Toll roads and turnpikes offer a tempting alternative if you want to shave time off your commute through the sprawling and congested Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex.
But convenience comes at a cost.
In April 2022 alone, drivers paid over $90 million to tollways operated by the North Texas Transportation Authority (NTTA). Additionally, tolls are set to increase by 5.5% every two years to fund maintenance and additional projects, according to the NTTA.
But what is the NTTA, and where does the money go?
These were questions submitted by readers of The Dallas Express who expressed concern about the functioning of the toll roads and wondered how the organization had the authority to build roads, collect tolls, and freeze drivers’ car registrations for non-payment. Texas drivers can even receive Class C misdemeanors for habitual toll violations.
To understand our North Texas toll system, however, we must take a detour back in time.
The first toll road in the Dallas-Fort Worth area opened in 1957: the Dallas Fort Worth Turnpike — now better known as I-30.
Built by the state-created Texas Turnpike Authority (TTA), the road became a public roadway in 1977 once the bonds used to finance its construction were paid off.
The Texas legislature explicitly scrapped the toll and transferred road ownership from the TTA to the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT). State taxpayers then began footing the bill for the necessary maintenance through a gas tax.
Over subsequent years, the TTA continued to build more roads. However, in 1997 the organization dissolved to form regional toll systems, and its existing portfolio of toll roads and turnpikes in the area was assumed by the North Texas Transportation Authority (NTTA).
Since then, more toll roads have been built, and currently, a total of eight roadways fall under NTTA control: Dallas North Tollway, President George Bush Turnpike, Sam Rayburn Tollway, Chisholm Trail Parkway, Addison Airport Toll Tunnel, Lewisville Lake Toll Bridge, Mountain Creek Lake Bridge, and the 360 Tollway.
NTTA, like its predecessor, is a “non-appropriated [state] organization that operates with revenues generated from projects.”
This means that while NTTA is an arm of the Texas government, it does not receive taxpayer funds from the state or federal governments. Instead, it relies upon generated revenue and other forms of income.
Nevertheless, confusion has surrounded the toll roads with drivers expressing frustration with the system and suggesting that the North Texas Toll Authority is owned by foreign companies or investors. Understandably so considering the nearby TEXpress is managed by Cintra, a Spanish company.
In order to promote understanding of the way the toll system works in North Texas, the organization issued a statement discussing some of the more prevalent accusations.
The “NTTA Rumors Q&A” document explains, “The North Texas Tollway Authority is not foreign-owned, [or] a private or for-profit company. Rather, NTTA is a political subdivision of the state of Texas, authorized to acquire, construct, maintain, repair, and operate turnpike projects in the north Texas region.”
Its board of directors consists of nine members. Two members each are appointed by the Commissioners Courts of Collin, Dallas, Denton, and Tarrant Counties, while the Texas governor appoints the final member “from a county adjacent to the NTTA’s four-county service area.”
The money collected through tolls primarily goes to pay off the debt incurred by NTTA through the initial construction of the roads. To fund road construction, the NTTA sells government-issued bonds to investors that they pay back through the revenue raised by drivers using the tolls.
In 2021, NTTA explained that 56% of every dollar went to pay off bonded debt while 25% funded operation and maintenance costs. The remainder contributed to adding lanes, improving roads, and enhancing technology.
Barring any additional projects, NTTA expects to pay off all its tollways in 2049.
Does that mean the tollways will be free like I-30?
As of right now, the answer is no, but lawmakers and activists have called for reforming Texas toll operations. However, regional groups and toll operators claim that a policy change could ruin Texas transportation.
In the next part of this series, we will motor through the ongoing debate regarding the fate of tolls and what it means for Texas.
This story was pitched to The Dallas Express by one of our readers. Do you have a story you think should be covered or a tip on breaking news? Submit your idea here.