County toll road rates could increase this summer

Depending on the outcome of a vote by Harris County Commissioners Court tomorrow, rates on the county's toll road system could increase 25 cents by the end of the summer, the first step in a plan to double tolls over the next 20 years. That means that, by 2027, drivers would pay $2 per EZ Tag transaction and $2.50 per cash transaction on Harris County toll roads — though it's not clear just how that'll affect flying cars, which we completely expect to be in widespread use in 20 years. We guess we'll just have to wait and find out.

The higher rates are expected to generate $65 million more in the next year — and a lot more after that, we assume — which would go toward maintaining the toll road system and building six new segments of toll road that are expected to cost $4.4 billion. A special rate hike on the Westpark Tollway is designed to cut heavy rush-hour traffic between 6 and 9 a.m. and 4 and 7 p.m. as well: During those hours, rates on the Westpark will double to $2.50.

The increases are meant to pay for an extension of the Hardy Toll Road into downtown and the Sam Houston Tollway into northeast Harris County. Also on the drawing board are plans to turn Hempstead Highway into a toll road, build the second phase of the Fort Bend Parkway, add toll lanes to Highway 288 and build a toll road along Fairmont Parkway. "If the county decides to build all of these projects, the authority will need a substantial amount of revenue on hand," Peter Key, deputy director of the Harris County Toll Road Authority, said.