texas toll road primer final reporttexas toll road primer final report prc 14-3 f . texas toll road...

Texas Toll Road Primer

Final Report

PRC 14-3 F

Texas Toll Road Primer

Texas A&M Transportation Institute

PRC 14-3 F

November 2014

Authors

David Ellis

Brianne Glover

Curtis Beaty

Nick Norboge

Allison Weldon

Jeff Borowiec

Tim Lomax

David Schrank

3

Table of Contents

List of Figures ................................................................................................................................. 6

List of Tables .................................................................................................................................. 7

Introduction ..................................................................................................................................... 8

Purpose of the Study ................................................................................................................... 8

Study Scope ................................................................................................................................. 8

Preview of Report Organization/Content .................................................................................... 9

Data Used .................................................................................................................................. 11

Review of Financial Documents ............................................................................................... 11

Texas Legislation and Tolling ...................................................................................................... 12

77th Legislative Session ............................................................................................................ 12




81st Legislative Session ............................................................................................................ 16

82nd Legislative Session ........................................................................................................... 17

83rd Legislative Session ............................................................................................................ 18

Comparative Summary of Toll Revenue by Toll Facility ............................................................ 20

Limitations of the Comparisons ................................................................................................ 20

Toll Revenue Data by Facility .................................................................................................. 20

Comparing Changes in Toll Revenues over Time .................................................................... 21

Toll Rates and Toll Revenues ................................................................................................... 23

Vehicle Mix and Toll Revenues ................................................................................................ 24

Comparative Summary of Average Toll Rate per Mile ............................................................ 25

Comparing Texas Toll Facilities to the Nation ......................................................................... 27

Texas Toll Road Profiles .............................................................................................................. 30

North Texas Tollway Authority ................................................................................................ 30

Facility Development Cost and Financing Structure ............................................................. 32

Historical Revenue Generation .............................................................................................. 33

Dallas North Tollway ............................................................................................................ 36

President George Bush Turnpike ........................................................................................... 37

4

Sam Rayburn Tollway ........................................................................................................... 38

Harris County Toll Road Authority .......................................................................................... 39



Expenses and Obligations ...................................................................................................... 41

Hardy Toll Road .................................................................................................................... 43

Sam Houston Tollway ........................................................................................................... 44

Westpark Tollway .................................................................................................................. 45

Texas Department of Transportation ......................................................................................... 46




Loop 1 North ......................................................................................................................... 51

SH 255 ................................................................................................................................... 52

SH 45 North ........................................................................................................................... 53

SH 130 Segments 1–4 ........................................................................................................... 54

SH 45 Southeast..................................................................................................................... 55

Northeast Texas Regional Mobility Authority .......................................................................... 56

Loop 49 .................................................................................................................................. 58

Central Texas Regional Mobility Authority .............................................................................. 59




Highway 183A Toll Road...................................................................................................... 62

Manor Expressway ................................................................................................................ 63

Cameron County Regional Mobility Authority ........................................................................ 64

SH 550 (Phases I, II, and III) ................................................................................................. 65

Grand Parkway Transportation Corporation ............................................................................. 66

SH 99 Segment E ................................................................................................................... 67

Fort Bend County Toll Road Authority .................................................................................... 68

Fort Bend Parkway ................................................................................................................ 69

5

Revenues and Expenses by Toll Agency .................................................................................. 70

TxDOT-Owned Toll Facilities .............................................................................................. 70

NTTA-Owned Toll Facilities ................................................................................................ 71

HCTRA-Owned Toll Facilities ............................................................................................. 72

CTRMA-Owned Toll Facilities ............................................................................................. 73

Toll Road Impacts on Urban Mobility .......................................................................................... 75

Methodology ............................................................................................................................. 75

Results ....................................................................................................................................... 76

Austin..................................................................................................................................... 76

Dallas-Fort Worth .................................................................................................................. 76

Houston .................................................................................................................................. 76

Summary of Analysis ............................................................................................................ 76

References ..................................................................................................................................... 79

6

List of Figures

Figure 1. Number of Registered Passenger Vehicles and Motorcycles and Toll Tags

Issued in Texas. ................................................................................................................. 23

Figure 2. North Texas Tollway Authority Facility Map. .............................................................. 31

Figure 3. Dallas North Tollway Map. ........................................................................................... 36

Figure 4. President George Bush Turnpike Map. ......................................................................... 37

Figure 5. Sam Rayburn Tollway Map. .......................................................................................... 38

Figure 6. Harris County Toll Road Authority Facility Map. ........................................................ 39

Figure 7. Hardy Toll Road Map. ................................................................................................... 43

Figure 8. Sam Houston Tollway Map. .......................................................................................... 44

Figure 9. Westpark Tollway Map. ................................................................................................ 45

Figure 10. Central Texas Turnpike System Facility Map. ............................................................ 47

Figure 11. Loop 1 North Map. ...................................................................................................... 51

Figure 12. SH 255 Map. ................................................................................................................ 52

Figure 13. SH 45 North Map. ....................................................................................................... 53

Figure 14. SH 130 Segments 1–4 Map. ........................................................................................ 54

Figure 15. SH 45 Southeast Map. ................................................................................................. 55

Figure 16. NET RMA Facility Map. ............................................................................................. 56

Figure 17. Loop 49 Map. .............................................................................................................. 58

Figure 18. CTRMA System Map. ................................................................................................. 59

Figure 19. Highway 183A Toll Road Map. .................................................................................. 62

Figure 20. Manor Expressway Map. ............................................................................................. 63

Figure 21. CCRMA System Map. ................................................................................................ 64

Figure 22. SH 550 Map. ................................................................................................................ 65

Figure 23. Grand Parkway Facility Map....................................................................................... 66

Figure 24. SH 99 Segment E Map. ............................................................................................... 67

Figure 25. Fort Bend County Toll Road Authority System Map. ................................................ 68

Figure 26. Fort Bend Parkway Map. ............................................................................................. 69

Figure 27. Estimated CTTS Revenues and Expenses. .................................................................. 70

Figure 28. Estimated Camino Colombia Revenues and Expenses. .............................................. 71

Figure 29. Estimated NTTA Revenues and Expenses. ................................................................. 72

Figure 30. Estimated HCTRA Revenues and Expenses. .............................................................. 73

Figure 31. Estimated CTRMA Revenues and Expenses. ............................................................. 74

Figure 32. Mobility Impacts of Removing Toll Road Capacity. .................................................. 78

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List of Tables

Table 1. Texas Tolled Facilities Reviewed for This Report. ........................................................ 10

Table 2. Public Toll Facilities Not Reviewed in This Report. ...................................................... 11

Table 3. 77th Legislative Session Key Toll Road Legislation (2001). ......................................... 12




Table 7. 81st Legislative Session Key Toll Road Legislation (2009). ......................................... 17

Table 8. 82nd Legislative Session Key Toll Road Legislation (2011). ........................................ 18

Table 9. 83rd Legislative Session Key Toll Road Legislation (2013). ......................................... 19

Table 10. Summary of Annual Toll Revenues for Texas Toll Roads. .......................................... 21

Table 11. Annual Percent Change in Toll Revenue for Texas Toll Roads. .................................. 22

Table 12. An Example of the Impact of Vehicle Mix on Toll Revenues. .................................... 25

Table 13. Average Toll Rate per Mile by Toll Tag in Texas. ....................................................... 26

Table 14. Comparison of Toll Rates for Non-interstate Toll Roads in the United States (). ........ 27

Table 15. NTTA Toll Facility Financial Structure. ...................................................................... 32

Table 16. Summary of NTTA Outstanding Obligations (in Millions of Dollars). ....................... 33

Table 17. NTTA Historical Revenue Generation (in Millions of Dollars). .................................. 34

Table 18. NTTA Income Statement (in Millions of Dollars). ...................................................... 34

Table 19. HCTRA Toll Facility Financial Structure. ................................................................... 40

Table 20. HCTRA Historical Revenue Generation (in Millions of Dollars). ............................... 41

Table 21. HCTRA Income Statement (in Millions of Dollars). ................................................... 41

Table 22. CTTS Financial Structure. ............................................................................................ 48

Table 23. Summary of CTTS Outstanding Obligations. ............................................................... 48

Table 24. CTTS Toll Revenue Summary (in Millions of Dollars). .............................................. 49

Table 25. Example of Operating and Non-operating Revenues and Expenses. ........................... 49

Table 26. CTTS Income Statement (in Millions of Dollars). ....................................................... 50

Table 27. NETRMA Historical Revenue Generation (in Millions of Dollars)............................. 57

Table 28. CTRMA Toll Facility Financial Structure. ................................................................... 60

Table 29. CTRMA Historical Revenue Generation (in Millions of Dollars). .............................. 60

Table 30. CTRMA Income Statement (in Millions of Dollars). ................................................... 61

Table 31. Daily VMT and Diverted VMT by Urban Area. .......................................................... 77

Table 32. Regional Mobility Impacts of Diverted Toll Road Traffic. .......................................... 77

Table 33.Toll Road Diversion Impacts by Functional Class. ....................................................... 78

8

Introduction

Since 1953, toll financing has played a role in funding Texas’ highway transportation network.

Historically, toll financing was pursued in instances where traditional public financing was

unavailable. In recent years, factors such as increasing population and declines in the growth of

traditional public transportation funding sources have placed renewed interest in toll financing

considerations. Although legislation has been in place to authorize the collection of tolls in Texas

since 1953, no thorough review or analysis has yet been pursued that comprehensively examines

the history, development, financial characteristics, and operational performance of toll facilities

in the state.

Today, four types of tolling authorities are allowable under state statute: regional toll authorities,

county toll authorities, regional mobility authorities (RMAs), and the Texas Department of

Transportation (TxDOT). Only one regional toll authority operates in Texas (i.e., the North

Texas Tollway Authority); however, seven county toll authorities and eight RMAs have been

created throughout the state. In addition, private entities are allowed to collect tolls in the state;

however, none of those public-private partnership facilities are profiled in this report.

Toll roads provide an alternative method of financing transportation construction and

operations costs. With the proliferation of toll roads in Texas over the past two decades and

plans to expand existing or build new tolled facilities across the state, this research documents

the history as well as the financial and operational performance of public Texas toll roads. It

further identifies how toll roads have impacted mobility.

Purpose of the Study

The purpose of this research is to provide the Texas Legislature and other elected officials

with a comprehensive summary of toll roads from a financial and operational perspective.

Findings from this research will aid in the determination of what future policies might be

needed, as well as potential funding opportunities for needed infrastructure investment

within Texas.

Study Scope

This project provides a historical assessment of toll roads in Texas, including a brief legislative

history of their development in this state, a brief review of the financial and operational

characters of each toll facility, and a comparison of these facilities with those in other states. The

major tolling authorities and toll roads in the state were examined, and profiles containing key

financial information were created. These include development and construction costs, financing

structure and obligations, revenue generation, operations, maintenance, and ongoing cash flows.

Using all of this information, researchers then developed a model to examine scenarios where

future toll revenues could be leveraged to finance other transportation improvements. This work

also included toll revenue leveraging strategies in Texas and other states.

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Researchers then focused on the impact of toll roads on urban mobility. For the urban areas in

Texas where toll roads are located, the overall impacts the tolled facilities have had on the

region’s mobility were assessed. Much of this effort was on modeling these impacts, and it

focused on capturing how travel has changed due to the existence of a toll road. This was done

using mobility measures including traffic volumes, vehicle miles traveled (VMT), and indices of

congestion and delay.

Preview of Report Organization/Content

In addition to this introduction, this report consists of five additional elements. These are:

1. Legislative background and history of toll roads in Texas.

2. Comparative summaries of toll revenues and average rates.

3. Basic profiles and financial performance of selected Texas toll roads.

4. Leveraging of toll revenues to finance other roadway improvements.

5. Mobility impacts of toll roads in Texas.

The legislature created the Texas Turnpike Authority in 1953 and abolished it in 1997. Since

1953, the following authorities have constructed, maintained, and operated toll facilities in

Texas:

North Texas Tollway Authority (NTTA).

Harris County Toll Road Authority (HCTRA).

TxDOT.

North East Texas Regional Mobility Authority (NET RMA).

Fort Bend County Toll Road Authority (FBCTRA).

Cameron County Regional Mobility Authority (CCRMA).

Central Texas Regional Mobility Authority (CTRMA).

Grand Parkway Transportation Corporation (GPTC).1

Table 1 provides an overview of 17 toll facilities comprising over 400 miles of highway

currently operational in Texas. The current statewide tolling revenue is $1.2 billion, a 10 percent

increase over 2012. The total debt service on existing toll roads (from NTTA, HCTRA, the

Central Texas Turnpike System [CTTS],2 and CTRMA) is an estimated annual average of

$968 million from 2015 to 2035. Taken as a percentage of all state-registered vehicles, both

personal and commercial, 30 percent of all vehicles have some form of toll tag. As a percentage

of personal vehicles, 40 percent have toll tags. In 2013, the last year for which complete data are

available, a total of 6.7 million toll tags were issued in the state.

1 The Grand Parkway Transportation Corporation is a non-profit Texas corporation created by the Texas

Transportation Commission, the governing body of TxDOT. 2 CTTS debt is issued by the Texas Transportation Commission, the governing body of TxDOT.

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Table 1. Texas Tolled Facilities Reviewed for This Report.

Toll Facility Toll

Authority/Regional Mobility Authority

Toll Road Length (Center

Lane Miles)

Date Facility

Opened*

Dallas North Tollway

NTTA

31.0 1968

President George Bush Turnpike 52.0 1977

Sam Rayburn Tollway (SH 121) 26.2 2006

Hardy Toll Road

HCTRA

23.0 1988

Sam Houston Tollway 70.0 1988

Westpark Tollway** 19.0 2004

Loop 1 North (Parmer Lane to SH 45 North)

TxDOT

4.0 2006

SH 255 (Camino Columbia) 21.5 2000

SH 45 North 12.8 2006

SH 130 Segments 1–4 49.0 2006

SH 45 Southeast 7.04 2009

Loop 49 NET RMA 26.3 2006

Fort Bend Parkway Toll Road** FBCTRA 8.2 2004

SH 550 CCRMA 14.9 2011

183A CTRMA

11.6 2007

Manor Expressway (Phase 1 and 2) 6.2 2014

SH 99 Segment E GPTC 14.4 2013 * Facility opening date refers to the date the toll facility opened to traffic; however, it is customary for a toll road

to operate without tolls—free to users—for a few weeks to allow drivers to become accustomed to the facility

and where it can be entered and exited. It is also typical after this start-up period for the toll road to operate with

discounted tolls (e.g., 50 percent of the full toll rate) for another few weeks to, again, allow drivers to continue to

experience the roadway but to begin associating a cost to the experience before the full toll rates are

implemented.

** Jointly operated by HCTRA and FBCTRA.

Source: Tolled facility statistics compiled by TTI.

