FRAUDscoop

Susan Schrock writes a great article about the new toll program, I wish would shemention the toll citations that may arrive.

Arlington joins TollTag program | Arlington | Star-Telegram.com

ARLINGTON — TollTags will soon be available at City Hall.

Arlington is one of the latest Tarrant County cities to participate in the North Texas Tollway Authority’s third-party vendor program. Starting Monday, motorists can sign up for a TollTag account in the One Start Development Center on the second floor of Arlington City Hall.

Arlington is now one of 76 third-party vendor locations in the Metroplex. Participating cities in Tarrant County include North Richland Hills, Bedford, Kennedale and Benbrook. Fort Worth’s participation is pending, tollway authority officials said.

Where tags work

The tags can be used on all Texas toll roads and at Dallas/Fort Worth Airport and Love Field. There are currently no toll roads in Tarrant County, but Texas 161 in Grand Prairie is expected to be partially completed by next year. The toll road is expected to be a reliever for Texas 360 and serve as a crucial gateway to Arlington’s growing entertainment district.

Why get one

TollTags save motorists money and time at the tollbooth, said Clayton Howe, assistant executive director for the tollway authority. For example, a tollbooth on the President George Bush Turnpike in Dallas charges $1 for drivers using cash but only 40 cents for TollTag users, Howe said.

TollTag accounts also bring money to counties for transportation projects, like highway construction or clean-air initiatives, officials said.

The North Central Texas Council of Governments allocates toll revenue to counties for such projects based on the number of active TollTag accounts, said Alicia Winkelblech, Arlington’s chief transportation planner. Currently, Tarrant County residents make up 5 percent of North Texas’ TollTag account holders.

“Everyone should get one,” said Arlington Mayor Robert Cluck, who signed up for a tag on Tuesday. “This is going to help us get a bigger share of highway construction money.”

The North Texas Tollway Authority also will give Arlington $5 for each account set up at City Hall. Cluck said that money will go to the general fund, which pays for things such as police salaries and parks.

How to get one

Motorists can set up pre-paid TollTag accounts at www.ntta.org with a credit card. The tags are free, but motorists must open an account with at least $40. Tags are debited as a motorist passes through a tollbooth or airport parking exit. Tags are automatically reloaded with $40 from the user’s credit card once the account drops to $10.

This report includes material from the Star-Telegram archives.

TollTags

To learn more about TollTags, visit the North Texas Tollway Authority at www.ntta.org.

Residents can set up an account at Arlington City Hall, 101 W. Abram St.