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Q: When will tolling be implemented on SH 161?
A: Tolling will begin when construction is complete. The anticipated date for the roadway opening is 2010.
Q: How much will it be?
A: The toll rates for SH 161 will be consistent with other toll rates in the region.
Q: Will trucks pay more to travel on this tollway?
A: Yes, toll rates are related to the number of axles on the vehicle.
Q: Will my current toll transponder work on this tollway or will I need a “TxDOT” toll transponder?
A: Yes, all tollways within the State of Texas will be interoperable, meaning that someone with a North Texas Tollway Authority TollTag®, a Harris or Fort Bend County Toll Road Authority EZ TAG, or the new TxTAG® will be able to drive on any Texas tollway and will be billed for the toll in the same manner.
Q: What happens if I don’t have a toll transponder? Is there a fine? How much will the fine be?
A: If you do not have a toll transponder with an active account, your license plate will be recorded as a violator of the facility. When a violation occurs, you will be sent a notice that may include a warning or a notice to pay outstanding tolls, administrative fees, and possibly enforcement fi nes. The exact amounts of these fines have not been established, but would be consistent with other local toll facility policies.
Q: Where will the revenue collected from the roadway go?
A: The toll revenue will go to pay debt service, annual reserve funds, operation and maintenance activities, and the anticipated cost of rehabilitation of the roadway. If available, remaining revenue may be used to fund other transportation projects in the area and possibly subsidize other Dallas area TxDOT toll projects.
Q: I pay a gas tax now. By paying a toll, am I being double-taxed?
A: Paying to drive on a tollway is an optional user fee, not an additional tax. Motorists who choose to drive the tollway and pay the user fee should experience reduced travel time to their destination.
Q: Are there any alternatives to paying the toll?
A: Drivers would have the option of using nearby non-tolled roadways or the SH 161 frontage roads for travel at no cost.
Q: Will the tolls ever be removed?
A: It is unlikely that toll will be removed from SH 161. Revenue that is collected from the tollway will continue to support the operation and maintenance of the facility and to expand the transportation system to meet transportation needs of the traveling community.
Q: Why isn’t the North Texas Tollway Authority (NTTA) building this roadway?
A: TxDOT is partnering with the NTTA on this effort. Both organizations have a long track record of working together to keep people moving.
Q: Will other Dallas area roadways be considered for tolling?
A: The Dallas/Ft. Worth metroplex is faced with a critical financial shortfall of $55 billion in transportation needs. In response to this, local policy officials are developing an innovative way to leverage $4.4 billion in new funds. By partnering together, state and local officials can leverage additional state transportation funds, freeing existing allocations for critical, but otherwise unbudgeted, safety, capacity and air quality projects. This shift allows new projects that were originally budgeted through gasoline tax revenue to generate tolls. However, the Regional Transportation Council (RTC) policy remains intact that no existing freeway lanes will be converted to toll facilities.
Q: How would tolling SH 161 affect traffic noise along SH 161?
A: Tolling along SH 161 would redistribute traffic from the main lanes to the frontage roads. However, the noise level increase from this traffic redistribution is most likely to be minimal (less than 1 dBA). Therefore, the previously proposed noise barriers would remain effective.
Q: What kind of effects do toll plazas have on noise?
A: The “stop-and-go” or “slow-and-go” could interrupt the flow of traffic and produce higher noise levels. However, the type of tolling proposed for SH 161, electronic tolling, does not have toll plazas; therefore, stop-and go traffic situations would be avoided.