Most, but not all, tolled facilities in the state were examined as part of this study. Toll bridges,

managed lanes (e.g., I-10 Katy Managed Lanes), and toll tunnels (e.g., Addison Airport Toll

Tunnel) were not examined independently in this study; however, they are included in the future

revenue forecasts provided by the agencies (with the exception of Loop 1 [MoPac] Managed

Lanes). Also, SH 99 Segment I-2A, operated by TxDOT, and public-private toll facilities (e.g.,

SH 130 Segments 5 and 6) were not profiled. These facilities operate and/or serve slightly

different purposes from the traditional toll. Table 2 summarizes facilities that were not included

in this study.

Profile information for the 17 toll roads listed in Table 1 was compiled and is incorporated in the

report.

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Table 2. Public Toll Facilities Not Reviewed in This Report.

Toll Road Authority Description

Katy Freeway Managed Lanes HCTRA Managed Lanes

Loop 1 (MoPac) Managed Lanes CTRMA Managed Lanes

North DFW Airport Connector SH 99 Segment I-2A

TxDOT Managed Lanes Tolled Lanes

Lake Lewisville Toll Bridge NTTA

Toll Bridge

Mountain Creek Toll Bridge Toll Bridge

Addison Airport Toll Tunnel Toll Tunnel

Data Used

The researchers primarily used historical financial statements, as well as traffic and revenue

studies and updates from each entity, to gather the pertinent information. Other research and

resources, such as Federal Highway Administration databases, were used for reference

throughout the report. Through the compilation of these documents, the researchers were able to

identify the project and revenue information needed for analysis.

Review of Financial Documents

Each agency responsible for the development and operations of toll roads reports its fiscal

position with annual financial statements (e.g., balance sheet, statement of revenues and

expenses, and cash flow statement). The researchers obtained financial statements from the

larger tolling agencies (CTTS, NTTA, HCTRA, and CTRMA), which were published on the

websites of each organization. Financial information was also provided by GPTC, NET RMA,

and FBCTRA. The review of the audited financial statements consisted primarily of the

examination and summarization of the annual operating and non-operating revenues and

expenses for each toll enterprise. There was no attempt to perform an independent audit of the

financial statements or to assess the financial position of a tolling agency in terms of solvency,

the maintaining of adequate reserves, or the future ability to meet the terms of its debt

obligations.

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Texas Legislation and Tolling

Despite a perception by some that the development of toll roads is a recent trend in Texas,

legislation authorizing toll roads in Texas dates back a half century. In 1953, during the 53rd

Legislative Session, the Texas Legislature authorized the creation of the Texas Turnpike

Authority. The passage of House Bill (HB) 4 authorized this authority to pursue toll road and

bridge projects throughout the state; however, most of the Texas Turnpike Authority’s efforts

were concentrated primarily in the Dallas-Fort Worth region. Members of the State Highway

Commission (the predecessor to the Texas Transportation Commission), together with six

persons appointed by the governor, served as directors of that authority.

Senate Bill (SB) 370, enacted into law during the 75th Legislative Session in 1997, abolished the

Texas Turnpike Authority and created a turnpike division within TxDOT to develop toll roads in

the state. This legislation also created NTTA and required the transfer of all Dallas-Fort Worth

region toll assets from the Texas Turnpike Authority over to NTTA (1). During subsequent

sessions, the legislature enacted new laws that addressed concerns regarding primacy3 and

private participation in toll road financing.

77th Legislative Session

During the 77th Texas Legislative Session, two bills of note were enacted into law. The purpose

of SB 342, among other things, was to remove the requirement for repayment from public

entities and to authorize TxDOT to expend funds for the cost of toll projects of public and

private facilities (2). SB 454 authorized the implementation of an automated enforcement system

at toll facilities and established criminal penalties for failure to pay a required toll or

administrative fee (2). Table 3 provides a brief summary of key toll road legislation enacted

during the 77th Legislative Session.

Table 3. 77th Legislative Session Key Toll Road Legislation (2001).

Bill Author Dates

Passed/Effective Caption

SB 342 Shapiro/ Alexander

June 2001/June 2001

Relating to the participation of TxDOT in the acquisition, construction, maintenance, and operation of toll facilities and RMAs

SB 454 Armbrister/ Alexander

June 2001/ Sept. 2001

Relating to the collection and enforcement of tolls on certain toll roads and toll projects; providing for civil and criminal penalties

Source: State legislative data compiled by TTI from http://www.statutes.legis.state.tx.us/.

3 Primacy in this context refers to when an authority has the first right of refusal in pursuing the development of a

tolled facility.

http://www.statutes.legis.state.tx.us/

13


During the 78th Legislative Session, several bills related to toll road infrastructure were enacted

into law. SB 903 required the Texas Transportation Commission and the governing body of each

local government entity or private entity that operates a toll project to adopt rules to allow a

military vehicle to use toll projects without payment of a toll or fare (3). HB 2384 amended the

Transportation Code to expand the applicability of certain provisions relating to unauthorized use

of toll roads to a county adjacent to a county with a population of more than 3.3 million (in other

words, allowed counties adjacent to Harris County the same administrative enforcement

capabilities that Harris County had). HB 3184, among other actions, amended provisions of the

Transportation Code to revise the authority of the Texas Transportation Commission and TxDOT

over the financing, construction, improvement, maintenance, and operation of turnpike projects

and to specify that the Texas Turnpike Division is responsible for promoting and coordinating

the development of turnpike projects (4). HB 3588 altered the direction for how transportation

would be funded in Texas by integrating existing transportation policies with new financing

mechanisms designed to accelerate project delivery and generate additional cash flow, including

comprehensive development agreements. Specifically, this legislation allowed private entities to

design, build, operate, and finance toll roads and revenue-producing rail systems, adding a new

dimension to the way transportation projects have previously been handled in Texas.

Notably, Article 2 of HB 3588 authorizes the Texas Transportation Commission to create RMAs

that localities can use to approve and generate revenue from regional transportation projects,

which in turn can be used to support future infrastructure investments (5). Article 5 of HB 3588

authorized the Texas Transportation Commission to issue state-owned bonds to fund other state

highway improvements. In addition, the legislation imposed regulatory fees on driver licenses,

increased court costs, increased motor vehicle sales taxes, and required project feasibility studies

to be completed on all potential transportation projects (5).

SB 716 amended Chapter 284 of the Transportation Code to allow eligible counties to construct,

operate, and maintain a toll road project that is located exclusively in adjacent counties, provided

that the action has been approved by the adjacent county’s commissioners court (6). SB 1463,

among other actions, amended the Transportation Code to authorize the Texas Transportation

Commission, under certain conditions and after a public hearing, to convey a non-toll state

highway or a segment of a non-toll state highway to a county or a toll road authority in the

county in which the state highway or segment is located. This legislation also authorizes the

Texas Transportation Commission to convey a non-toll state highway or a segment of a non-toll

state highway to a county or toll road authority in a county adjacent to the county in which the

highway or segment is located if the county or toll road authority in the county in which the

segment or highway is located approves the transfer. Finally, SB 1464, among other actions,

authorized HCTRA and the Harris County Commissioners Court to impose an administrative

cost for the collection of unpaid tolls (7). Table 4 provides a brief summary of key toll road

legislation enacted during the 78th Legislative Session.

14


Bill Author Dates


SB 903 Lindsay/Hamric May 2003/ Sept. 2003

Relating to the use of toll projects by military vehicles; creating an offense

HB 2384 Hegar/Janek June 2003/Effective Immediately

Relating to the unauthorized use of toll roads in certain counties

HB 3184 Hill/Barrientos June 2003/Effective Immediately

Relating to the financing, construction, improvement, maintenance, and operation of transportation and transportation facilities

HB 3588 Krusee et al. June 2003/Varies*

Relating to the construction, acquisition, financing, maintenance, management, operation, ownership, and control of transportation facilities and the progress, improvement, policing, and safety of transportation in the state

SB 716 Lindsay/Eiland June 2003/Effective Immediately

Relating to causeways, bridges, tunnels, turnpikes, and highways in certain counties bordering the Gulf of Mexico and in adjacent counties

SB 1463 Lindsay/Hamric June 2003/Effective Immediately

Relating to the conversion of a non-toll state highway to a toll facility

SB 1464 Lindsay/Hamric June 2003/ Sept. 2003

Relating to enforcement of the collection of certain tolls; providing a penalty

* HB 3588 took effect September 1, 2003 (except for articles 1, 2, 4, 6, 15, and 18, which took effect immediately);

Article 8 took effect June 1, 2005; Article 9 took effect September 1, 2005; Article 5 took effect after voters

approved HJR 28 (Proposition 14) in 2003.



During the 79th Legislative Session, one notable Senate bill enacted into law was SB 129, which

amended the Transportation Code to authorize TxDOT or an RMA to waive or reduce tolls on

state or regional turnpike projects for any vehicle or class of vehicles (8). Several notable House

bills were also enacted into law during the 79th Legislative Session. HB 1672, among other

provisions, amended the Transportation Code to provide that in a county with a population of

3.3 million or more, the money collected as court costs in connection with the unauthorized use

of toll roads is required to be deposited in the county treasury in a special fund to be

administered by the county or district attorney. HB 2139, among other provisions, established

various requirements between TxDOT and private entities. Specifically, this legislation expanded

provisions related to legislation authorizing the payment of pass-through tolls as reimbursement


15

for construction, maintenance, and operation activities for toll or non-tolled facilities on the state

highway system (9). HB 2650 amended the Transportation Code to authorize a local government

to enter into an agreement with TxDOT, an RMA, or a private entity under which the local

government assists in the financing of the construction, maintenance, and operation of a turnpike

project located in the local government’s jurisdiction in return for a percentage of the revenue

from the project (10). Finally, HB 2702, an omnibus bill, addressed several issues related to how

best to finance and deliver transportation projects (11). Table 5 provides a brief summary of key

toll road legislation enacted during the 79th Legislative Session.


Bill Author Dates


SB 129 Barrientos/ Dukes

May 2005/ Effective Immediately

Relating to certain exceptions to the requirement that the operator of a motor vehicle operated on a turnpike project pay the proper, full amount of the toll

HB 1672 Howard/ Janek

June 2005/ Effective Immediately

Relating to costs imposed in connection with the collection and enforcement of certain tolls

HB 2139 Phillips/ Wentworth


Relating to certain agreements by TxDOT involving pass-through tolls

HB 2650 Krusee/ Brimer

June 2005/ Sept. 2005

Relating to local government participation in the financing of turnpike projects

HB 2702 Krusee/ Staples


Relating to the construction, acquisition, financing, maintenance, management, operation, ownership, and control of transportation facilities and the progress, improvement, policing, and safety of transportation in this state; providing a penalty



During the 80th Legislative Session, SB 792 imposed a moratorium on comprehensive

development agreements (CDAs), with some exceptions, and implemented a range of changes to

CDA law. HB 570 amended the Transportation Code to prohibit an entity authorized by law to

acquire, design, construct, finance, operate, and maintain a toll project from using motor vehicle

registration or license plate information, including information obtained by the use of automated

enforcement technology, for purposes other than toll collection, collection enforcement, and

certain law enforcement purposes. This bill further provided that if the entity enters into an

agreement with an entity in another state that involves the exchange of this information, the


16

agreement must provide that the information may not be used for purposes other than those

described in the provisions of this bill (12). Table 6 provides a brief summary of key toll road

legislation enacted into law during the 80th Legislative Session.


Bill Author Dates


SB 792 Williams/ Smith, Wayne

May 2007/ June 11, 2007

Relating to the authority of certain counties and other entities with respect to certain transportation projects and to CDAs with regard to such projects; authorizing the issuance of bonds; providing penalties

HB 570 Leibowitz/ Carona

May 2007/ Effective Immediately

Relating to the use of motor vehicle registration or license plate information collected by a toll project entity


81st Legislative Session

During the 81st Legislative Session, several House bills were enacted into law. HB 2983 made

several changes to how motor vehicle rental information is transmitted in relation to the payment

of tolls. HB 3097 amended the Transportation Code, Business and Commerce Code, Code of

Criminal Procedure, Family Code, Finance Code, Government Code, Health and Safety Code,

Human Resources Code, Local Government Code, Occupations Code, Penal Code, and Tax

Code to create the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles (TxDMV) and subject it to the Texas

Sunset Act. Finally, HB 3139 amended the Transportation Code to authorize a toll project entity

to establish a discount program for electronic toll collection customers (13). Table 7 provides a

brief summary of key toll road legislation enacted into law during the 81st Legislative Session.


17

Table 7. 81st Legislative Session Key Toll Road Legislation (2009).

Bill Author Dates


HB 2983 Phillips/Hegar June 2006/ Sept. 2009

Relating to the electronic transmission of motor vehicle rental information in connection with the payment of tolls

HB 3097 McClendon et al./Carona

June 2006/ Sept. 2009

Relating to the creation, organization, governance, duties, and functions of TxDMV, including the transfer of certain duties to TxDMV and the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation, and to the regulation of certain franchised motor vehicle dealers; providing a penalty

HB 3139 Herrero et al./Van de Putte

June 2006/ Sept. 2009

Relating to discount programs for certain veterans provided by toll project entities


82nd Legislative Session

During the 82nd Legislative Session, several House bills were enacted into law. HB 1112,

among other actions, expanded the powers of RMAs. Specifically, this legislation authorized

RMAs to:

Participate in the state travel management program.

Borrow money from or enter into a loan agreement or other arrangement with any public

or private entity.

Pledge available funds to the payment of any obligations of the authority under an

authorized contract.

HB 1201 amended the Transportation Code to repeal the authority for the establishment and

operation of the Trans-Texas Corridor and amended that code and the Tax Code to remove

statutory references to the corridor (14). HB 1274 amended the Transportation Code to define

military vehicle for purposes of the exemption from the payment of a toll for an unmarked

military vehicle conducting or training for emergency operations (15).

Several Senate bills were also enacted into law during the 82nd Legislative Session. SB 19 added

a chapter to the Transportation Code to address the development of toll projects (other than

certain excluded projects) located in the territory of a local toll project entity (16). SB 246

amended Transportation Code provisions relating to toll collection services that a regional

tollway authority must provide for a toll project located in the boundaries of the authority (17).

SB 959 authorizes alternative tolling methods. SB 469 amended the Transportation Code to

require a regional tollway authority to use alternative tolling methods to permit the registered

owner of a vehicle that is driven or towed through a toll assessment facility to pay the toll at a


18

later date and establishes procedures to allow the authority to collect the toll within a certain time

frame (18). Finally, SB 1420, also known as the TxDOT Sunset Bill, included a provision

authorizing TxDOT and local tolling authorities to enter into public-private partnerships for

specific projects only (19). Table 8 provides a brief summary of key legislation enacted into law

during the 82nd Legislative Session.

Table 8. 82nd Legislative Session Key Toll Road Legislation (2011).

