Toll violators, get ready to be pulled over by DPS

[Bob Of Burleson]

NTTA begins cracking down on toll violators

By Gordon Dickson
gdickson@star-telegram.com

About 4,050 Tarrant County car owners can expect to have their annual vehicle registrations blocked this year because of unpaid tolls, unless they pay up before the sticker expires, North Texas Tollway Authority officials said.

The agency, which earlier this month opened the new Chisholm Trail Parkway connecting Fort Worth and Cleburne, is getting serious about efforts to crack down on vehicle owners who drive on its toll roads without paying. A new state law allows the tollway authority to submit a list of its habitual violators to tax offices in Tarrant, Johnson, Dallas and other counties and place a block on vehicle registrations at their next renewal.

It’s one of several steps being taken to get people to pay for use of Dallas-Fort Worth toll roads, which are playing an increasing role in the region’s mobility. In Fort Worth, Chisholm Trail Parkway hasn’t been open long enough for motorists to be delinquent with their tolls, so the Tarrant County residents who face having their vehicle registrations blocked most likely accumulated their past-due tolls on Dallas-area roads.

On Dallas area roads, the tollway authority also is setting up electronic devices that scan the license plates of passing cars to identify vehicles with past-due accounts. In some cases, those vehicles can be pulled over by Texas Department of Public Safety highway troopers, and repeat violators can even have their automobiles impounded.

“Keep in mind that DPS troopers will check the banned list on routine traffic stops as well,” said tollway authority spokesman Michael Rey.

The agency has sent notices to 32,675 car owners in eight counties regionwide who are habitual violators, said James Hofmann, tollway authority assistant executive director of operations. Generally, a habitual violator is a car owner who has accumulated at least 100 tolls without paying.

Read more here: http://www.star-telegram.com/2014/06/01 ... rylink=cpy

[Red Oak]

The State wants their share of the "Revenue".

[Chlorine Tinsley]

Wouldn't it make more sense to raise the gasoline tax and let everyone drive on any road they wish. I wonder what percentage of the tolls are spent on administration and collecting the dern tolls.

[John in Plano]

Wouldn't it make more sense to raise the gasoline tax and let everyone drive on any road they wish. I wonder what percentage of the tolls are spent on administration and collecting the dern tolls.

adm was approx $26 million

operations was approx $90 million

total revenue was approx $510 million

above are for f/y 2012

https://www.ntta.org/whatwedo/fin_inves ... 12_v10.pdf


I'm not a fan of toll roads.