Toll 183A: One year later

Toll 183A: One year later

Written by Shannon Colletti and Kara Vaught Monday, 24 March 2008

Questions answered about Cedar Park and Leander’s first toll road

Although currently only 4.5 miles of tolled road, Toll 183A is a stretch of pavement that has become a big topic of conversation.

The road, which opened in March 2007, starts at Toll 45 in Northwest Austin and runs northward, ending just past RM 1431. Future expansion will take the road farther north through Leander, past RM 2243, ending just south of the South Fork San Gabriel River. Frontage lanes have already been built to the river, north of Leander. They are open and free to use.

Toll 183A was originally part of the Texas Department of Transportation’s Central Texas Turnpike Project — along with Toll 45, Toll 130 and Toll 1 — but got bumped from the project due to lack of funding. As a result, the Central Texas Regional Mobility Authority took it over.

CTRMA

Williamson and Travis counties created the CTRMA through a partnership after it had become apparent that state and federal dollars for transportation were getting harder to obtain, said Steve Pustelnyk, CTRMA’s director of communications.

In 2001, the state legislature passed the regional mobility authority legislation that gave communities the flexibility to house multiple transportation needs under one roof. An RMA could be a tolling agency, the operator of an airport or bus line or any transportation provider.

“When the RMA legislation passed in 2001, Williamson and Travis counties got together and said, ‘OK, now that this is available to us, we ought to form one of these agencies to get some projects done around here that had been stagnating,” Pustelnyk said.

The first was Toll 183A. The CTRMA used initial seed money from the counties and eventually received grant money from TxDOT to move forward with the project. Pustelnyk said that once it was able to issue bonds, the CTRMA became self-sustaining and no longer received money from TxDOT or the counties for the Toll 183A project. As the mobility authority looks at taking on other projects, additional public support may be necessary to make some projects feasible. The Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization ultimately decides how transportation dollars will be allocated in Central Texas.

“We’re just the implementer,” he said. “We can plan and design projects, but we don’t make the final decision about what project is in the best interest of the community to build. CAMPO’s role is to decide how money that’s available for transportation in this community should be allocated.”

Although Toll 183A is owned and operated by the mobility authority, the agency relies on private sector consultants to do much of the work. The HNTB Corporation served as Toll 183A’s general engineering consultant. Hill Country Constructors, a partnership between Austin-based J.D. Abrams, L.P. and California-based Granite Construction, built the road. The total cost of the open segment of Toll 183A is about $238 million.

“We are legally able to provide a wide range of transportation services or projects, but tolling is our primary focus,” Pustelnyk said. “In the future we could be involved in other projects and can also build projects that are not tolled, if we have a source of revenue.”

The CTRMA has six future, CAMPO-approved projects currently planned, including the “Manor Expressway,” which involves converting Hwy. 290 East to a controlled-access expressway from US 183 to Parmer Lane. (The road system will still have free frontage roads.) It is also working on a hike-and-bike trail to parallel Toll 183A that should be finished next year.

Cedar Park’s perceptions

Cedar Park City Manager Brenda Eivens said that when Toll 183A first opened, residents noticed a very distinctive change in the traffic patterns, with traffic moving off of US 183. As this happened, city staff fielded calls from concerned owners of businesses along US 183. She said when the toll road started charging tolls, however, that some of the traffic returned to US 183, and the calls subsided.

“What we’ve seen over the last year is more of a balancing, with people coming back to 183,” Eivens said. “I think each of them gets a benefit from that. You’ve got 183, which is not a parking lot because you’ve been able to relieve some of that congestion. And at the same time, according to the RMA, you see a strong ridership on their road as well.”

Eivens said the city looks upon Toll 183A as a positive thing for Cedar Park.

“The city’s position has been a favorable position. It’s opened up land for development for the city and provided an alternative to 183 in terms of mobility.”

Harold Dean, Cedar Park’s chamber of commerce president, also said he views Toll 183A favorably.

“It seems like it’s getting quite a bit of use, which tells me [Cedar Park residents are] enjoying it because it cuts down their travel time,” he said. “I’m glad it’s here. It was a long-time coming.”

Dean also said the toll road is “a great economic generator” and is creating a lot of commercial and retail development, such as 1890 Ranch, Cedar Park Regional Medical Center and the just-announced special events center. He does not believe there is a negative connotation toward Toll 183A because people are not forced to use it. He also said he does not think the toll road will take business away from businesses on US 183.