Bill Author Dates Passed/Effective Caption

HB 1112 Phillips/ Nichols

May 2011/According to Its Terms

Relating to the authority and powers of RMAs

HB 1201 Kolkhorst et al./Hegar

June 2011/Effective Immediately

Relating to repeal of authority for the establishment and operation of the Trans-Texas Corridor

HB 1274 Pena/ Wentworth


Relating to an exemption from the payment of a toll for unmarked military vehicles conducting or training for emergency operations

SB 19 Nichols/ Smith, Wayne


Relating to the development, financing, construction, and operation of certain toll projects

SB 246 Shapiro/ Harper-Brown


Relating to toll collection services provided by a regional tollway authority

SB 469 Nelson et al./ Patrick

June 2011/Sept. 2011 Relating to the collection of unpaid tolls by a regional tollway authority

SB 959 Wentworth/ Pickett

May 2011/Effective Immediately

Relating to toll collection and enforcement

SB 1420 Nichols et al./ Harper-Brown et al.

May 2011/According to Its Terms

Relating to the continuation and functions of TxDOT; providing penalties


83rd Legislative Session

During the 83rd Legislative Session, several House bills were enacted into law. HB 341 amended

the Transportation Code to require a regional tollway authority, in a statement or petition in

condemnation of real property, to exclude from the interest to be condemned all the oil, gas, and

sulphur that can be removed from beneath the real property (20). HB 1123 amended the

Transportation Code to make additional recipients of military license plates for extraordinary

service eligible for free or discounted use of a toll project (21). HB 2585 amended the

Transportation Code to make permanent the requirement that TxDOT and an applicable utility

share equally the cost of the relocation of a utility facility that is required by the improvement,

construction, or expansion of certain toll projects (22).


19

Several Senate bills were also enacted during the 83rd Legislative Session. SB 1029 made

several changes to state law regarding exceptions to how TxDOT can operate certain highway

projects (23). SB 1792 amended the Transportation Code and Government Code to establish

optional remedies for the nonpayment of tolls and administrative fees assessed by a toll project

entity. Table 9 provides a brief summary of key toll road legislation enacted into law during the

83rd Legislative Session.

Table 9. 83rd Legislative Session Key Toll Road Legislation (2013).

Bill Author Dates


HB 341 Pitts/ Nichols


Relating to the exclusion of certain mineral interests (oil, gas, and sulphur) from the property interests that may be condemned by a regional tollway authority

HB 1123 Herrero/ Rodriguez

June 2013/ Sept. 2013

Relating to discount programs for certain veterans provided by toll project entities

HB 2585 Harper-Brown et al./Paxton


Relating to the reimbursement of utilities for relocation of utility facilities following improvement or construction of certain tolled highways

SB 1029 Campbell et al./ Phillips


Relating to the conversion of a non-tolled state highway or segment of the state highway system to a toll project

SB 1489 Watson/ Phillips

May 2013/Effective Immediately

Relating to the powers and jurisdiction of an RMA

SB 1730 Nichols/ Phillips

June 2013/ Sept. 2013

Relating to CDAs of TxDOT or an RMA

SB 1792 Watson et al./Phillips


Relating to remedies for nonpayment of tolls for the use of toll projects authorizing a fee; creating an offense



20

Comparative Summary of Toll Revenue by Toll Facility

Two fundamental measures are used to determine the operational performance of a toll road: the

number of transactions and the amount of toll revenue generated for a given period. A

transaction occurs each time a vehicle passes a toll collection point. A vehicle traveling

southbound on SH 130, beginning in Georgetown, to the SH 45 Southeast interchange would

pass through four mainline toll plazas, generating four individual transactions in a single trip;

therefore, transactions and traffic volumes are not the same. Toll revenue is generally reported in

aggregate, for example, monthly or annual toll revenue. Some agencies calculate the average

revenue per transaction for internal information, but such a measure is highly toll road specific

and cannot be compared across multiple facilities with any statistical validity.

Limitations of the Comparisons

When reviewing toll road operational data, it is not possible to directly link the revenue totals

with the transaction data on a toll road because of the way transactions and revenues are

reported. Transactions are recorded in the period (e.g., day and month) in which they occur.

Revenue, however, is recorded differently based on the payment type. Specifically, transactions

using a transponder (e.g., TxTag™) are reported in the period in which they are earned, while

transactions incurred through video capture of the license plate (e.g., pay-by-mail or violations)

have their revenues recorded in the period in which they were received.

Also, when comparing toll transactions and revenues, it is important to understand that each

tolled facility was built for a specific reason and is highly influenced by its location, connection

to the greater regional transportation infrastructures, demographics, and several other factors. For

example, one toll road could have been constructed primarily to connect two underserved

communities, while another could have been built primarily to serve as an alternative route to

another highly congested, non-tolled road. In addition, the positive impact of a toll facility to an

area’s regional mobility and economy could be far greater than the nominal revenue generated

from the tolls alone. Therefore, the study authors determined that only a descriptive comparison

of total revenue and growth based on data provided by Texas toll authorities was appropriate for

this task.

Toll Revenue Data by Facility

With this in mind, Table 10 presents total toll revenue data by Texas toll facility from fiscal year

(FY) 2007 to FY 2013. In some cases, data were not readily available from public sources or not

received from the specific tolling agency.

21

Table 10. Summary of Annual Toll Revenues for Texas Toll Roads.

Facility

Total Revenue ($ Million)

FY 2007

FY 2008

FY 2009

FY 2010

FY 2011

FY 2012

FY 2013

SH 255 (Camino Columbia) N/A N/A $0.2 $0.6 $1.3 $1.4 $1.1

SH 45 North $4.6 $17.9 $19.9 $19.8 $20.3 $21.9 $29.1

SH 45 Southeast N/A N/A $0.5 $3.2 $3.6 $4.1 $4.3

SH 130 Segments 1–4 $5.6 $19.5 $27.1 $34.4 $36.2 $40.7 $54.5

Loop 1 (Parmer Lane to SH 45 North)

$6.1 $11.4 $11.9 $11.9 $12.3 $13.0 $16.1

Dallas North Tollway $102.6 $122.9 $137.5 $165.7 $179.2 $195.8 $205.1

President George Bush Turnpike

$103.3 $112.8 $118.7 $142.8 $155.1 $202.9 $223.9

Sam Rayburn Tollway (SH 121) N/A $12.7 $51.6 $78.9 $96.2 $110.4 $123.4

Hardy Toll Road $33.1 $40.7 $42.5 $44.1 $45.1 $45.9 $49.3

Sam Houston Tollway $287.5 $321.3 $330.7 $345.9 $356.2 $381.1 $406.7

Westpark Tollway $33.3 $41.9 $42.2 $39.9 $41.4 $42.8 $46.8

Fort Bend Parkway N/A N/A $1.6 $1.4 $1.5 $1.6 $1.7

183A (Manor Expy. Phase 1) N/A $15.3 $17.3 $20.2 $21.5 $23.6 $32.1

Loop 49 $0.1 $0.4 $0.6 $0.6 $0.7 $0.7 $0.7

It is logical to assume that the toll roads with the greatest amount of traffic have the highest

levels of toll revenues, and in general, that is true. Table 10 shows that the Sam Houston Tollway

received the highest yearly total toll revenue at $406.7 million in FY 2013 and carried some of

the highest traffic volumes. This is followed by the President George Bush Turnpike

($223.9 million), the Dallas North Tollway ($205.1 million), and the Sam Rayburn Tollway

($123.4 million), which also carry significant traffic.

Comparing Changes in Toll Revenues over Time

Again, merely comparing the annual toll revenues of one facility to another provides little

meaning other than to put perspective on the order of magnitude in total revenues. It is more

informative to observe the change in revenue for a single toll road over time. Table 11 presents

the year-over-year percent change in toll revenues.

22

Table 11. Annual Percent Change in Toll Revenue for Texas Toll Roads.

Facility Percent Change in Toll Revenue

FY 2008

FY 2009

FY 2010

FY 2011

FY 2012

FY 2013

SH 255 (Camino Columbia) 117% 8% −21%

SH 45 North 11% -1% 3% 8% 33%

SH 45 Southeast

13% 14% 5%

SH 130 Segments 1–4 39% 27% 5% 12% 34%

Loop 1 (Parmer Lane to SH 45 North)

4% 0% 3% 6% 24%

Dallas North Tollway 20% 12% 21% 8% 9% 5%

President George Bush Turnpike 9% 5% 20% 9% 31% 10%

Sam Rayburn Tollway (SH 121) 53% 22% 15% 12%

Hardy Toll Road 23% 4% 4% 2% 2% 7%

Sam Houston Tollway 12% 3% 5% 3% 7% 7%

Westpark Tollway 26% 1% −5% 4% 3% 9%

Fort Bend Parkway −10% 4% 8% 5%

183A (Manor Expy. Phase 1) 13% 17% 6% 10% 36%

Loop 49 69% 6% 5% 5% 7% Note: Years with partial data are not included in this table.

Table 11 shows that there are usually large percent increases in toll revenues when comparing

the first full year of operations to the second year. This is attributed to the ramp-up that occurs

after the opening of a new toll facility as drivers become aware of and accustomed to the new toll

road. This ramp-up period is expected and is accounted for within the feasibility and investment-

grade traffic and revenue forecasts. It is more telling to view the revenue growth rate after a few

years of stable operations.

The year-over-year increase in revenues cannot be solely attributed to gradual and predictable

increases in traffic. For example, the 183A toll road in Austin saw a notable increase in toll

revenue in FY 2013 that can be largely attributed to the fact that an extension of the toll road

opened during that year. This extension made the toll road attractive to more users, but it also

introduced additional tolling points, where additional tolls are generated, for the existing users

that are now traveling farther along the toll road. As another example, SH 130 Segments 1–4

noticed a marked increase in the toll revenues generated during FY 2013. This specific case of

markedly higher toll revenues is attributed to the opening of SH 130 Segments 5 and 6 (not part

of CTTS) for a completed bypass of the I-35 corridor through Austin and San Marcos, and to the

introduction of a substantial toll rate increase beginning January 1, 2013.

Figure 1 illustrates the growth in the number of registered passenger vehicles and motorcycles in

Texas, and the increasing numbers of electronic toll tags being issued by tolling entities.

23

Figure 1. Number of Registered Passenger Vehicles and Motorcycles and Toll Tags Issued

in Texas.

Toll Rates and Toll Revenues

Toll revenues tend to increase merely with the introduction of higher toll rates, even if traffic

declines slightly, because the initial higher toll rate might discourage some users. Numerous

examples and studies show that increasing toll rates actually increases toll revenues. For toll

roads in Texas and across the nation, analyses show that toll rates have elasticities of

approximately −0.35. For example, assume that 1,000 users pay $1 each for their toll on a toll

road. The resulting revenue would be $1,000 (1,000 × $1). The toll rate is then raised to $2 (a

100 percent increase in the toll), and the elasticity calculation predicts the volume of users would

decrease by 35 percent. Revenue, however, would actually increase to $1,300 (650 × $2). This

same type of result can also be seen in mass transit systems when bus, train, and subway fares

increase (24).

So what happens to those toll road users who stop using the facility due to the higher toll rates?

Although not as extensively studied, there is evidence that traffic volumes on the tolled facility

do recover to a large extent after a period of time. Some of the traffic recovery is due to the

annual traffic growth that occurs naturally for roadways. Another significant reason for the

24

traffic rebound is the fact that once people leave the tolled facility, they discover that the next

best alternative—either using a non-tolled route or changing transportation modes (e.g., bus

transit)—is not as desirable to them. They value the benefits of the toll road more than the cost of

the increased toll rate, and they eventually return to the tolled facility. Depending on the choice

of alternative routes and travel modes, a driver’s decision to go back to the toll road may occur

sooner rather than later. The frequency of toll rate increases and the amount of each increase do

impact the driver’s decision-making process.

Vehicle Mix and Toll Revenues

During the feasibility and planning phase for a toll road, core assumptions are made about the

number and percentage of various types of vehicles, as well as the toll rate each vehicle type will

incur, in order to forecast future toll revenues. Vehicle types are commonly defined by the

number of axles per vehicle or by their general shape. The toll rate charged to each vehicle type

is frequently based on a multiplier applied to a base vehicle type (e.g., a standard passenger car).

A typical toll multiplier would be as follows for these vehicle classifications:

1.00 for two-axle vehicles.

2.00 for three-axle vehicles.

3.00 for four-axle vehicles.

4.00 for five-axle vehicles.

5.00 for six-axle vehicles.

An example may be the most direct method of explaining how the vehicle mix and toll

multipliers affect revenues. As mentioned previously, several calculated assumptions are made to

estimate future annual traffic volumes and revenues of a toll road. Assume that five years after a

toll road opens, the traffic is anticipated to be 1,000,000 transactions per month, and for

simplicity, it is assumed 90 percent of the transactions are generated by passenger cars and

10 percent are generated by five-axle trucks. If the toll rate is $1 per transaction for a passenger

car, then the forecasted revenue would be as follows using the example multiplier:

(1,000,000 × 90% × $1) + (1,000,000 × 10% × $1 × 4.00) = $1,300,000

In five years when it is possible to observe actual toll road activity, the estimation of usage may

reveal that 1,000,000 transactions per month was a rather accurate forecast. However, the toll

revenues generated did not match expectations because the assumptions about vehicle mix were

not accurate. Even a small change in the actual vehicle types using the toll road can have a

significant impact on revenues, as illustrated in Table 12.

25

Table 12. An Example of the Impact of Vehicle Mix on Toll Revenues.

Monthly Transactions

Percent of Two-Axle Vehicles

(Passenger Cars)

Percent of Five-Axle Vehicles (Commercial

Trucks)

Toll Revenue

Generated by Cars

Toll Revenue

Generated by Trucks

Total Monthly

Toll Revenue

1,000,000 85% 15% $850,000 $600,000 $1,450,000

1,000,000 90% 10% $900,000 $400,000 $1,300,000

1,000,000 95% 5% $950,000 $200,000 $1,150,000

As shown in Table 12, although the usage of the toll road remained the same within the three

scenarios (i.e., 1,000,000 transactions per month), the toll revenue generated can fluctuate rather

significantly (±11.5 percent) in response to a rather small change in the vehicle mix (±5 percent).

Comparative Summary of Average Toll Rate per Mile

In an effort to better understand toll road performance from one facility to the next, it is desirable

to find a measure to compare toll roads with one another. As seen from Table 13, the toll roads in

Texas have a toll rate that ranges from $0.53 per mile to $0.08 per mile for a passenger vehicle.

Table 13 compiles the toll rates per mile for toll roads in Texas. The average cost per mile is

based on the toll rate for transactions conducted with an electronic tag and are presented for a

typical two-axle passenger vehicle and the traditional five-axle (i.e., tractor -trailer) truck. The

data are from toll facilities in operation as of January 1, 2013, and the toll rates in effect at that

time. Note that in some cases, a single toll road is divided up into segments in order to report the

variations in the cost per mile along its length.

