Life in the fast lane: Bush Turnpike converts to cashless toll collection to improve traffic flow

After July 1, driving along the President George Bush Turnpike will be a different experience. For drivers without a TollTag, there will no longer be toll booths to pay the $1 fee. Instead, drivers will receive a bill in the mail.

Since December, the North Texas Tollway Authority (NTTA) has been slowly changing the toll plazas and ramps to phase out cash tolls and on Wednesday, their efforts will culminate, as the President George Bush Turnpike will convert to an all-electronic toll collection.

All-electronic toll collection (all-ETC) refers to the transition to cashless toll collection on NTTA roadways. Technology on all-ETC roads matches vehicles with TollTag accounts and deducts the appropriate amount of money depending on how many tolls are passed. If no account exists, a ZipCash account is created to bill the registered owner of the vehicle for the trip, said Sherita Coffelt, NTTA spokeswoman.

ZipCash customers, or customers without a TollTag, will be able to drive now and pay later. ZipCash customers will be billed for their transactions in the mail at the 45 percent higher ZipCash rate, Coffelt said.

“As we move to all-electronic toll collection, it is very important that we reassure to our paying customers that everyone is paying for using the NTTA system,” she said. “It’s also important that we note that possible violators will be pursued to the fullest extent of the law to collect tolls to continue to maintain and uphold the NTTA system.”

Transitioning to all-ETC is expected to improve safety, mobility and air quality in North Texas, as well as reduce operating costs for the NTTA.

“Motorists will save money because all-electronic toll collection eliminates idling on the tollway,” she said. “It enhances air quality and saves motorists gas money.”

The switch to all-ETC will streamline all traffic onto express lanes with no stopping to pay tolls and weaving into and out of traffic. All motorists, regardless of payment type, will drive on the same lanes, Coffelt said.

Coffelt said NTTA is encouraging motorist to purchase a TollTag with the all-ETC transition. The NTTA saves money for capital costs for operations and management of the toll facilities. The savings would trickle down to tollway motorists.

“TollTag customers save 45 percent on tolls,” she said. “Even the occasional tollway motorist would save money whenever they do take the tollway. Additionally, TollTags can be used on all tollroads in Texas as well as parking areas at DFW and Love Field airports.”

The Dallas North Tollway will convert into an all-ETC roadway in 2010 after the NTTA board of directors voted to delay the conversion.

The Bush Turnpike is the first existing facility in the country to transition to all-electronic toll collection (all-ETC). The entire NTTA system, including the Dallas North Tollway, Addison Airport Toll Tunnel and Mountain Creek Lake Bridge, will all be transitioned to all-ETC by 2011. New projects, such as the Sam Rayburn Tollway (S.H. 121), the Lewisville Lake Toll Bridge, Southwest Parkway and the President George Bush Turnpike Eastern Extension, are being built as all-ETC facilities, Coffelt said.

Following the all-ETC transition, all drivers using the Bush Turnpike without an NTTA TollTag will be billed by mail for their transactions.

For information on the all-electronic toll collection transition, visit www.NTTA.org

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