“I think it’s going to help alleviate some traffic on US 183 and, therefore, allow the local folks to get around easier and get out and utilize their businesses. Plus the traffic won’t be quite as heavy and you can turn your head and see a business easier than you could before without running into the rear of someone. So I think it might help. The retailers might think differently.”

Ruben de la Rosa, owner of Davlynn’s Gift & Craft Mall, which is on US 183, said he may have lost some business because newcomers use Toll 183A and do not see his store. He added, however, that most people using the toll road are in a hurry and would not stop to shop anyway and that the toll road has actually made it easier for customers to get in and out of his shopping center.

“We’ve seen a little bit of an effect, but the locals that know about us are the ones that use 183 to get to us,” he said.

Pet Connection and Moonie’s Burger House, other US 183 businesses, have not seen a decrease in business because of the toll road.

“As far as business is concerned, it hasn’t hurt us,” said Sam McAdams, manager of Pet Connection. “It’s lessened some of the traffic on 183, but it hasn’t done it to the extent of where it’s affected business negatively — not for us, anyway.”

Moonie’s Burger House owner Angela Gingrass said her restaurant has not been hurt, either.

“When [Toll 183A] first opened and it was free to everybody, we saw less traffic outside, but it didn’t seem to affect us at all. But traffic came back once it was no longer free to people. Our business has pretty much stayed the same. We are real fortunate. We have not been impacted at all.”

Leander’s perceptions

Mary Bradshaw, Leander’s chamber of commerce president, said residents have been receptive to the toll road.

“I think [community response has] been very positive so far,” she said. “Maybe some of that is because there’s no toll on it yet up here. I think everybody’s been very open to it and looked forward to it opening. I think they use it beyond where it tolls, also.”

Bradshaw said she cannot imagine why people would not be open to the toll road because it is simply another travel option, one that people can choose to use.

“With transportation issues being the way they are, I can’t imagine why anyone would be against it,” she said. “We just see it as a great corridor opening up traffic and opening up land for more development so we’re excited about it. We expect to see a lot of commercial growth out there along the 183A corridor.”

Mayor John Cowman echoed her sentiments.

“The 183A toll road has been well received by Leander and its citizenry,” he said. “The toll road in and of itself is accessibility, and that is what Williamson County specifically demanded. If I could say one thing [only]: The toll road has brought a very positive feeling to our region, and we’re eating it up.”

Where your toll money goes

Average weekday transactions in January 2008: 55,758

Toll revenue for January 2008: $1.23 million

• 2008 Annual projection
  • Average monthly toll revenue x 12 = $15.50 million (revenue) + $3.50 million (interest earned) = $19 million
• 2008 Operating budget: $21.28 million
  • This pays for bond debt, cost of operating the road, cost of collecting the tolls, maintenance and repair costs, and administrative costs
• Net total
  • Total revenue: $19 million, minus total operation costs: - $21.28 million = - $2.28 million
  • This can be used for:
    • Toll 183A extension
    • Possible managed lane on US 183 to the south
    • Other projects

TxTags and Toll 183A

With cash lanes closing by the end of the year, drivers will need to purchase a TxTag or rely on the pay-by-mail option, which is more expensive and does not roll out until this spring, to use Toll 183A.

TxTags allow drivers to pay tolls without stopping at toll plazas. A small sticker mounted near the rearview mirror contains a chip that can be read at highway speed by sensors mounted on toll plazas. Each time a vehicle passes under a plaza, the amount of the toll is debited from the prepaid account associated with the tag. TxTags can be used on any toll road throughout the state, and customers also receive a 10-percent discount on tolls.

TxTags can be purchased at the cash lane of any toll plaza, at www.txtag.org or by calling 1-888-GoTxTag (1-888-468-9824).

TxTag customers receive a 10% discount on tolls.

Toll road rates (2-axle vehicles)		TxTag rate	Cash rate	Pay by Mail
Toll 1 & Toll 45	Plazas	$0.68	$0.75	$0.90
	Ramps	$0.45	$0.50	$0.60
Toll 130	Plazas	$1.35	$1.50	$1.80
	Ramps	$0.45	$0.50	$0.60
Toll 183A	Park Street Main Plaza	$1.35	$1.50	N/A
	Ramps	$0.45	$0.50	N/A
	Lakeline Plaza*	$0.45	N/A	N/A
* Only TxTag is accepted as payment at the Mainline Plaza/Lakeline Mall Dr. location. There are no cash toll booths.

Getting answers

Although Toll 183A has been open a year, people still may have questions about it. Steve Pustelnyk, CTRMA director of communications, helped shed some light on several issues surrounding the toll road.

Q: Who owns Toll 183A, and who makes money from its tolls?