As seen from Table 13, the toll roads in Texas have a toll rate that ranges from $0.53 per mile to

$0.08 per mile for a passenger vehicle.

26

Table 13. Average Toll Rate per Mile by Toll Tag in Texas.

Name of Facility Length in Miles

Average Passenger

Vehicle Cost per Vehicle

Mile

Average Truck Cost per Vehicle

Mile

Hardy Airport Connector (Harris County) 1.7 $0.53 $2.60

Manor Expressway—Phase 1* 1.2 $0.39 $1.18

Fort Bend Parkway Extension*** 8.3 $0.31 $1.27

Loop 1 (Parmer Lane to SH 45 North) 3.5 $0.26 $0.78

Manor Expressway—Phase 2* 5 $0.26 $0.77

US 183A 11.6 $0.25 $0.74

Westpark Tollway—Fort Bend County 6 $0.20 $0.80

SH 99 (Grand Parkway) Segment I-2A 6.6 $0.18 $0.53

Sam Houston Tollway East 7.3 $0.17 $0.72

SH 550 1 $0.17 $0.50

Chisholm Trail Parkway* 28.6 $0.16** $0.48**

SH 45 North 12.8 $0.16 $0.48

Dallas North Tollway 30.1 $0.16 $0.45

President George Bush Turnpike 29.7 $0.16 $0.45

President George Bush Turnpike—Western Extension

11.8 $0.16 $0.45

President George Bush Turnpike—Eastern Extension 9.9 $0.16 $0.45

Sam Rayburn Tollway 26.2 $0.16 $0.45

Loop 49 5.1 $0.15 $0.45

Sam Houston Tollway West 25.7 $0.15 $0.63

SH 45 Southeast 7.0 $0.15 $0.45

SH 130 Segments 1–4 49.0 $0.14 $0.42

Sam Houston Tollway—SE Belt 9.7 $0.13 $0.54

Hardy Toll Road 21.1 $0.12 $0.50

Sam Houston Tollway—SW Belt 10.9 $0.10 $0.46

SH 255 (Camino Colombia) 22.5 $0.09 $0.36

Westpark Tollway 13.2 $0.08 $0.37

Sam Houston Tollway NE 13 $0.08 $0.38 * These toll roads were not open to traffic until May 2014, and therefore sufficient revenue data were not

available at the time of reporting (25); however, they were included in the table to show how their toll cost

per mile rate will compare.

** For the most northern section of the Chisholm Trail Parkway, local residents elected to pay on additional

$0.04 per mile to pay for additional landscaping and other enhancements they wanted incorporated into the

project.

*** Fort Bend Parkway Extension consists of 6.2 miles in Harris County and 2.1 miles in Fort Bend County. The

cost per mile represents a weighted average of reported rates.

Note: Updated average passenger vehicle cost per vehicle mile for NTTA facilities was provided by NTTA.

27

Comparing Texas Toll Facilities to the Nation

To see how Texas non-interstate toll roads compare in context with other tolled facilities across

the United States, Table 14 summarizes average toll rates per mile for toll roads in Texas and the

nation. The average cost per mile is based on the toll rate for an electronic tag. Toll rates for

video tolling—pay-by-mail—are typically 25 to 50 percent higher.

Table 14. Comparison of Toll Rates for Non-interstate Toll Roads in the United States (26).

State Name of Facility Length in Miles

Average Passenger


Mile


Mile

New York Prospect Mountain Veterans Memorial Highway

5.9 $0.67 N/A*

Texas Fort Bend Parkway Extension 2.1 $0.63 $2.69

Texas Hardy Airport Connector 1.7 $0.53 $2.60

Puerto Rico

Rafael Martínez Nadal Expressway (PR 20)

1.6 $0.47 $0.34

California San Joaquin Hills Trans Corridor (Route 73)

15 $0.40 $1.80

Colorado Pikes Peak Toll Road 19 $0.39 $0.39

Texas Manor Expressway—Phase 1 1.2 $0.39 $1.18

Colorado Northwest Parkway 11 $0.29 $1.23

California Route 91 Express Lanes 10 $0.28 $0.00

Florida Miami Airport Expressway 4.1 $0.26 $1.08

Texas Loop 1 North (Parmer Lane to SH 45N) 3.5 $0.26 $0.78

Texas Manor Expressway—Phase 2 5 $0.26 $0.77

California Foothill Trans. Corridor (Route 241) 28 $0.25 $1.00

Puerto Rico

Expreso Rio Hondo (PR 5) 2.1 $0.25 $0.99

Texas US 183A 11.6 $0.25 $0.74

Colorado E-470 47 $0.24 $1.35

Florida John Land—Apopka Expressway (SR 414)

5 $0.23 $0.44

Florida Homestead Extension of Florida Turnpike

47.9 $0.20 $0.20

South Carolina

Cross Island Parkway (US 278) 7.5 $0.20 $0.67

Texas Westpark Tollway—Fort Bend County 6 $0.20 $0.80

Texas Fort Bend Parkway Extension—Fort Bend County

6.2 $0.20 $0.80

Florida Holland East-West Expressway 22.4 $0.19 $0.37

28


Average Passenger


Mile


Mile

Florida Goldenrod Road Extension 2.7 $0.19 $0.19

Alabama Foley Beach Express 8.5 $0.18 $3.50

Texas SH 99 (Grand Parkway) Segment I-2 6.6 $0.18 $0.53

Florida Daniel Webster—Western Beltway Part C

22 $0.17 $0.13

Texas Sam Houston Tollway East 7.3 $0.17 $0.72

Texas SH 550 1 $0.17 $0.50

Texas Chisholm Trail Parkway 28.6 $0.16 $0.48

Texas SH 45 North 12.8 $0.16 $0.48

Texas Dallas North Tollway 30.1 $0.15 $0.45

Texas Sam Houston Tollway West 25.7 $0.15 $0.63

Texas President George Bush Turnpike 29.7 $0.15 $0.45

Texas President George Bush Turnpike—Western Extension

11.8 $0.15 $0.45

Texas President George Bush Turnpike—Eastern Extension

9.9 $0.15 $0.45

Texas Loop 49 5.1 $0.15 $0.45

Texas Sam Rayburn Tollway (SH 121) 25.5 $0.15 $0.45

Texas SH 130 Segments 5 and 6 $0.15 $0.45

Florida Central Florida Greenway (SR 417) 33.4 $0.14 $0.27

Texas SH 45 Southeast 10 $0.14 $0.53

Texas SH 130 Segments 1–4 49 $0.14 $0.42

Florida Beachline Expressway 22.5 $0.13 $0.19

Florida Polk Parkway (SR 570) 24.4 $0.13 $0.42

Texas Sam Houston Tollway—SE Belt 9.7 $0.13 $0.54

Florida Veterans Expressway (SR 589) 12.2 $0.12 $0.35

Florida Seminole Expressway 17.5 $0.12 $0.36

Texas Hardy Toll Road 21.1 $0.12 $0.50

Florida Southern Connector Extension 5.1 $0.10 $0.32

New Jersey

New Jersey Turnpike (Mainline) 37.7 $0.10 $0.52

Texas Sam Houston Tollway—SW Belt 10.9 $0.10 $0.46

Florida Sawgrass Expressway (SR 869) 21.7 $0.09 $0.27

Florida Lee Roy Selmon Crosstown Expressway 14.2 $0.09 $0.24

Oklahoma John Kilpatrick Turnpike 25.3 $0.09 $0.38

Texas SH 255 (Camino Colombia) 22.5 $0.09 $0.36

Florida Gratigny Parkway 5.4 $0.08 $0.24

Florida Snapper Creek Expressway 3 $0.08 $0.11

29


Average Passenger


Mile


Mile

Florida Suncoast Parkway (SR 589) 41.4 $0.08 $0.22

Oklahoma Creek Turnpike 34.4 $0.08 $0.33

Oklahoma Cherokee Turnpike 32.8 $0.08 $0.32

Texas Westpark Tollway 13.2 $0.08 $0.37

Texas Sam Houston Tollway NE 13 $0.08 $0.38

Florida Beachline West 8.4 $0.07 $0.22

Florida Osceola Parkway 12.4 $0.06 $0.84

Florida Florida Turnpike—Mainline 266 $0.06 $0.19

Oklahoma Muskogee Turnpike 53.1 $0.06 $0.20

Florida East-West (Dolphin) Expressway 14 $0.05 $0.15

New Jersey

Garden State Parkway 148.4 $0.05 $0.30

New York Gov. Thomas E. Dewey Thruway Berkshire Section

5.6 $0.05 $0.24

Oklahoma Indian Nation Turnpike 105.2 $0.05 $0.21

Florida South Dade (Don Shula) Expressway 7.2 $0.04 $0.10

Oklahoma Cimarron Turnpike 67.7 $0.04 $0.20

Oklahoma Chickasaw Turnpike 17.3 $0.04 $0.14

Florida Beachline East (Central Florida Expressway)

15 $0.03 $0.01

New Jersey

Atlantic City Expressway 31.5 $0.03 $0.08

* No trucks are allowed on this roadway.

30

Texas Toll Road Profiles

As a consolidated and quick reference, this section of the report contains brief profiles of tolling

entities and individual toll roads in Texas. The toll roads are organized under the entity

responsible for their current operations. Each profile includes the following information:

location, physical description, governance, project delivery, financing, and timeline.

North Texas Tollway Authority

As discussed previously, in 1997, the Texas Legislature created NTTA under Chapter 366 of the

Texas Transportation Code (1). Effective September 1, 1997, NTTA became the successor

agency to the Texas Turnpike Authority and succeeded to all assets, rights, liabilities, and other

property of the Texas Turnpike Authority located in Collin, Dallas, Denton, Johnson, and Tarrant

Counties. NTTA also assumed and became liable for all duties and obligations related to the

Texas Turnpike Authority at the time.

NTTA is authorized and empowered by the Regional Tollway Authority Act to construct,

maintain, repair, and operate turnpike projects within Collin, Denton, Dallas, and Tarrant

Counties. NTTA is further authorized to issue turnpike revenue bonds,4 payable solely from tolls

and other NTTA revenue, for the purpose of paying all or part of the cost of a turnpike project.

The NTTA System consists of the following toll facilities (illustrated in Figure 2) (27):

Dallas North Tollway.

Addison Airport Toll Tunnel.

President George Bush Turnpike.

Mountain Creek Lake Bridge.

Sam Rayburn Tollway.

Lewisville Lake Toll Bridge.

Chisholm Trail Parkway (Special Projects System).

4 A revenue bond in this context refers to a type of bond that is repaid from revenues generated primarily from a

tolled facility only.

31

Source: NTTA 2013 Final Budget.

Figure 2. North Texas Tollway Authority Facility Map.

32

Facility Development Cost and Financing Structure

The Texas Turnpike Authority (TTA) used a $58 million bond issue in 1954 to begin

constructing the Dallas-Fort Worth Turnpike. Subsequently, the authority issued another round

of bonds in 1965 that were used to fund the Dallas North Tollway (DNT). The tolls on the

Dallas-Fort Worth Turnpike were removed in 1978 and the road redesignated as I-30.

Since the transfer, NTTA has issued several bonds to fund the President George Bush Turnpike

(PGBT), the Sam Rayburn Tollway (SRT), and other projects. In order to consolidate the debt

issued by NTTA, the authority used a $5.3 billion system revenue bond issue by leveraging its

entire system to reduce investment risk for existing and new projects. Table 15 provides an

overview of the financial structure for three toll facilities on the NTTA System. Table 16

presents a historical review of NTTA’s outstanding debt by type by fiscal year (28).

Table 15. NTTA Toll Facility Financial Structure.

Toll Road Date Open

Cost of Construction

Financing Mechanism

Dallas North Tollway 1968 Information Not Available

Information not available


1998 $2.8 Billion

Section 129 loan, TTA toll-backed revenue bonds, TTA capital improvement fund, right-of-way donation, TxDOT contributions, system revenue bonds, TIGER 1, TIFIA loan

Sam Rayburn Tollway

2006

Purchased by NTTA for $3.2 Billion from TxDOT

NTTA used $3.5 billion in bond anticipation notes (BANs) and then paid off the BANs with a system bond issue of $5.3 billion in revenue refunding bonds

33

Table 16. Summary of NTTA Outstanding Obligations (in Millions of Dollars).

Year Revenue

Bonds

Bond Anticipation

Notes

Commercial Paper Notes

Payable

TxDOT ISTEA Loan

TxDOT Loan

Payable

Total Debt Amount

2003 $1,139 - - $135.0 $4.6 $1,278 2004 $1,125 - - $135.0 $4.6 $1,265 2005 $1,420 - - $135.0 $4.6 $1,560 2006 $1,390 - $25.0 $135.0 $4.6 $1,554 2007 $1,368 $3,487 $75.0 $135.0 $4.6 $5,070 2008 $6,150 - $89.7 $135.0 $4.6 $6,380 2009 $7,122 - $5.2 $146.6 $4.6 $7,278 2010 $7,543 - $119.0 $142.9 - $7,805 2011 $7,555 - $56.3 $140.6 - $7,752 2012 $7,556 - $38.3 $138.3 - $7,732

Historical Revenue Generation

NTTA owns and operates several tolled facilities. The DNT, PGBT, SRT (previously SH 121),

Mountain Creek Lake Bridge, Addison Airport Toll Tunnel, and Lewisville Lake Toll Bridge

compose what is referred to as the NTTA System. A separate enterprise fund of NTTA called the

Special Projects System is comprised of the PGBT Western Extension and the Chisholm Trail

Parkway. For the purposes of this report, only the revenues of the major tolled facilities are

reported.

NTTA reports revenue generation on an annual basis as shown in Table 17. The revenue

performance of the three major NTTA toll roads indicates the following:

The DNT grew 100 percent in revenue from 2007 to 2013, which represents an average

year-over-year growth rate of 16.7 percent.

The PGBT grew 117 percent in revenue from 2007 to 2013, which represents an average


The SRT grew 139 percent from 2009 to 2013, which represents an average year-over-

year growth rate of 27.8 percent.

34

Table 17. NTTA Historical Revenue Generation (in Millions of Dollars).

Fiscal Year Dallas North

Tollway President George

Bush Turnpike Sam Rayburn

Tollway

2007 $102.60 $103.30 N/A

2008 $122.90 $112.80 $12.70

2009 $137.50 $118.70 $51.60

2010 $165.70 $142.80 $78.90

2011 $179.20 $155.10 $96.20

2012 $195.80 $202.90 $110.40

2013 $205.10 $223.90 $123.40 Source: Data compiled by TTI from historical NTTA financial statements.Expenses and Obligations

From the audited financial statements published by NTTA, the researchers summarized the data

to compile a simplified statement of revenues and expenses in order to obtain an annual snapshot

of the yearly financial activities of NTTA. Revenues and expenditures were categorized as either

operating or non-operating based on the activities the items were associated with. The simplified

summary of revenues and expenses for NTTA is presented in Table 18.

