EZ TAG Holders Will See 10% Discount on Tolls in Harris County

[ChannelTwoNews]

https://www.houstonpublicmedia.org/articles/news/transportation/2023/09/01/461307/discount-for-harris-county-toll-road-users-takes-effect-monday-marking-first-ever-rate-reduction/

"The Harris County Toll Road Authority is implementing a 10 percent discount for EZ TAG holders when they drive on roads operated by the agency – the Sam Houston Tollway, Hardy Toll Road and the Harris County portions of the Tomball and Westpark tollways. The price change goes into effect Monday, marking the first time since its inception in 1983 that the toll road authority will reduce its regular rates.

The discounted rate, along with a handful of other policy changes, were approved earlier this year by county commissioners. They are designed to encourage greater EZ TAG usage, thereby boosting revenue for the toll road authority while also providing financial incentive to customers."

[JLWM8609]

This isn't a real rate reduction. It's an EZ Tag discount. When I first heard about this rate reduction plan, they made it sound like it was an overall price reduction on HCTRA roads, not only limited to only EZ Tag users. In fact, they only said it would apply to drivers of two axle vehicles, and mentioned nothing about it being only for EZ Tag users. See https://communityimpact.com/houston/spring-klein/transportation/2023/02/02/harris-county-commissioners-authorize-10-toll-road-rate-reduction-free-ez-tag-program/ and https://communityimpact.com/houston/bay-area/transportation/2023/01/25/hctra-proposes-to-cut-toll-rates-by-10-offer-ez-tags-at-no-cost/ 

That sucks for those who have TxTags, NTTX tags, or out of state toll tags from Oklahoma or Kansas after over a decade of touting interoperability with other agency tags. 

Edited September 2, 2023 by JLWM8609