Continual decline in traffic has forced the North Texas Tollway Authority’s (NTTA) System Finance and Audit Committee to go ahead with new distance-based tolling structure, which will raise prices for motorists.

The NTTA Board of Directors will consider the proposal, which the System Finance and Audit Committee believes will better align tolls with distances travelled.

According to the proposal, from 1 September, the new toll rate on the Dallas North Tollway and the President George Bush Turnpike would be 14.5 cents per mile – an increase of approximately 3.5 cents per mile.

The proposal said that the average toll road driver with a TollTag will pay an additional US$10.00 per month and TollTag rates will remain at 50 cents on the Mountain Creek Lake Bridge and Addison Airport Toll Tunnel.

The increase in prices would align with the Sam Rayburn Tollway rates and the regional toll rate adopted by the Regional Transportation Council in April 2006.

Scheduled for August 2009, the rate on the Lewisville Lake Toll Bridge will stay at US$1.00.

However after September 1, the travellers may see the biannual increase of adjusted toll rates in July at a compounded annual rate of 2.75%.

The rates on the Bush Turnpike Eastern Extension will increase at a rate equal to 3% per annum, said the proposal.