NTTA reported revenues and expenses for the entire agency until 2011 when NTTA created two

separate enterprise funds as previously mentioned, the NTTA System and Special Projects

System. The summary of expenses in Table 18 combines the NTTA System and the Special

Projects System. A closer examination of the revenues, expenses, and, in particular, debt

obligations of the separate enterprise funds will be provided.

Table 18. NTTA Income Statement (in Millions of Dollars).

(Simplified statement of revenues and expenses compiled by TTI from

audited financial statements published by NTTA)

FY

2005 FY

2006 FY

2007 FY

2008 FY

2009 FY

2010 FY

2011 FY

2012 FY

2013

Operating Revenue

$177.6 $198.1 $210.7 $250.0 $307.6 $383.9 $455.1 $515.4 $623.9

Non-operating Revenue

$15.6 $21.5 $20.2 $149.9 $27.8 $25.7 $19.9 $26.4 $29.4

Contributions/ Transfers In

$0.0 $0.0 $25.0 $0.0 $67.1 $57.8 $128.5 $497.2 $131.5

Total Revenues $193.2 $219.6 $255.8 $399.9 $402.5 $467.4 $603.5 $1,039.0 $784.8

Operating Expenses

$94.2 $116.2 $132.8 $137.5 $126.4 $125.7 $157.2 $159.0 $155.3

Non-operating Expenses5

$65.7 $62.1 $62.9 $322.6 $463.3 $459.0 $1,004.1 $538.9 $627.5

Transfers Out $0.0 $25.0 $0.0 $0.0 $0.0 $0.2 $0.0 $0.0 $0.0

Total Expenses $159.9 $203.3 $195.7 $460.1 $589.7 $584.8 $1,161.3 $697.9 $782.9

Source: Data compiled by TTI from NTTA System Annual Financial Reports and Special Projects Annual Financial

Reports (29).

5 Non-operating expenses include construction costs and do not reflect the annual cost of operating the system.

35

The following pages profile the following NTTA facilities in further detail:6

Dallas North Tollway.

President George Bush Turnpike.

Sam Rayburn Tollway (SH 121).

6 Due to data and project scope limitations, only selected facilities were profiled in this report.

36

Dallas North Tollway

Location

The Dallas North Tollway is a connection for

motorists between downtown Dallas and Collin,

Denton, and the northern Dallas Counties. The

roadway spans from I-35 in Dallas County to

US 380 in Collin County.

Physical Description

The DNT is 31 miles in length and consists of

six lanes (Figure 3). Major intersections include

the President George Bush Turnpike and the

Sam Rayburn Tollway.

Figure 3. Dallas North Tollway Map.

Governance

The DNT is owned and operated by NTTA.

Upon the DNT’s opening in 1968, researchers

were only able to collect data from 2007 through

2013. For this time period, transactions for the

total facility have increased from 195 million in

2007 to 233 million in 2013.

Project Delivery

Information is not available.

Financing


Project Timeline

1968: Original construction from downtown to

I-635 begins.

1987: Briargrove Lane addition is completed.

1994: Sam Rayburn Tollway is completed.

2004: Gaylord Parkway is completed.

2007: Extension to Highway 380 is completed.

Operational Performance

Fiscal Year

Total Transactions

(Million)

Total Revenue

($ Million)

2007 195.4 $102.6

2008 207.3 $122.9

2009 205.0 $137.5

2010 205.8 $165.7

2011 215.6 $179.2

2012 230.3 $195.8

2013 233.2 $205.1

37


Location

The President George Bush Turnpike functions

as an outer loop around Dallas County, while

also serving Collin and Denton Counties. The

corridor spans from I-35 at the Dallas/Tarrant

County border to I-30 near Dallas/Rockwall

County. Major intersections include I-30, Belt

Line Road, I-635, I-35, the DNT, and US 75.


The PGBT consists of six lanes for most of the

52-mile corridor (Figure 4). It is generally

divided into three sections: Main, Eastern

Extension, and Western Extension.

Figure 4. President George Bush Turnpike

Map.

Governance

The turnpike is owned and operated by NTTA.

Project Delivery

All three sections were constructed by NTTA

(the Eastern and Western Extensions were in part

constructed by TxDOT):

Main—$530.5 million.

Eastern Extension—$1.05 billion.

Western Extension—$1.2 billion.

Financing

The Main Section was constructed for

$530.5 million and was financed by a

Section 129 loan, TTA toll-backed revenue

bonds, TTA Capital Improvement Fund, and

local right-of-way donations. The East Extension

was constructed for $1.05 billion and financed by

NTTA toll-backed revenue bonds, TxDOT, and

city contributions. The final West Extension was

constructed for $1.2 billion and financed by

system revenue bonds, a TIFIA loan, TIGER

1TIFIA, and equity.

Project Timeline

1998: PGBT staged opening begins between

Preston and Midway.

2006: PGBT is completed.

October 2008: Construction begins on Eastern

Extension.

February 2010: NTTA Board authorizes

agreement with TxDOT for Western Extension.

December 2011: Eastern Extension opens to

traffic.

October 2012: Final Western Extension phase

opens to traffic.

December 2012: Final Western Extension

connector opens.


Fiscal Year

Total Transactions

(Million)

Total Revenue

($ Million)

2007 183.1 $103.3

2008 180.7 $112.8

2009 175.4 $118.7

2010 181.6 $142.8

2011 192.4 $155.1

2012 237.4 $202.9

2013 250.8 $223.9

38

Sam Rayburn Tollway

Location

The Sam Rayburn Tollway (Figure 5) is a

26-mile corridor extending through the cities of

Allen, Carrolton, Fairview, Frisco, Lewisville,

McKinney, Plano, and The Colony.


With six lanes, three in each direction, the SRT

(also known as SH 121) begins at I-35 East,

intersects with the DNT, and ends at the

intersection of the South Central Expressway.

Governance

The tollway is owned and operated by NTTA.

Project Delivery

The roadway was purchased in 2007 by NTTA

from TxDOT for $3.2 billion.

Financing

For the SRT, NTTA used $3.5 billion in BANs

to purchase the tollway from TxDOT. The

BANs were then refunded into long-term system

debt of $5.3 billion, which included the BANs

and approximately $700 million of non-SRT

refunded debt.

Project Timeline

August 2006: Denton Tap to Old Denton is

completed.

August 2008: Old Denton to Hillcrest is

completed.

September 2008: SH 121 is purchased by

NTTA and becomes SRT.

September 2009: Hillcrest to Hardin is

completed.

March 2011: Harding to East of US 75 is

completed.

October 2011: First four ramps of SRT/DRT

Interchange is completed.

November 2011: Last four ramps of SRT/DRT

Interchange is completed.


Fiscal Year

Total Transactions

(Million)

Total Revenue

($ Million)

2008 19.2 $12.7

2009 69.5 $51.6

2010 89.3 $78.9

2011 99.4 $96.2

2012 111.6 $110.4

2013 120.0 $123.4

Figure 5. Sam Rayburn Tollway Map.

39

Harris County Toll Road Authority

HCTRA was established in 1983 by the Harris County Commissioners Court pursuant to

Chapter 284 of the Texas Transportation Code, and voters in the county approved $900 million

in bonds to be issued by the authority for the purpose of building and maintaining toll roads. The

Hardy Toll Road was completed in 1987, and the western segment of the Sam Houston Tollway

was completed in 1990. In 1994, HCTRA purchased the Jesse H. Jones Memorial Bridge toll

facility from the Texas Turnpike Authority, and in 2004, HCTRA opened the Westpark Tollway.

In 2009, the Katy Managed Lanes were opened for full operations.

HCTRA, a division of the Harris County Public Infrastructure Department, is an enterprise fund

of the county and relies on charges from users of the toll road system to fund operations, debt

service, and future transportation projects.

The following toll facilities are operated by HCTRA (illustrated in Figure 6) (30):

Sam Houston Tollway.

Hardy Toll Road.

Westpark Tollway (Harris County segment only).

Fort Bend Parkway (Harris County segment only).

Source: HCTRA.

Figure 6. Harris County Toll Road Authority Facility Map.

40


In 1987, the Hardy Toll Road became the first road to be completed by HCTRA. In 1990, the

Sam Houston Tollway became the second toll road to open under the authority’s control. Since

its creation, HCTRA has used its bond-issuing authority to construct the entire Beltway 8 (i.e.,

Sam Houston Parkway), the Westpark Tollway, and the Hardy Toll Road. As of February 2013,

the authority still has over $15 million in available bond-issuing authority from the initial

approval in 1983. In order to finance all of the projects that HCTRA has taken on over the years,

Harris County and TxDOT have used bond issues and transfers to the authority to help with

specific projects. Harris County used over $230 million in tax and revenue bonds to assist with

the financing of the Sam Houston Ship Channel Bridge in 1994. Table 19 provides an overview

of the financial structure for three HCTRA toll facilities.

Table 19. HCTRA Toll Facility Financial Structure.

Toll Road Date Open


Financing Mechanism

Hardy Toll Road 1988 $365.9 Million Paid for by revenue and tax-supported debt

Westpark Tollway 2004 $240–260 Million Bond sales, existing toll road funds, and pass-through financing

Sam Houston Tollway 1988 Varies by Section Bond sales, toll revenues, and contributions from other agencies


HCTRA reports revenue on an annual basis as shown in Table 20. The revenue performance of

the three major HCTRA toll roads indicates the following:

The Hardy Toll Road grew 165 percent in revenue from 2005 to 2013, which represents

an average year-over-year growth rate of 20.6 percent.

The Westpark Tollway grew 103 percent in revenue from 2006 to 2013, which represents


The Sam Houston Tollway grew 58 percent in revenue from 2005 to 2013, which

represents an average year-over-year growth rate of 7.8 percent.

41

Table 20. HCTRA Historical Revenue Generation (in Millions of Dollars).

Fiscal Year Hardy Toll Road Westpark Tollway Sam Houston

Tollway

2005 $18.59 $8.73 $256.71

2006 $31.95 $23.04 $271.25

2007 $33.09 $33.32 $287.47

2008 $40.74 $41.87 $321.34

2009 $42.51 $42.23 $330.69

2010 $44.10 $39.92 $345.94

2011 $45.06 $41.43 $356.19

2012 $45.85 $42.79 $381.12

2013 $49.25 $46.83 $406.72

Source: Data compiled by TTI from historical HCTRA financial statements.

Expenses and Obligations

From the audited financial statements published by HCTRA, the researchers summarized the

data to compile a simplified statement of revenues and expenses in order to obtain an annual

snapshot of the yearly financial activities of HCTRA. Revenues and expenditures were

categorized as either operating or non-operating based on the activities the items were associated

with. The simplified summary of revenues and expenses for HCTRA is presented in Table 21.

Table 21. HCTRA Income Statement (in Millions of Dollars).

(Simplified statement of revenues and expenses by TTI)

FY 2004

FY 2005

FY 2006

FY 2007

FY 2008

FY 2009

FY 2010

FY 2011

FY 2012

FY 2013

FY 20147

Operating Revenue

$265.9 $317.7 $349.3 $394.6 $430.2 $443.0 $456.7 $482.2 $525.4 $560.7 $610.2

Non-operating Revenue

$11.1 $6.3 $20.8 $40.1 $53.8 $42.3 $35.5 $14.5 $40.4 $27.9 $6.1

Contributions/Transfers In

$15.2 $12.5 $3.1 $3.1 $3.1 $9.3 $7.2 $4.1 $0.6 $0.1 $0

Total Revenues

$292.2 $336.6 $373.3 $437.9 $487.0 $494.6 $499.5 $500.8 $566.3 $588.7 $616.3

Operating Expenses

$104.7 $100.3 $119.4 $159.6 $155.3 $184.5 $227.1 $218.0 $217.3 $235.4 $252.1

Non-operating Expenses

$109.3 $113.1 $110.8 $117.1 $117.6 $121.2 $132.9 $145.3 $151.4 $150.7 $133.9

Transfers Out $67.5 $20.1 $20.2 $31.1 $120.5 $120.2 $127.1 $124.4 $133.5 $120.0 $121.0

Total Expenditures

$281.5 $233.5 $250.5 $307.8 $393.5 $426.0 $487.2 $487.6 $502.2 $506.1 $507.1

Source: Data compiled by TTI from HCTRA Basic Financial Statements from FY 2004–2014 (31).

7 HCTRA also reports FY 2014 expenses as $226.9 million in debt service and $132.5 million in operations and

maintenance.

42

The following pages profile the following HCTRA facilities in further detail:

Hardy Toll Road.

Sam Houston Tollway.

Westpark Tollway (Harris County segment only).

43

Hardy Toll Road

Location

The Hardy Toll Road (Figure 7) runs northwest

to southeast located north of downtown Houston

from I-610 to I-45 at the Harris County line.


The toll road is 21 miles in length with an

additional 3 miles connecting to George Bush

Intercontinental Airport. The roadway varies

between four and six divided lanes.

Governance

The Hardy Toll Road is owned and operated by

HCTRA.

Project Delivery

Total project cost was $365.9 million paid for by

revenue and tax-supported debt. The 3-mile

airport connector was constructed for

$31.7 million.

Financing


Project Timeline

1984: Construction begins.

1988: Hardy Toll Road is completed.

2000: Airport connector opens in January.

2013: Final design phase of downtown

connector is completed.

2015: Expected design phase of widening from

FM 1960 to Grand Parkway.


Fiscal Year

Total Transactions

(Million)

Total Revenue

($ Million)

2005 32.5 $18.6

2006 33.6 $31.9

2007 34.0 $33.1

2008 37.9 $40.7

2009 36.6 $42.5

2010 37.1 $44.1

2011 37.4 $45.1

2012 38.0 $45.9

2013 39.7 $49.3

Figure 7. Hardy Toll Road Map.

44

Sam Houston Tollway

Location

The Sam Houston Tollway (Figure 8) is an outer

loop around the city of Houston and surrounding

areas. The non-tolled portions of the tollway are

known as Beltway 8. The tollway crosses over

the Houston Ship Channel and I-10 E to SH 225.


Extending 70 miles in length, the roadway has

major interchanges and connections that include

SH 225 in Pasadena, and I-45, I-69/US 59, and

I-10 in Houston. The Sam Houston Tollway has

two to four lanes in each direction.

Figure 8. Sam Houston Tollway Map.

Governance

This toll road is owned and operated by

HCTRA.

Project Delivery


Financing

TxDOT paid $90 million for the construction of

the segment between SH 225 and US 59. The

northeast section was constructed for

$400 million and was financed entirely by toll

revenue.

Project Timeline

1982: Houston Ship Channel toll bridge opens

in May.

1985: Groundbreaking is held.

1988: First segment opens.

1989: Second segment opens.

1990: Third segment opens, and toll road is

complete.

2000: Airport connector opens.

2005: Expansion to eight main lanes on the west

and north sides is completed.

2011: Last remaining section in the northeast is

completed.


