Parkway, Harris County Toll Road Authority and the Fort Bend County Toll Road Authority on each agency’s website. All in all, you could end up owing hundreds for skipping out on a couple of tolls. But last month, Judge Lina Hidalgo, along with County Commissioners Rodney Ellis and Adrian Garcia, passed a new measure from the Harris County Toll Road Authority, or HCTRA, to create a publicly funded corporation to fund the system. Greenspoint Drive / Northchase Drive ▷, ▷ costs $25 for the tag and $15 to prefund the tolls, Aetna's new Houston insurance offering aimed at bringing consumers into its CVS stores, A Biden win sows hope in health care sector, How pandemic pups threw Believe in Dog Training a bone, Texas Lt. Gov. The Katy Freeway’s managed lanes are open to solo drivers willing to pay during the busiest hours. The goal of the program is to meet the growing mobility needs in the region. The TxDOT and HCTRA did not respond to multiple requests for comment. The Houston Chronicle wants to simplify that for you. Each toll authority sets its own rates, and there are different rates for people paying with something other than an electronic toll tag. There is no required minimum balance as long as you enroll in the automatic reloading program. HOUSTON – The Harris County’s toll road system is described as one of the best and most financially successful urban toll road systems in the country.. Toll authorities vary on sending bills to collections — KPRC reported in 2017 that HCTRA is likely to send a private law firm after you if you don’t pay within 45 days, and the costs increase if you take the agency to court. Payment information for cars, trucks, vans, SUVs, and RVs, plus commercial vehicles and tractor-trailers, can be found in our Toll Payments section. Texas vehicle classes and definitions are shown, along with information to pay missed tolls, and connections to portals for each toll agency that takes online payments. Dan Patrick offers $1 million reward for evidence of voter fraud, Dan Patrick’s $1 million voter fraud reward mocked by his Penn. You must load $40 onto the tag to begin with and it reloads a minimum of $40 automatically when your balance dips below $10. Prior to moving to Texas, she was a metro reporter for the San Francisco Chronicle, where she was part of the award-winning breaking news team that covered the deadly Camp Fire. At the Harris County Toll Road Authority (HCTRA), we work hard to make it easier for you to get around the Greater Houston Metropolitan area. Memorial Drive / Kimberly Lane ▷, ▷ If it’s a HCTRA toll road, first-time violators may be eligible for a fee reduction, usually in the form of paying either just the toll owed, or the toll plus a processing fee. You can find me on Twitter at @gwendolynawu or by email at
[email protected]. Red Bluff Rd / Pasadena Blvd / to San Augustine Ave ▷, ▷ “Why should taxpayers care?” asked Sen. Bettencourt “Because you already paid the money. Grand Parkway toll rates are slated to go up in price in 2020 after the Texas Transportation Commission approved new rates on Oct. 31, according to Houston Chronicle transportation reporter Dug Begley. So long, suckers! Sam Houston Tollway is the main tollway around the Houston area. Humans have an innate drive to improve themselves, and we’re always striving to live better, smarter and more efficiently by throwing countless dollars and hours at our problems. But a look at HCTRA’s Facebook and Twitter pages show no mention of the plan to divert hundreds of millions of dollars in your tolls. For toll pass information, see the section about toll passes. For example, if you have an unpaid HCTRA toll invoice that goes to collections — meaning you didn’t post payment within 45 days — the agency will tack on an extra $25 fee. I’m Gwendolyn Wu, and I’m writing “Houston How To,” a series on how to navigate the city and its complexities. Retail wrap: Main Squeeze Juice Co., JuiceLand, Zoa Moroccan Kitchen expand... Oil soars to 2-month high. If you know you accidentally drove through a Harris County tollway without a tag, you can scan your license plate on the agency’s website before the violation invoice arrives to the address where your car is registered. You pay the sum of charges for whatever distance you go. Here’s your explainer on how to get around Houston on the tollways and what to do when you accidentally violate the toll road laws. The company also offers the PlusPass app for infrequent toll road users who don’t mind paying a 15 percent convenience fee to drive on through after the sensors scan their license plates. Soon after registering my own EZ Tag to see how easy it was to do it (answer: doable and faster if you can get to one of the EZ Tag stores just outside of the loop), I realized that TxTag may have been the more cost-efficient option. For instance, if you get on Sam Houston Tollway at the Fallbrook Drive on-ramp in a two-axle sedan and got off the tollway at Hillcroft Avenue with an electronic tag, you owe $5.10. Just get a TxTag or EZ Tag, make sure it’s linked with a credit card to auto-load and save yourself the hours it took me to read all of the toll road operators’ rate pages. The app is designed for drivers here for a short period of time — maybe you’re using a rental, or traveling here for work from out-of-state. In 1983, Harris County voters approved the Hardy and Sam Houston toll roads with the intent that the toll money would be used for expansion, maintenance, and improvements. Can’t you just pay with cash if you don’t have one? The State of Texas issues an electronic toll pass called TxTag. “We’re still drafting the agreement,” she said. It generates hundreds of millions of dollars every year, the bulk of which is usually put right back into the system. Many stretches of freeway include high-occupancy toll lanes for vehicles carrying at least two or three people. TxTag (pronounced Tex-tag) is good for the entire state and does not cost money for the tag. How can I pay for my trip? If you don’t want to maintain a minimum balance, you can consider the HCTRA’s partner pass, the Banc Pass. IH-45 GULF Northbound and southbound Mainlanes and Frontage Road from Nasa Bypass/ Nasa Rd 1 to SH 96 : Construction: 2 Alternate Lane(s) Closed Continuously from Tuesday, June 2, 2020 8:00 PM to Monday, December 28, 2020 5:00 AM: Active: SOUTH SAM HOUSTON TOLLWAY Eastbound Between SOUTHWEST PLAZA to SH-288: Other: 2 Mainlanes Gwendolyn Wu is a business reporter at the Houston Chronicle, focusing on the healthcare and biotech sectors. Toll Road Locations; Austin Austin Area; SH 130 (Seg 1-4) SH 130 (Seg 5 & 6) CTRMA; Dallas I-35 TEXpress Lanes; I-30 Managed Lanes; DFW Connector; Midtown Expressway; Houston Grand Parkway - SH 99; HCTRA; Fort Bend; SH 288 Express Toll Lanes; Brazoria County; SH 249; Tyler Loop 49; El Paso TxTag, the state’s electronic toll tag, and EZ Tag, Houston’s toll tag, work on all the toll roads around the area. KPRC 2 asked the judge if there were specific projects identified to ensure the money will go where it’s supposed to. During non-HOV times, anyone using the lanes must have an EZ Tag.