A: “Every toll road currently open or under construction in Central Texas has been funded by state or local government. All the revenue goes to the government. The bottom line is: There are no private toll roads in Central Texas at this point.” The one exemption is the Toll 130 project between Creedmoor and I-10 in Seguin, which is being developed through a partnership between the Spanish-owned Cintra Concesiones de Infraestructuras de Transporte and American-owned Zachry Construction. It is the only private-public roadway project in progress in Central Texas, Pustelnyk said.

Once toll money from Toll 183A is collected, it pays for the CTRMA’s expenses, including bond debt, cost of operating the road and collecting the tolls, any maintenance or damage that occurs and administrative costs, Pustelnyk said. Once these expenses are paid, any surplus money can be used to fund additional projects, such as the Toll 183A extension.

Q: Who actually collects the tolls?

A: The Washington Division of URS Corporation collects the tolls on Central Texas toll roads including Toll 183A. “The people collecting tolls are not government employees — that has been done for efficiency reasons,” Pustelnyk said. “The company running those toll plazas does not own the toll roads and does not share in the revenue of the toll roads. It is simply paid for providing toll collection services.” URS Corporation was also the company that designed Toll 183A and is the CTRMA’s traffic and revenue consultant.

Q: How was Toll 183A’s route determined?

A: “It was actually determined in several ways. The general concept was first proposed in the mid-1980s. Then there were various studies over the years and various routes looked at. Ultimately TxDOT did an environmental study that was completed in 2001. That study identified potential alignments, and based on all the factors analyzed, the most viable alternative was selected. And the CTRMA was not even involved at that time. Basically we were handed the approved concept.”

Q: Did the commuter rail line influence the route?

A: “It did not. The commuter rail line is based on a rail line that is already there. We think the two will work together to really help that part of the community move people, but neither of them really has too big of an effect on the other.”

Q: Will cash always be accepted as a way to pay a toll?

A: “No. The cash lanes will likely be closed this year, Pustelnyk said. “Our goal all along has been to try to get as many people as possible to adopt TxTag and then to evolve away from cash and go to a pay-by-mail process. Our TxTag penetration is in the 85 percent range, which is an incredible number. We are in the process now of adopting pay by mail, and then once we know the pay-by-mail process is working effectively and we’ve minimized our risk, we plan to close the cash plazas. We realize that some will question why we built them in the first place, and we will agree it was a waste of money. But at the time it was the only way we could make the project move forward.” Pustelnyk said cash lanes were necessary at the time to get the bond market to finance the project. “Times have changed. Most new toll roads around the country aren’t accepting cash anymore.”

Q: What will you do with those plazas once cash is not longer accepted?

A: “We are looking at what the options are for using that facility and that space, and if we can find some viable uses for it, we certainly will pursue those. They could be used for selling coffee, dry cleaning, convenience store items, ATMs, banks, TxTag customer functions ... There’s a whole bunch of things we could do.”

Q: Is there a contract that gives incentives to governments (city/county/state) to lower speed limits on free roads to encourage people to drive on the toll roads?

A: “I am not aware of any agreements that require speed limits to be reduced on adjacent highways,” Pustelnyk said. “Generally what drives speed limit changes are engineering and safety considerations, not revenue. In our studies, the real speed [on free roads] has gone up since 183A was built. The toll road relieves congestion on the alternative roads; therefore, people are traveling faster and getting where they need to go quicker. If you don’t want to use the toll road, you still benefit from it because the people who choose to pay leave more capacity [on the alternate routes] for you.”

This figure shows the relationship between toll rates and roadway usage. The point where the two lines cross represents the planned $2.00 toll rate at the Park Street Main Plaza on Toll 183A in 2017. If the Mobility Authority were to raise the toll rate, it would collect more money, but fewer people would use the road. If it were to lower the toll, more people would use the road, but it would collect less money. Volmer, now Stantec, conducted a traffic and revenue study in 2004 to get these figures.

Future extension of Toll 183A

Toll 183A is 11.6 miles long, including about 4.5 miles of tolled road in addition to the frontage roads, which there is no charge to use.

Eventually the tolled portion will extend to the San Gabriel River, on the northern edge of Leander, heading toward Liberty Hill. Construction has not started yet, but the extension could be completed in as little as three years, said Steve Pustelnyk, Central Texas Regional Mobility Authority spokesman. The extension initially was not expected to be completed until 2017.

“Our traffic has been so much stronger than originally projected, we feel we may be in a position to move forward more quickly in financing the extension,” Pustelnyk said.