Fiscal Year

Total Transactions

(Million)

Total Revenue

($ Million)

2005 252.0 $256.7

2006 270.0 $271.3

2007 281.6 $287.5

2008 288.2 $321.3

2009 272.0 $330.7

2010 281.8 $345.9

2011 286.4 $356.2

2012 309.8 $381.1

2013 322.2 $406.7

45

Westpark Tollway

Location

The Westpark Tollway (Figure 9) spans from

I-610 to FM 1464 in Harris County and from

FM 1464 to west of SH 99 in Fort Bend County.

An extension of the Westpark Tollway in Fort

Bend County, from SH 99 to FM 723 tapering

off to east of the FM 1463/FH 359 intersection,

is currently in the design-build phase.

Construction is set to begin in 2015.


Currently, the four-lane roadway is 19 miles in

length, with major interchanges and connections

at SH 99, SH 6, Beltway 8, and US 59.

Figure 9. Westpark Tollway Map.

Governance

The Westpark Tollway is owned and operated

jointly by HCTRA and FBCTRA.

Project Delivery

The tollway project was constructed through a

design-bid-build contract at a cost of $240–

260 million.

Financing

Financing the roadway was done through bond

sales and existing toll road funds. There is an

estimated reimbursable value of $36.7 million to

Fort Bend County, which pays the remaining

balance.

Project Timeline

2001: Phase 1 groundbreaking is held.

2003: Phase 2 groundbreaking is held.

2004: Phase 1 opens.

2005: Phase 2 opens (remaining 5 miles into

Fort Bend County).

2014: Proposed construction start of extension

from SH 99 to FM 1463.

2015–2016: Proposed construction end.


Fiscal Year

Total Transactions

(Million)

Total Revenue

($ Million)

2005 12.7 $8.7

2006 30.3 $23.0

2007 41.6 $33.3

2008 46.0 $41.9

2009 42.0 $42.2

2010 39.3 $39.9

2011 39.5 $41.4

2012 41.2 $42.8

2013 43.6 $46.8

46

Texas Department of Transportation

In 1953, the Texas Legislature created the original Texas Turnpike Authority as an independent

entity with statewide authority to construct toll roads and bridges. SB 370, enacted into law in

1997, subsequently abolished the old Texas Turnpike Authority and created a turnpike authority

division, the Texas Turnpike Authority Division, within TxDOT to develop toll road facilities in

the state. This bill also established the regional NTTA and transferred to it all Texas Turnpike

Authority assets in certain North Texas counties (32).

In 2011, toll facility duties originally housed within the TxDOT Texas Turnpike Authority

Division were transferred to the Toll Operations Division (TOD). This division now handles the

transaction processing, toll tag registration, customer service, toll equipment management, and

all other back-office services for toll roads owned and operated by TxDOT and GPTC. In

addition to CTTS facilities, TxDOT TOD handles the transaction processing and violation

processing for Loop 49, the portion of SH 99 Segment D within Harris County, SH 99

Segments E and I-2A, and the SH 255 Camino Columbia toll roads. The Strategic Project

Division of TxDOT is now responsible for the procurement, development, and delivery of

TxDOT-owned toll roads and the development of public-private partnership agreements in the

form of CDAs.

TxDOT owns and operates CTTS facilities, which include Loop 1 North (Parmer Lane to

SH 45N), SH 130 Segments 1–4, SH 45 North, and SH 45 Southeast, as shown in Figure 10. In

addition, TxDOT owns and operates SH 255 (Camino Colombia) near Laredo and SH 99

Segment I-2A in the east Houston area.8

8 Information about facility development costs, financing structure, and historical revenue generation for SH 255

(Camino Columbia) and SH 99 Segment I-2A is not included in this report due to data and project scope limitations.

47

Source: TxDOT.

Figure 10. Central Texas Turnpike System Facility Map.


Four toll facilities make up CTTS. Table 22 shows the individual toll roads of CTTS including

the year they opened to traffic, the reported cost of construction, and the original financing

method for the roads. Bonds issued in 2002, as well as others associated with the funding of

CTTS, were refunded by the revenue from sale of newly issued bonds in 2012. In 2013, debt

included $1.6 billion in revenue bond debt and $1.1 billion under the TIFIA program (33). Table

23 summarizes this bond information.

48

Table 22. CTTS Financial Structure.

Toll Road Date Open

Cost of Construction Financing Mechanism

Loop 1 North 2006 $822.8 Million (Packaged with SH 45 North)

$1.3 billion in toll revenue bonds issued by TxDOT in August 2002, and $900 million in bond appreciation notes (issued in anticipation of a $900 million TIFIA loan), state-appropriated funds, and right-of-way contributions (33,34)

SH 130 Segments 1–4

2006 $1.3 Billion

SH 45 North 2006 $822.8 Million (Packaged with Loop 1)

SH 45 Southeast 2009 $142 Million

SH 45 Southeast was added to the system effective Sept. 1, 2012; SH 45 Southeast was financed with cash on deposit in the State Highway Fund; SH 45 Southeast did not have any outstanding debt obligations prior to its inclusion in the system

Table 23. Summary of CTTS Outstanding Obligations.

Series Par Amount

Issued ($ Million)

Central Texas Turnpike System First Tier Revenue Bonds Series 2012-A $585.3

Central Texas Turnpike System First Tier Revenue Bonds Series 2012-B $225.0

Central Texas Turnpike System First Tier Revenue Bonds Series 2002-A $428.7

Subordinate Lien Obligation Issued to the U.S. Department of Transportation, TIFIA Secured Loans

$900.0

Note: Par amount is the amount or value of the bond at the time it is issued.


TxDOT reports toll revenues for each facility in CTTS through quarterly and annual financial

statements (35). The revenues for each toll road are presented in Table 24. The revenue

performance of the four major CTTS toll roads indicates the following:

Loop 1 North grew 49 percent in revenue from 2008 to 2013, which represents an

average year-over-year growth rate of 9.8 percent.

SH 130 Segments 1–4 grew 197 percent in revenue from 2008 to 2013, which represents


SH 45 North grew 71 percent in revenue from 2008 to 2013, which represents an average


49

SH 45 Southeast grew 33 percent in revenue from 2010 to 2013, which represents an

average year-over-year growth rate of 11.0 percent.

Table 24. CTTS Toll Revenue Summary (in Millions of Dollars).

Fiscal Year Loop 1 North


SH 45 North

SH 45 Southeast

2007 $6.13* $5.63* $4.55 N/A 2008 $11.44 $19.46 $17.97 N/A 2009 $11.92 $27.11 $19.88 $0.47* 2010 $11.94 $34.42 $19.80 $3.21 2011 $12.32 $36.24 $20.27 $3.60 2012 $13.02 $40.74 $21.95 $4.25 2013 $16.14 $54.49 $29.08 $4.27

* Not a complete fiscal year.

Source: Data compiled by TTI from TxDOT CTTS Actual Traffic and Revenue Reports (36).


From the audited financial statements published by TxDOT, the researchers summarized the data

to compile a simplified statement of revenues and expenses in order to obtain an annual snapshot

of the yearly financial activities of CTTS. Revenues and expenditures were categorized as either

operating or non-operating based on the associated activities. Table 25 provides examples of the

items included within these categories. The simplified summary of revenues and expenses for

CTTS is presented in Table 26.

Table 25. Example of Operating and Non-operating Revenues and Expenses.

Revenues Expenses

Operating Non-operating Operating Non-operating

Toll revenues

Fees associated with toll transactions

Interest from investments

Lease revenue

Increase in fair value of investments

Salaries

Professional services/fees

Repairs and maintenance

Depreciation

Interest payments

Debt service

Bad debt expense

Loss on disposal of capital assets

50

Table 26. CTTS Income Statement (in Millions of Dollars).

(Simplified statement of revenues and expenses compiled by TTI from

audited financial statements published by CTTS)

FY 2009 FY 2010 FY 2011 FY 2012 FY 2013

Operating Revenue $66.36 $73.30 $74.86 $85.81 $119.14

Non-operating Revenue $10.39 $6.64 $6.89 $6.87 $6.35

Contributions/Transfers In $27.75 $63.29 $46.09 $55.26 $225.109

Total Revenues $104.50 $143.23 $127.84 $147.93 $350.58

Operating Expenses $68.03 $67.61 $69.45 $73.14 $67.17

Non-operating Expenses $152.85 $139.47 $140.43 $142.71 $145.88 Contributions/Transfers Out

$0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00

Total Expenditures $220.88 $207.08 $209.88 $215.85 $213.06 Source: Data compiled by TTI from TxDOT CTTS Actual Traffic and Revenue Reports (36).

The following pages profile the following TxDOT facilities in further detail:

Loop 1 North (Parmer Lane to SH 45 North).

SH 255 (Camino Columbia).

SH 45 North.

SH 130 Segments 1–4.

SH 45 Southeast.

9 $225.10 million in FY 2013 represents the addition of SH 45 Southeast to the system.

51

Loop 1 North

Location

Loop 1 North (Figure 11) is the northern portion

of the MoPac Expressway (Loop 1) and

traverses between SH 45 and Parmer Lane, west

of I-35 in Austin.


Located to the west of I-35 in Austin, the

corridor runs 3 miles long with six divided lanes,

three lanes traveling northbound and three lanes

southbound.

Figure 11. Loop 1 North Map.

Governance

This toll road is owned and operated by TxDOT

as part of CTTS.

Project Delivery

For this project TxDOT used Post, Buckley,

Schuh & Jernigan, Inc., an engineering

management firm, and a traditional design-bid-

build process.

Financing

In 2002, the Texas Transportation Commission

issued $2.2 billion in revenue bonds and bond

anticipation notes to help finance a portion of

the project system; this system included Loop 1,

SH 45 North, and SH 130.

Project Timeline

1961: Loop 1 is included as part of the 1961

City of Austin Master Plan.

2002: Loop 1 is included as part of the system

identified by the Texas Transportation

Commission for expansion, enlargement, or

extension.


Fiscal Year

Total Transactions

(Million)

Total Revenue

($ Million)

2007 10.9 $6.1

2008 17.2 $11.4

2009 17.4 $11.9

2010 18.1 $11.9

2011 18.9 $12.3

2012 19.9 $13.0

2013 19.7 $16.1

52

SH 255

Location

SH 255 (Figure 12) connects I-35 with FM 1472

about 18 miles northwest of Laredo. The southern

section of the road extends from FM 1472 to the

roadside operations building, and the northern

section connects the operations building to I-35.


The full length of the roadway is 22 miles with

primarily two lanes. The southern section is a

3.5-mile, four-lane divided roadway, and the

northern section is 18.5 miles long with two non-

divided lanes.

Figure 12. SH 255 Map.

Governance

The original toll road was owned by Camino

Colombia, Inc. (CCTR), which consisted of

landowners along the road. TxDOT purchased the

road in 2004 following foreclosure by John Hancock

and New York Life Insurance.

Project Delivery

The roadway was constructed for around $90 million

between 1997 and 2000 by CCTR. In January 2004,

CCTR was foreclosed on as a result of low revenue.

This was attributed to unfulfilled expectations of

traffic from Mexican shipping and hazmat

transportation.

Upon foreclosure auction, TxDOT was originally

outbid by Camino Texas Partnership, LP (CTP) (a

group of original investors), and the road was sold

for $12.1 million. TxDOT was concerned the group

was attempting to raise the price to recoup its losses

and stopped bidding early in the auction. An

agreement was eventually reached with CTP, and

TxDOT purchased the road for $20 million a few

months after the auction.

Financing

The total construction costs of CCTR were nearly

$90 million and financed by a variety of private-

sector investors, with John Hancock and New York

Life Insurance as the leading lenders. TxDOT

purchased the roadway for $20 million using funds

from the State Highway Fund.

Project Timeline

1997: The Texas Transportation Commission

approves Camino Columbia, Inc., to finance,

construct, and maintain a private toll road.

2000: Camino Columbia Toll Road opens.

January 2004: The toll road is foreclosed on and

auctioned to Camino Texas Partnership, LP.

June 2004: TxDOT purchases the toll road from

Camino Texas Partnership, LP.

September 2004: TxDOT opens the road as

SH 255.

November 2004: Tolling begins on the road.

2008: Road is converted to all-electronic, open-road

tolling facility.


Fiscal Year

Total Transactions

(Million)

Total Revenue

($ Million)

2009 0.07 $0.2

2010 0.20 $0.6

2011 0.30 $1.3

2012 0.30 $1.4

2013 0.30 $1.1

53

SH 45 North

Location

SH 45 North (Figure 13) is an east-west corridor

that runs north of Austin from US 183 to

SH 130.


The roadway is 13 miles in length with four to

six lanes. There are major interchanges and

connections with US 183, Loop 1, I-35, and

SH 130.

Governance

SH 45 North is owned and operated by TxDOT

as a part of CTTS.

Project Delivery

This toll road was constructed through a design-

bid-build contract at a cost of $822.8 million for

SH 45 North and Loop 1 combined.

Financing

Funding for SH 45 North was a combination of

toll revenue bonds issued by TxDOT, a federal

TIFIA loan, traditional state-appropriated funds,

and local government contributions in the form

of right of way.

Project Timeline

2006: First segment from Loop 1 to SH 130

opens one year ahead of schedule.

February 2007: Second segment opens.

April 2007: Third segment from US 183 to

FM 620 opens six months ahead of schedule.


Fiscal Year

Total Transactions

(Million)

Total Revenue

($ Million)

2007 9.0 $4.6

2008 29.5 $17.9

2009 31.3 $19.8

2010 32.2 $19.8

2011 33.5 $20.3

2012 35.8 $21.9

2013 37.1 $29.1

Figure 13. SH 45 North Map.

54


Location

SH 130 (Figure 14) runs parallel to I-35 in

Central Texas. The relief route for the heavily

congested I-35 runs north-south on the east side

of Austin from I-35/SH 195 at Georgetown to

US 183 in southern Travis County. The toll road

then stretches from US 183 to SH 45 Southeast

to connect to I-35.


This roadway is 49 miles in length with four

main lanes, two traveling northbound and two

southbound. There are major interchanges with

I-35, US 79, SH 45 North, US 290, SH 71, and

SH 45 Southeast. Future plans include

expanding the road to six lanes should there be a

demand and funding available. In 2011, TxDOT

agreed to extend SH 130 an additional 53 miles,

from Seguin and moving west to end at I-35

outside of San Antonio. Segments 5 and 6 were

not included in this research effort because they

are not operated or maintained directly by

TxDOT, but rather by a concessionaire through

a public-private partnership CDA.

Governance

SH 130 is owned and operated by TxDOT as

part of CTTS.

Project Delivery

Construction for the tollway came through a

design-build contract at a cost of $1.3 billon.

Financing

Funding for SH 130 was a combination of toll

revenue bonds issued by TxDOT, a federal

TIFIA loan, traditional state-appropriated funds,

and local government contributions in the form

of right of way.

