TxTag

August 30, 2012
Texas Transportation Commission Waives Fee for Select Veterans Driving on State Toll Roads

AUSTIN — In a gesture to honor those men and women who have made great personal sacrifices to ensure our freedom and protect our nation, the Texas Transportation Commission today approved granting free passage for select veterans on several Texas toll roads. The decision will benefit veterans who are either disabled or recipients of the Purple Heart and/or Congressional Medal of Honor.

In central Texas, those toll roads where some veterans will be able to drive free of charge include Loop 1, SH 45 North, SH 45 Southeast and SH 130 (Segments 1-4) in the Austin area. Additionally, qualified veterans will be able to travel free of charge on the Camino Colombia, which is SH 255 near Laredo and Loop 49 in Tyler.

House Bill 3139, passed by the Legislature in 2009 and enacted in the Transportation Code (Section 372.053), stated that the state’s toll authorities may develop a discount program for various veterans.

Governor Rick Perry recently called on the Transportation Commission to begin implementing a program that would help support Texas veterans getting around Texas with less financial burden.

"Our veterans are motivated by a higher calling that is rooted in the fundamental values of our nation," Gov. Perry said. "In Texas, we understand and appreciate the sacrifices the men and women of our armed forces make in defense of our freedom, and we consider it an honor to support them."

Currently, there are 7,360 specialty license plates indicating drivers are disabled vets, Purple Heart and Congressional Medal of Honor recipients in Travis, Williamson and Hays counties closest to the central Texas toll roads. Statewide there are 160,666 similar specialty plates.

"We are able to celebrate our freedom each and every day due to the unwavering sacrifice of our military’s brave men and women, so making it a bit easier for them to move through our great state is the least we can do," said Phil Wilson, Executive Director of TxDOT. "We thank Texas veterans for their service and hope the free use of our toll roads recognizes the price they paid for our freedom."

The latest estimates show the cost of managing this program to be less than $1 million annually. The Transportation Commission has asked TxDOT to implement this program for qualified veterans by Jan. 1, 2013.

For more information, contact TxDOT Media Relations at MediaRelations@txdot.gov or (512) 463-8700.

January 04, 2012
Truck Toll Promotion on SH 130, SH 45SE this Holiday Season: Bypass I-35 in Austin for $9 or less

TxDOT Truck Toll Promotion on SH 130, SH 45SE Extended through January 25 Initial results show 39 percent increase in truck transactions in past two weeks AUSTIN

– You asked—we listened. All truck tolls will remain $9 or less on the 56-mile State Highway 130 and SH 45SE bypass around Austin through Wednesday, January 25, 2012.
After numerous requests and initial program success, the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) will extend its truck toll promotion for three weeks. The original two-week promotion started December 21, 2011 and was slated to end January 4, 2012.

All motorists who choose to avoid traffic congestion through the Austin area and travel nonstop between Georgetown and Buda on the SH 130/SH 45SE toll bypass will continue to pay the passenger vehicle (two-axle) toll rate of $9 or less through January 25. For trucks with four axles or more, this means a savings of more than 67 percent.

Initial results show that truck transactions increased more than 39 percent on both SH 130 and SH 45SE, as well as indicating a 10 percent increase for passenger vehicles for the same period over the previous year.

I-35, from SH 71 to US 183, is the fourth-most highly congested roadway in Texas. Last year,
families on vacation, commuters traveling to work, and truckers working to get their shipments to market on-time experienced more than 4.6 million hours of delay. The state-of-the-art network of tollways was built to offer an alternative to Austin-area traffic congestion, while enhancing safety and connectivity.

Please see more details about this promotion at Truck Toll Promotion on SH 130, SH 45SE this Holiday Season.

June 01, 2011
New Customer Website

TxTag is delighted to unveil our new and improved website. The new site has been refined with your customer feedback in mind. We've made information more friendly and easier to access. We hope you enjoy the experience. Please feel free to provide feedback to us using the customer survey on the bottom of the menu. Thanks!

February 15, 2010
Toll Road Safety

It happens all too often on Central Texas toll roads: drivers get out of their cars at toll booths; they speed through toll plazas; they back up when they miss an exit or to select a different lane.

In response, the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) launched a radio campaign in the Austin area Monday urging motorists to slow down and exercise caution at toll plazas. Campaign messages remind motorists to keep safety in mind by avoiding abrupt lane changes and staying in their vehicle at toll plazas.

Travelers may be unaware that, instead of a costly ticket, drivers passing through a Central Texas toll plaza without a TxTag account or cash payment will simply receive a bill in the mail. Toll rates for the Pay by Mail payment option are slightly higher than cash rates and are subject to an additional nominal administrative fee, but larger fees are only applied if a driver fails to pay a bill after 45 days. View Full Release.