toll increase

Bay Area Toll Authority's (BATA) oversight committee after public hearings and discussion is recommending to the board that different peak, off-peak and weekend toll rates for autos be introduced at their big Bay Bridge and flat rate toll increases be adopted at the other six bridges. Truck tolls would more than double. And for the first time in the Bay Area tolls would be collected from carpool vehicles (mostly 3 or more occupants.)

Harris County (Houston) Toll Road Authority (HCTRA) are raising their transponder tolls - brand: EZ TAG - by a nickel (5c) at mainline plazas on the Sam Houston, Hardy and Westpark tollroads today. Tolls go from $1.25 to $1.30 for cars.

Cash tolls remain the same at $1.50.

Kansas Turnpike are increasing cash tolls an average of 15% but keeping their K-TAG transponder tolls the same October 1st.  Increases for cash-paying tractor-trailers will increase an average of 5%. Turnpike president Michael L Johnston says the changes are "intended to better align our costs of providing service to various customer classes and, at the same time, achieve greater operating efficiencies."

Good police work on the West Virginia Turnpike allowed a trio of politicians to stage a publicity generating protest against toll increases while preventing threatened obstruction.

Oklahoma Turnpike Authority's board today voted to accept a staff recommendation to raise toll rates on the state's ten turnpikes by around 16%. It is the first toll increase since 2001, when car tolls also went up 16% but truck tolls were raised 30%. Today's board decision on toll rates followed a Wilbur Smith Associates "System Rate Review."

Tolls will be increased August 4.

A finance committee at North Texas Tollway (NTTA) voted today 4 to 1 for a 32% hike in toll rates, presently averaging 11c/mile (6.8c/km) to go to 14.5c/mile (9c/km) on Sept 1. The full NTTA  board will consider the proposal at their regular meeting July 16.

West Virginia Turnpike Authority's board voted unanimously today (Wed 2009-07-01) to raise tolls effective August 1. The increases will be the first since 1981, and are designed to increase toll revenue by about $20m/year - from $53.3m to $73.1m or 37% in 2010, the first full year they are in effect.

Just 36 hours before a big toll increase was due to come into effect (on July 1) the Massachusetts Turnpike Authority board voted 5 to 0 to rescind toll increases voted earlier in the year. The vote today was based on passage of budget legislation providing for an increase in the state sales tax from 5.0% to 6.25% and the appropriation of $100 million per year toward servicing of Turnpike debt for the term of that debt - about 20 years.

West Virginia's leading Republican state senator Don Caruth is denouncing the Turnpike authority for meeting in Charleston at the western end of the Turnpike saying people in the eastern part in Beckley and Bluefield are insulted and "outraged," because it was so difficult for them to attend.

North Texas Tollway are cutting spending and considering higher toll rates to cope with a major drop in traffic and revenue. A statement issued this week says their traffic and revenue consultants are forecasting a 10.91% drop in toll revenues this year compared to 2008. By our calculation that would mean an approx $27m drop to $218m for 2009 v $245m in 2008.

West Virginia house delegate Cliff Moore (Dem - McDowell) wasn't able to get his way in the state legislature to block a toll increase on the West Virginia Turnpike, so instead he's threatening civil disobedience. He says he'll refuse to pay the higher toll and he'll block the toll lanes with his car.

Massachusetts senate president Therese Murray (Dem) put out a statement today that got her headlines in Boston such as "Murray vows no toll increase on Turnpike." Her statement is headed up: "Senate will not support toll hikes". She fiercely attacks the state Governor Deval Patrick (Dem) claiming he had made a "threat" Tuesday to raise tolls, accusing him of "scare tactics."

New York City tunnel and bridge tolls, along with transit fares will rise 10% July 12 2009, the New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority board decided this week. But out of state E-ZPass customers will lose their transponder discount and face a steeper increase in their costs. Fares and tolls last rose March 16 2008.

With a July 1 deadline for due bond payment of $11m looming, and insufficient cash to pay it the West Virginia state toll authority is finally moving to raise toll rates to avert a default. A 60% increase in cash toll rates is being proposed, mitigated by a 25% discount for West Virginia E-ZPass transponder customers. For WV E-ZPass users the increases will be 20% after the new 25% discount.

Orlando Orange County (Toll) Expressway Authority's board of directors voted unanimously this week to confirm toll increases provisionally voted at the February meeting. The toll hike occurs amid a storm of controversy in the interim after revelation of abuses by Allan Keen, a former chairman, and the use of major OOCEA consultant/contractor PBS&J to hit on vendors for political campaign contributions for Republican candidates 2003 to 2006.

The most common toll on Triborough Bridge & Tunnel Authority facilities in New York City, the E-ZPass transponder toll for cars will rise by 23.7% from $4.15 to $5.26 in July after a 12/1 vote of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (NYMTA) board today. The toll hikes were part of a crisis package of higher charges and service cuts designed to close a looming $1.2b deficit in a $11b New York area public transportation budget.

Ohio Turnpike Commission's board have approved a schedule of new toll rates and vehicle classes to coincide with their introduction of E-ZPass electronic tolling due for the final quarter of 2009. Approved at the same Commission hearing is a second round of toll increases 24 to 27 months later - on Jan 1, 2012.

Tolls are going up on Orlando tollroads by about a third April 5, the first toll increase since mid-1990. Most of the toll increases are of 25c - most mainline plazas presently 75c go to $1.00. Mainline plazas with higher toll rates also rise mostly by 25c. many ramp tolls go from 25c to 50c but quite a number don't rise.

The Massachusetts Turnpike Authority board of directors today voted for two toll increases (March 29 and July 1) the second of which they say will be reversed if the legislature supports the Governor's proposed 19c gas tax hike or otherwise votes substitute funds.

The Boston dither goes on, and on, while the Mass Pike slips ever closer to the precipice. Thursday (Jan 22) the Turnpike board decided to put off a decision on whether to proceed with the toll increases it had voted Nov 14, despite a strong pitch for the extra $100m from executive director Alan LeBovidge, who showed dramatic pictures of crumbing concretework, exposed rebar, deep potholes, and rusted-through structural steel (see nearby).