Figure 14. SH 130 Segments 1–4 Map.

Project Timeline

2002: Notice to proceed is issued to design-build

contractor.

November 2006: Segment 2 from US 79 near

Hutto to US 290 near Manor opens to traffic.

December 2006: Segment 1 from I-35 near

Georgetown to US 79 opens to traffic.

2007: Segment 3 from US 290 to SH 71 opens

to traffic.

2008: Segment 4 from SH 71 to SH 45 opens to

traffic.


Fiscal Year

Total Transactions

(Million)

Total Revenue

($ Million)

2007 6.9 $5.6

2008 19.3 $19.5

2009 24.5 $27.1

2010 28.3 $34.4

2011 30.6 $36.2

2012 34.4 $40.7

2013 41.4 $54.5

55

SH 45 Southeast

Location

SH 45 Southeast (Figure 15) runs east-west

through the southern part of Austin near

Creedmoor. This roadway connects I-35 at

FM 1327, north of Buda, to the SH 130 and

US 183 junction near Mustang Ridge.


SH 45 Southeast is a 7.4-mile, four-lane

highway with no frontage roads. It has major

interchanges and connections with I-35, North

Turnersville Road, RM 1625, and

SH 130/US 183.

Figure 15. SH 45 Southeast Map.

Governance

The toll road has been owned and operated by

TxDOT as a part of CTTS since September

2012.

Project Delivery

Construction of SH 45 Southeast took place

through a design-build contract at a cost of

$142 million.

Financing

The Texas Transportation Commission financed

the road project with cash on deposit in the State

Highway Fund.

Project Timeline

2007: SH 45 Southeast is approved for

construction.

March 2009: SH 45 Southeast is planned to

open.

May 2009: SH 45 Southeast opens with no toll

charged.

June 2009: Toll is collected for pay-by-mail

users and 50 percent reduced for TxTag users.

July 2009: SH 45 Southeast opens with full

tolling.


Fiscal Year

Total Transactions

(Million)

Total Revenue

($ Million)

2007

2008

2009 N/A $0.5

2010 2.9 $3.2

2011 3.3 $3.6

2012 3.8 $4.3

2013 4.3 $4.3

56

Northeast Texas Regional Mobility Authority

NET RMA, the fifth RMA to be established in the state since HB 3588, was enacted into law in

2003 and was approved as an RMA by the Texas Transportation Commission on October 28,

2004. NET RMA was founded by Smith and Gregg Counties; in June 2006, Cherokee, Rusk,

Harrison, and Upshur Counties joined NET RMA (37). Finally, in July 2007, concluding that an

“expanded RMA will benefit local governments by increasing local control over transportation

planning and through additional transportation projects that may be funded through the RMA,”

the commission approved the addition of six new counties to NET RMA: Bowie, Cass, Panola,

Titus, Van Zandt, and Wood (38). Figure 16 illustrates NET RMA member counties.

Source: NET RMA 2013 Annual Report.

Figure 16. NET RMA Facility Map.

57

Initially, TxDOT owned and operated Loop 49. NET RMA was created on October 28, 2004, to

accelerate the development of transportation projects in the region and is governed by a

19-member board of directors. In March 2013, the Texas Transportation Commission transferred

the ownership of Loop 49 to NET RMA. Through a tolling agreement, TxDOT still processes the

toll transactions for NET RMA. Table 27 shows the historical toll revenue generated from

Loop 49. These revenue figures only account for the time that Loop 49 was owned by TxDOT.

Table 27. NETRMA Historical Revenue Generation (in Millions of Dollars).

Fiscal Year Loop 49

200710 $0.12

2008 $0.36

2009 $0.61

2010 $0.64

2011 $0.67

2012 $0.71

201311 $0.76

One NET RMA toll facility is profiled in this report—Loop 49.

10 Tolling began in November 2006. 11 Revenue numbers are through March 28, 2013.

58

Loop 49

Location

Loop 49 (Figure 17) in Smith County is a partially

completed project that encompasses three existing

project plans: Loop 49, the Longview Outer Loop, and

the Lindale Relief Route. The loop is divided into seven

major segments: Segment 1, Segment 2, Segment 3A,

Segment 3B, Segment 5, the Lindale Relief Route, and

the East Texas Hourglass. The loop is currently planned

to extend 33 miles; however, that plan does not include

the East Texas Hourglass, which does not have a

determined length at this time. Loop 49 currently has five

out of seven segments complete.


The first segment completed in the Loop 49 project is

about 5 miles long and extends from SH 155 to US 69.

The road currently has two lanes, but all sections will be

expanded to four lanes when the project is ultimately

completed. The second segment consists of nearly

2 miles of road as it extends from US 69 to FM 756

(Paluxy Road).

Segment 3A, the two-lane, 6.6-mile portion of Loop 49,

intersects with SH 155 and SH 31. Segment 3B is the

fourth section and connects SH 31 to I-20. Currently, this

road only has two lanes, but four lanes are expected in

the future. Segment 5 runs 2.5 miles from FM 756 to

SH 110 and was designed by Atkins, NET RMA’s

general engineering consultant, and constructed by

Longview Bridge and Road, Ltd.

Figure 17. Loop 49 Map.

Governance

Loop 49 is owned and operated by NET RMA. It was

passed from TxDOT in 2012.

Project Delivery

The first segment was completed and opened in August

2006 at a cost of $22.3 million. Tolling began on the

roadway in November 2006. The second segment was

completed in late 2007 for a total construction cost of

$15 million.

TxDOT contracted the construction of Segment 3A to

Longview Bridge and Road, Ltd., for nearly $38 million.

Segment 3B was delivered by CH2M Hill using a

design-build contract. Segment 5 was contracted by

TxDOT for $22 million.

Financing

Information regarding the financing for Segment 1 and

Segment 2 was not available.

A portion of the funding for Segment 3A came from the

American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) after

approval in early 2009 by the Texas Transportation

Commission. Segment 3B received funding from a State

Infrastructure Bank Loan of $39.2 million and a Toll

Equity Loan of $50 million secured by NET RMA from

TxDOT.

Project Timeline

2006: Segment 1 (5 miles) is completed.

2008: Segment 2 (2 miles) is completed.

2012: Segment 3A (6.6 miles) is completed.

2012: Segment 5 (2.5 miles) is completed.

2013: Segment 3B (10.2 miles) is completed.


Fiscal Year

Total Transactions

(Million)

Total Revenue

($ Million)

2007 0.4 $0.1

2008 1.2 $0.4

2009 1.6 $0.6

2010 1.8 $0.6

2011 1.9 $0.7

2012 2.0 $0.7

59

Central Texas Regional Mobility Authority

CTRMA was created in 2002 under the provisions outlined in Chapter 370 of the Texas

Transportation Code. CTRMA serves Williamson and Travis Counties with a mission to

“implement innovative, multi-modal transportation solutions that reduce congestion and create

transportation choices that enhance quality of life and economic vitality” (39). CTRMA is

governed by a seven-member board; the governor appoints the chairman, and the remaining six

members are chosen evenly by the counties. CTRMA is pursuing several projects throughout

Central Texas, as illustrated in Figure 18 (40).

Source: CTRMA 2013 Annual Report.

Figure 18. CTRMA System Map.

In order to serve the growing transportation needs of Travis and Williamson Counties, CTRMA

was created in 2002. The authority continues to expand the transportation infrastructure under its

control.


The 183A toll road and Manor Expressway are highlighted in this report. Phase 1 of the 183A

toll road was financed using Series 2005 obligation bonds. The second phase of the project used

a more complex financing system that leveraged Series 2010 Senior Lien Bonds, Series 2010

Subordinate Lien Bonds, and revenue from the existing system. Manor Expressway Phases 1 and

2 were financed through federal stimulus funding and revenue bonds. These are shown in Table

28.

60

Table 28. CTRMA Toll Facility Financial Structure.

Toll Road Date Open


($ Million) Financing Mechanism

183A 2007 $304.7 Revenue bonds, TIFIA loan, state-appropriated funds, right-of-way government contribution

Manor Expressway

2014 $426.0 Federal stimulus funding, state-appropriated funds, State Infrastructure Bank loan, revenue bonds


CTRMA reports revenue on an annual basis, which is summarized in Table 29. Toll revenues

from 183A grew 109 percent from 2008 to 2013, which represents an average year-over-year

growth rate of 21.8 percent. Some of this revenue growth is attributed to the opening of an

expanded 183A in 2012.

Table 29. CTRMA Historical Revenue Generation (in Millions of Dollars).12

Fiscal Year 183A

2008 $15.34

2009 $17.33

2010 $20.22

2011 $21.46

2012 $23.61

2013 $32.05 Source: Data compiled by TTI from historical

CTRMA financial statements.


From the audited financial statements published by CTRMA, the researchers summarized the

data to compile a simplified statement of revenues and expenses in order to obtain an annual

snapshot of the yearly financial activities of CTRMA. Revenues and expenditures were

categorized as either operating or non-operating based on the activities the items were associated

with. The simplified summary of revenues and expenses for CTRMA is presented in Table 30.

12 Tables 29 and 30 show revenues and expenses up to FY 2013 only; therefore, these tables do not include the

Manor Expressway, which opened in 2014.

61

Table 30. CTRMA Income Statement (in Millions of Dollars).

(Simplified statement of revenues and expenses by TTI)

FY

2011 FY

2012 FY

2013 FY

2014

Operating Revenue $21.5 $23.6 $32.2 $40.0

Non-operating Revenue $32.0 $28.6 $92.6 $116.0

Total Revenue $53.5 $52.2 $124.8 $156.0

Operating Expenses $17.7 $17.1 $24.8 $27.4

Non-operating Expenses $11.6 $21.4 $22.3 $17.6

Total Expenses $29.3 $38.5 $47.1 $45.0 Source: Data provided by CTRMA.

The following pages profile the following CTRMA facilities in further detail:

Highway 183A.

Manor Expressway.

62

Highway 183A Toll Road

Location

The 183A toll road (Figure 19) extends from

northwest Austin through Cedar Park and

Leander in Williamson County. The roadway

runs parallel and to the west of I-35.


Highway 183A is 11.6 miles in length and is a

four-lane roadway with the ability to expand to

six lanes.

Figure 19. Highway 183A Toll Road Map.

Governance

Highway 183A is owned and operated by

CTRMA.

Project Delivery

The roadway was constructed through a design-

build contract at a cost of $304.7 million, which

excludes the cost of the 5-mile extension

constructed in 2012.

Financing

Funding for 183A was through a combination of

revenue bonds, a federal TIFIA loan, traditional

state-appropriated funds, and a local government

contribution in the form of right of way.

Project Timeline

2007: 183A Phase I opens.

2010: Construction begins on Phase II.

2011: Shared-use path opens.

2011: San Gabriel Parkway, 183A East, opens.

2012: Phase II Extension opens.


Fiscal Year

Total Transactions

(Million)

Total Revenue

($ Million)

2008 19.4 $15.5

2009 21.4 $17.4

2010 22.3 $20.2

2011 22.7 $21.5

2012 24.9 $23.6

2013 36.1 $32.1

63

Manor Expressway

Location

When all phases are completed, Manor

Expressway (Figure 20) will extend from

US 183 to east of Parmer Lane.


Once completed, the Manor Expressway will be

a 6.2-mile, limited-access toll road with three

lanes in each direction. The existing US 290 will

be improved and will remain non-tolled. The

Manor Expressway will link important roadways

in the region, including US 183 and the SH 130

toll road.

Figure 20. Manor Expressway Map.

Governance

Manor Expressway is owned and operated by

CTRMA.

Project Delivery

Phase 1 used a design-bid-build contract. Phase

2 used a CDA.

Financing

This first phase of the Manor Expressway was

initially funded using a combination of the

federal stimulus funding and a State

Infrastructure Bank loan. Senior lien revenue

bonds ($306 million) and subordinate lien

revenue bonds ($70 million) were sold to

finance the remainder of Phase 1 and Phase 2 of

the Manor Expressway from Chimney Hill

Boulevard to east of Parmer Lane. The total

project cost was approximately $426 million.

Project Timeline

April 2013: Phase 1 is completed.

May 2014: Phase 2 opens to traffic.


The full length of the Manor Expressway opened

to traffic in May 2014; transactions and revenue

data are not available at this time.

64

Cameron County Regional Mobility Authority

On September 30, 2004, the Texas Transportation Commission approved the creation of the

Cameron County Regional Mobility Authority. The commission determined that this approval

was granted in order “to promote and improve regional mobility within Cameron County, South

Texas, and internationally with the Northern Tamaulipas region of Mexico” (41). According to

the CCRMA 2012–2016 Strategic Plan, 22 projects are in various stages of development, as

illustrated in Figure 21.

Source: CCRMA 2012–2016 Strategic Plan.

Figure 21. CCRMA System Map.

One CCRMA toll facility was profiled for this report—SH 550 Segments 1–3.

65

SH 550 (Phases I, II, and III)

Location

SH 550 (Figure 22) is a limited-access tollway

that extends from the northern to the eastern

edge of Brownsville in South Texas. Phase I of

this project will be the construction of a tollway

that extends from Paredes Line Road to

FM 1847, a length of 1.9 miles. Phase II extends

from FM 3248 to SH 48. Phase III extends from

US 77/US 83 to SH 48, a length of 10.0 miles.


Phase I consists of new 2×2 lanes of

expressway. Design plans call for a wide median

between frontage roads built by TxDOT with tax

monies. Access, egress, and turns are done via

slip lanes between the tolled main lanes and the

frontage roads.

Figure 22. SH 550 Map.

Governance

SH 255 is owned and operated by CCRMA.

Project Delivery

Construction on this toll road took place through

the design-bid-build process.

Financing

This project has been financed through revenue

bonds and a grant from the ARRA. Project costs

were approximately $10 million for Phase I and

$34 million for Phase II. Costs for Phase III

were not available.

Project Timeline

2011: Phase I opens to traffic.

2013: Phase II opens to traffic.

2014: Phase III opens to traffic.



66

Grand Parkway Transportation Corporation

GPTC is a non-profit Texas corporation created by the Texas Transportation Commission to

finance certain segments of SH 99, the Grand Parkway (Figure 23). In 2013, GPTC financed

Segments D (the portion within Harris County), E, F-1, F-2, and G of SH 99, which comprise the

Grand Parkway System. Segment E and the portion of Segment D within Harris County opened

to traffic in December 2013. Segments F-1, F-2, and G are under construction and are expected

to open to traffic in late 2015.

Segment I-2A, already open to traffic, is currently not part of the system and is owned and

operated by TxDOT. Additionally, the portion of Segment D within Fort Bend County is open to

traffic and is owned and operated by the Fort Bend County Toll Road Authority.

Figure 23. Grand Parkway Facility Map.

One portion of the Grand Parkway System is profiled in this report—SH 99 Segment E.

