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Follow TURFHouston HOV lanes turned toll lanes cost up to $10!
What are they thinking? This is runaway taxation without representation! Along I-85 in Atlanta, they had more traffic use the HOV lanes BEFORE they opened them as toll lanes than they do now with single occupancy vehicles paying a toll. Using toll taxes as a means to manipulate drivers' behavior is not only statist and abusive government, it's punitive taxation in the hands of unelected bureaucrats who've been granted monopolies over our public roadways -- our lifeline for daily living. This is Rick Perry's idea of congestion relief and his brand of so-called fiscal conservatism.
Tolls could range up to $10 on Metro's new HOT lanes
By CAROL CHRISTIAN, HOUSTON CHRONICLE
Updated 08:21 p.m., Thursday, October 27, 2011
Motorists who want to buy their way out of congestion on several area freeways next year should be prepared to pay as much as $10 per trip.
The Metropolitan Transit Authority board Thursday set a range of tolls from $1 to $10, depending on the time of day, for its new high-occupancy toll lanes. The first such lanes are scheduled to open in January in the Gulf Freeway's existing high-occupancy vehicle lanes between Dixie Farm Road and Dowling Street.
Metro officials said they hadn't yet worked out a detailed schedule of tolls. They said it was unlikely that tolls would reach the maximum of $10 when the service begins, but the agency reserves the right to charge that much if necessary to manage traffic congestion.
Metro's maximum tolls will be significantly higher than those charged by the Harris County Toll Road Authority on its Katy Freeway managed lanes, which also charge solo drivers for access. The Katy Freeway tolls range from 30 cents on weekends to $1.60 at certain peak hours.
Metro's tolls will apply only to drivers with no passengers who opt to use the HOV lanes for a price. Single-occupant vehicles will enter the lane through a designated path that allows tolling.
Vehicles with at least two occupants will not be charged a toll.
Metro police will patrol the lanes, which Metro operates through an arrangement with the Texas Department of Transportation.
As first proposed, Metro's HOT lanes were to have "dynamic" tolling that would change throughout the day with the level of congestion, but President and CEO George Greanias said Thursday staff members decided this approach would introduce too much change at the outset. The board can opt to add that feature later.
Through agreements between Metro and other tolling agencies, any vehicle can use the lanes if it has a windshield sticker issued by Metro or by the Harris County Toll Road Authority, Texas Toll Authority, Central Texas Regional Mobility Authority or North Texas Tollway Authority.
Violators who evade the toll will be assessed a $75 fine, while "occupancy violators" (solo drivers who use the lanes when they are designated for HOV use only) will be issued a citation requiring a court appearance.
When complete, Metro's 83-mile HOT-lane system will include tolled lanes on U.S. 59 South, scheduled to open in April; I-45 North, opening in July; U.S. 290, October 2012; and U.S. 59 North, January 2013.