67

SH 99 Segment E

Location

SH 99 (Figure 24), also known as the Grand

Parkway, is an 11-segment highway that runs

through seven counties surrounding the Houston

metropolitan area. Segment E is on the west side

of the project, extending from north of I-10 to

US 290.


Development of the Grand Parkway began in the

1980s, and the first leg of the highway was

opened to traffic in mid-1994. Segment E of the

highway was opened on December 21, 2013,

and is a designated toll road. It provides a four-

lane direct link between Katy and Cypress. The

segment extends 14.4 miles.

Figure 24. SH 99 Segment E Map.

Governance

The tollway is developed and operated by the

Grand Parkway Transportation Corporation. Toll

transaction back-office services are provided by

TxDOT.

Project Delivery

Segment E is being constructed pursuant to four

different design-bid-build contracts.

Financing

Segment E was developed as a part of a larger

$2.9 billion financing by GPTC, which also

encompassed the portion of Segment D within

Harris County and Segments F-1, F-2, and G.

Financing elements included TIFIA, toll revenue

bonds, and a toll equity loan agreement with

TxDOT.

Project Timeline

Segment E opened December 2013.


Information is not available due to limited

operating history.

68

Fort Bend County Toll Road Authority

In 1996, the Fort Bend County Commissioners Court and TxDOT created the Fort Bend County

Toll Road Authority to provide Fort Bend County with needed transportation development. In

2004, FBCTRA opened its first toll road, the Fort Bend Parkway. The authority is governed by a

five-member board that is appointed by the Fort Bend County Commissioners Court from

members of the local community (42). A system map of FBCTRA is provided in Figure 25.

Source: FBCTRA.

Figure 25. Fort Bend County Toll Road Authority System Map.

One FBCTRA toll facility was profiled for this report—Fort Bend Parkway.13

This facility, like

the Westpark Tollway, has a segment in Harris County, which is owned and operated by

HCTRA.

13 For more information on the Westpark Tollway, a facility co-owned and operated by FBCTRA and HCTRA, see

the Westpark Tollway facility profile presented earlier in this report.

69

Fort Bend Parkway

Location

The Fort Bend County Toll Road Authority

operates the approximately 8.2 miles of the Fort

Bend Parkway (Figure 26) beginning at the Fort

Bend/Harris County line just south of Beltway 8

to Sienna Parkway.


The Fort Bend Parkway is a four-lane facility,

with two lanes in each direction. Currently there

are two main lane plazas. The first is between

FM 2234/McHard Road and Fondren; the

second is between Sienna Parkway and SH 6.

There are also entrance and exit ramp plazas at

McHard Road and at Lake Olympia Boulevard.

Figure 26. Fort Bend Parkway Map.

Governance

The Fort Bend Parkway is operated by

FBCTRA.

Project Delivery

Construction on the Fort Bend County Toll

Road was through the design-bid-build process.

Financing

This project was financed through revenue

bonds issued in 2012.

Project Timeline

2004: FBCTRA opens its first toll road to the

traveling public. On August 31, 2004, the Fort

Bend Parkway from SH 6 to Beltway 8 opens.

2013: FBCTRA begins construction of

Segment B-1 of the Fort Bend Parkway

connecting Sienna Parkway and SH 6.

2014: Fort Bend Parkway Segment B-1 opens to

traffic extension.


Fiscal Year

Total Transactions

(Million)

Total Revenue

($ Million)

2009 3.3 $1.6

2010 3.3 $1.4

2011 3.1 $1.5

2012 3.2 $1.6

2013 3.5 $1.7

70

Revenues and Expenses by Toll Agency

Forecasted revenues and expenses were obtained for the following toll authorities: TxDOT,

NTTA, HCTRA, and CTRMA.

TxDOT-Owned Toll Facilities

TxDOT toll facilities consist of CTTS, Camino Colombia (SH 255), and SH 99 Segment I-2A.

CTTS consists of Loop 1 North, SH 130 Segments 1–4, SH 45 North, and SH 45 Southeast.

Figure 27 charts estimated CTTS revenues and expenses obtained from the official statement

dated November 15, 2012 (43). Estimated revenues range from $145 million in 2015 to

$490 million in 2035, while toll operation and maintenance costs range from $47 million to

nearly $94 million.

Figure 27. Estimated CTTS Revenues and Expenses.

Camino Colombia (SH 255) was purchased by TxDOT in 2004 after the facility was foreclosed

upon and auctioned off earlier the same year. TxDOT’s Toll Operation Division provided

revenue and operational expense projections for Camino Colombia (SH 255) for the years 2015

through 2017. An average revenue per transaction of $3.27 was used for revenue projections, and

historic transactions were projected using an annual 5 percent growth rate. Figure 28 forecasts

the revenues and operational expenses out to 2035. No maintenance expenses are included

$0

$100

$200

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$600

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Operations & Maintenance

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TxDOT Revenue Forecast

71

because maintenance is covered through TxDOT’s routine maintenance budget. Estimated

revenues range from $1.3 million in 2015 to $3.5 million in 2035, while operating expenses

range from $264,000 to $550,000.

Figure 28. Estimated Camino Colombia Revenues and Expenses.

NTTA-Owned Toll Facilities

NTTA is one of the two largest toll systems in the state in terms of revenues and expenses. The

NTTA System consists of the DNT, PGBT including the Eastern Extension, SRT, Mountain

Creek Lake Bridge, Addison Airport Toll Tunnel, and Lewisville Lake Toll Bridge. Projected

revenues and obligations were provided by NTTA and are shown in Figure 29. Principal and

interest include First and Second Tier Bonds, CIF Subordinate Bonds, and an ISTEA loan.

Estimated revenues range from $585 million in 2015 to $1.5 billion in 2035, while expenses

range from $557 million to nearly $1.1 billion.

$0.0

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Toll Revenue Forecast

72

Figure 29. Estimated NTTA Revenues and Expenses.

HCTRA-Owned Toll Facilities

HCTRA is also one of the largest toll systems in the state in terms of revenues and expenses.

HCTRA consists of the Hardy Toll Road, Sam Houston Tollway, Sam Houston Ship Channel

Bridge, Westpark Tollway, Spur 90A Tollway (Fort Bend Parkway Extension), and Katy

Managed Lanes. Projected revenues and expenses were provided by HCTRA and are shown in

Figure 30. The projections assume an average annual growth rate of 4 percent for revenues and

6 percent for operations and maintenance. Estimated revenues range from $668 million in 2015

to about $1.4 billion in 2035, while expenses range from $590 million to nearly $950 million.

$0

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NTTA Revenue Forecast

73

Figure 30. Estimated HCTRA Revenues and Expenses.

CTRMA-Owned Toll Facilities

CTRMA encompasses two toll facilities: 183A and Manor Expressway. Revenues and expenses

were obtained from the official statement dated April 23, 2013 (44). Figure 31 forecasts the

revenues and expenses out to 2035. Estimated revenues range from $57 million in 2015 to

$228 million in 2035, while expenses range from nearly $50 million to $91 million.

$0

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HCTRA Revenue Forecast

74

Figure 31. Estimated CTRMA Revenues and Expenses.

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Non-system Administrative


Debt

CTRMA Revenue Forecast

75

Toll Road Impacts on Urban Mobility

As has already been well established in previous sections of this analysis, toll roads in Texas

have played an important role in funding transportation capacity improvements in the large urban

areas of Texas.

Using information highlighted in the previous section of this report, researchers developed

scenarios where future toll revenues could be leveraged to finance other transportation

improvements in Texas. This work included analyzing toll revenue leveraging strategies in Texas

and other states.

This analysis focuses on the impact of toll roads on urban mobility. For the urban areas in Texas

where toll roads are located, researchers assessed the overall impacts the tolled facilities have

had on the region’s mobility. Much of this effort was on modeling these impacts, and it focused

on capturing how travel has changed due to the existence of a toll road. Researchers used

mobility measures including traffic volumes, VMT, and indices of congestion and delay. No

effort was made to identify or assess any economic impacts, so none are included. Only

congestion impacts were calculated.

Methodology

The general methodology used to calculate the toll roads’ impacts on mobility is the same

methodology used to estimate delay for TxDOT’s Texas 100 Congested Roadways (45). Toll

road volumes were allocated to roads that are logical, parallel routes for the toll roads. In only

the most obvious of cases, such as a diagonal toll road with no parallel roads, was volume

assigned to non-parallel roads.

Volumes were allocated to roads based on proximity to the toll road alignment and according to

2012 volumes on the road. Close, heavily traveled roads received more traffic than distant,

lightly traveled roads. VMT was maintained relatively constant, although some changes are

likely in an actual “no toll road” scenario. Once the toll road traffic was moved to other

roadways, the traffic densities on these roadways were recalculated to determine how much

speeds would deteriorate throughout the day due to higher traffic volumes and higher traffic

densities based on an equation that links traffic density to travel speed.

This is an estimate of a scenario that is not likely to occur. The volumes on some toll road

segments are very high because they serve large employment centers and developments that

would not likely have been developed in those locations given the existence of only surface

street capacity in those areas. The existence of the toll roads has contributed to the mobility of

the region and allowed growth to occur. If that roadway capacity was not there, the demand

would not have occurred. It is possible that not only would the traffic have spread to the

surrounding roadway network, which is what is seen here, but also moved to other parts of the

urban area. The results shown are the best estimate of an unlikely situation given the

complexities involved.

76

Results

This methodology was employed for the Austin region, the Dallas-Fort Worth region, and the

Houston region. The traffic volumes on toll facilities were diverted to non-tolled facilities to

ascertain the impact of not having the toll road capacity. The VMT numbers reported in this

section include all counties for which a toll road exists in that region and are 2012 data. The

results of this analysis are described by urban area and are reported in terms of VMT, hours of

delay, and cost of delay.

Austin

The toll road facilities in the Austin area included in this analysis are Loop 1 North, SH 130,

SH 45, and US 183A. The daily VMT in the region for 2012 was 38.3 million. Diverting traffic

volume off the toll roads resulted in moving 800,000 vehicle miles onto existing facilities, or

2.1 percent of the daily VMT. This resulted in 3.2 million additional person hours of delay per

year, an 8.2 percent increase. The additional annual delay cost was about $70 million.

Dallas-Fort Worth

The toll road facilities in the Dallas-Fort Worth region included in this analysis are the Dallas

North Tollway, the President George Bush Turnpike/SH 161, the Sam Rayburn Tollway, and the

International Parkway (not part of the NTTA System). The daily VMT in the region for 2012

was 137.2 million. Diverting traffic volume off the toll roads resulted in moving 3.4 million

vehicle miles onto existing facilities, or 2.5 percent of the daily VMT. This resulted in

10.5 million additional person hours of delay per year, a 5.3 percent increase. The additional

annual delay cost was approximately $231 million.

Houston

The toll road facilities in the Houston region included in this analysis are the Hardy Toll Road,

the Westpark Tollway, the Sam Houston Tollway/Beltway 8, and the Fort Bend Parkway. The

daily VMT in the region for 2012 was 124.4 million. Diverting traffic volume off the toll roads

resulted in moving 5.9 million vehicle miles onto existing facilities, or 4.7 percent of the daily

VMT. This resulted in 24.9 million additional person hours of delay per year, a 17.2 percent

increase. The additional annual delay cost was about $549 million.

Summary of Analysis

Table 31 shows the daily VMT in each of the three regions as well as the diverted VMT that was

moved from the toll facilities to the non-tolled roadway network. The percent diverted is also

shown. The number of toll road miles included in the analysis is shown to illustrate the

magnitude of the toll road network in each urban area. This is an approximate number of toll

road centerline miles from which traffic was diverted for this analysis.

77

Table 31. Daily VMT and Diverted VMT by Urban Area.

Urban Area Daily VMT (Millions)

Diverted VMT

(Millions)

Percent Diverted

Toll Road Centerline

Miles*

Austin 38.3 0.8 2.1 75

Dallas-Fort Worth 137.2 3.4 2.5 120

Houston 124.4 5.9 4.7 130

* The centerline miles are the approximate mileages of the toll roads used in this analysis.

Source: TTI.

Table 32 shows the regional mobility impacts in terms of the increase in annual delay (person

hours) and the increase in annual congestion cost in 2012 dollars. The percent change in delay is

also shown. The percent change in annual congestion cost is the same as the change in delay

because the two are linked.

The greatest impact is in the Houston region where the diverted VMT is the largest and the cost

of delay in both time and money is the most significant. This is not unexpected but rather

indicative of the size of the Houston region’s toll road network and the availability of suitable

roadway options to divert the traffic compared to the other two regions.

Table 32. Regional Mobility Impacts of Diverted Toll Road Traffic.

Urban Area Increase in Annual

Delay (Million Person Hours)

Percent Change in Annual Delay

Increase in Annual Cost

(Millions)

Austin 3.2 8.2 $70.0

Dallas-Fort Worth 10.5 5.3 $230.9

Houston 24.9 17.2 $548.5

Source: TTI.

Table 33 shows these impacts by functional class. For each of the three regions, the percent

increase in VMT and the percent increase in delay are shown. This illustrates the impacts of the

toll traffic diversions on the roadway network as a whole. The decreases shown for other

freeways represent the traffic diverted from the tollways. There is not necessarily a

corresponding decrease in delay for the same classification because the diverted traffic was, in

some cases, diverted onto other highly congested freeways, thus increasing the delay on those

facilities.

78

Table 33.Toll Road Diversion Impacts by Functional Class.

Functional Class

Austin Dallas-Fort Worth Houston

Percent Change in

VMT

Percent Change in Delay

Percent Change in VMT


Percent Change in VMT


Interstates 7.6 22.7 1.1 1.1 6.8 30.4

Other Freeways −12.7 0.5 −11.6 −7.6 −21.7 4.7

Major Arterials 5.7 5.7 9.5 11.6 7.6 17.8

Minor Arterials 5.0 1.6 13.1 13.8 13.4 16.7 Source: TTI.

While this analysis focused on daily and annual impacts, it did reveal both an increase and

widening of peak-period impacts. The peak periods not only worsened in terms of these mobility

impact measures, but they also widened or spread, meaning the peak periods were lengthened

because the existing VMT was placed on fewer roadways. This is shown generically in Figure 32

in terms of speed and time of day. The speeds are directly related to congestion.

Source: TTI.

Figure 32. Mobility Impacts of Removing Toll Road Capacity.

This analysis represents an attempt to measure the mobility impacts of not having the existing

toll road network in Texas’ large urban areas. While it is not a likely occurrence, this represents a

best estimate of such a scenario. Doing so creates many challenges and assumptions on where

the traffic would go and whether any of the demand in the vicinity of the toll roads would be

where it is today to begin with if the toll road capacity did not exist. It is clear, however, that the

absence of the toll road capacity would create an adverse impact on the mobility in each of these

regions by increasing both hours of delay and costs associated with congestion.

Midnight 2 4 6 8 10 Noon 2 4 6 8 10

Spe

ed

(m

ph

)

Hour of Day

Existing No-Toll

79

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