AUSTIN (KXAN) — Following the “TxTag Troubles” investigative project, many drivers who reached out to KXAN got their issues resolved, and a new state law will soon address one of the the top complaints about Texas’ tolling systems.

In response to more than 700 complaints sent to KXAN in a month, the Texas Department of Transportation set up a dedicated phone line in its customer service outreach center specifically to resolve these drivers’ issues through the end of May.

That dedicated phone line has now closed, and TxDOT said it resolved 90% of complaints from people who used it and is currently working to resolve the rest.

“I’m one of the people that had trouble with their TxTag, and it’s just amazing how fast it was all fixed,” one woman said in a voicemail left for KXAN regarding the impact our investigation had on the agency’s response time.

Changes in Texas law

The overwhelming majority of complaints KXAN received dealt with billing issues, particularly for toll customers with auto-pay accounts.

“Essentially, their system failed and they did not bill my credit card (which was setup on auto-pay) for almost all of 2022. In August, we started to receive bills … back-billing us for a year’s worth of charges for their tolls — obviously at higher rates than what we should have paid,” one viewer told KXAN.

On June 10, Gov. Greg Abbott signed House Bill 2170 into law to prevent further issues similar to that complaint.

“There is a lack of transparency and adequate communication between some toll entities and
customers. Customers are not always adequately notified that there is a problem processing their payment,” according to the bill’s statement of intent.

HB 2170 — authored by Rep. Bobby Guerra, D-McAllen, and sponsored by Sen. Carol Alvarado, D-Houston — aims to improve Texas’ tollway billing and collections practices by requiring tolling entities to immediately notify customers if there is a problem processing toll charges through the electronic payment method associated with their accounts.

Alvarado said she hopes this bill will bring accountability for toll systems and awareness for customers.

“I can only imagine what it feels like to get hit with a big bill at the end because maybe you didn’t know that something happened with your credit card — it was declined or didn’t process,” Alvarado said.

As part of our earlier investigation, KXAN spoke to Terri Hall with Texans for Toll-free Highways, a non-profit advocacy group working to educate the public on these issues.

“The number one way drivers get caught up in mounting toll bills that become unpayable is the failure of toll agencies to immediately notify them of any problems with their payment card,” Hall said in response to HB 2170 becoming law.

The new law will take effect Sept. 1.

“While Guerra’s bill will make strides in helping, it doesn’t come close to solving the problem,” Hall said.

Bills stalled in ‘anti-toll environment’

Of the eight bills KXAN identified related to Texas’ toll authorities that addressed many of the issues highlighted in our “TxTag Troubles” investigative project, HB 2170 is the only bill passed by lawmakers and signed into law.

1. HB 4864 – Relating to the method of providing certain notices or invoices relating to toll collections by a toll project entity. Referred to House Transportation Committee on March 23, no further action taken.
2. HB 2991 – Relating to toll collection and enforcement by toll project entities; authorizing an administrative fee; imposing a civil penalty. Left pending in House Transportation Committee after hearing on April 26.
3. HB 4231 – Relating to a one-year moratorium on the collection of tolls. Referred to House Transportation Committee on March 21, no further action taken.
4. HB 2245 – Relating to vehicles eligible for toll discount programs. Referred to House Transportation Committee on March 9, no further action taken.
5. HB 3843 – Relating to a study and report by the Texas Department of Transportation regarding toll project entities. Passed the House Transportation Committee by vote of 142-0 on May 8 and referred to Senate Transportation Committee on May 10. The bill was not scheduled to be heard by the Senate committee.
6. HB 1314 – Relating to the establishment by toll project entities of a discount program for electronic toll collection customers. Referred to House Defense & Veterans’ Affairs Committee on March 3, no further action taken.
7. HB 2170 – Relating to toll collections by a toll project entity. Sent to the governor on May 24 for final signature before becoming Texas law.
8. SB 316 – Relating to toll collection and enforcement by toll project entities; authorizing an administrative fee; imposing a civil penalty. Referred to Senate Transportation Committee on Feb. 9, no further action taken.

Prior to the regular session coming to a close, KXAN took packets to the State Capitol and hand-delivered them to each of the 22 members of those committees to make sure they were aware of the relevant bills filed and the complaints we received in recent years.

While visiting the Capitol, KXAN spoke with Rep. Terry Canales, D-Edinburg, who chairs the House transportation committee.

Canales acknowledged he was aware of the issues related to Texas’ toll system and stated it “needs to be completely reevaluated.”

However, he also informed KXAN the likelihood was grim for any bill proposing toll-related changes.

“We’re operating right now in what’s called an ‘anti-toll environment,’ which means that anything that’s toll related would die in the Senate,” Canales said.

Canales explained the “anti-toll environment” was due to the majority of the state’s transportation budget being dedicated to preserving and maintaining Texas’ 200,000 lane miles, which does not include toll roads.

“It’s a dereliction of duty, in our opinion,” Hall said of Texas lawmakers. “They’re aware of the problems. It’s past time we fix them. Toll agencies have way too much power to financially ruin Texas drivers and hurt families’ livelihoods.”

This story is part of KXAN’s “TxTag Troubles” investigative project launched May 7, 2023. Following related reports in recent years, our team rededicated its resources to this major consumer issue, after hundreds of viewers complained to us about resurfaced billing and customer service problems with the state’s tollway operator and its contracted vendors. During our reporting, the Texas Department of Transportation began reaching out to viewers who had contacted KXAN to resolve their issues, and state lawmakers renewed their approach to fixing future TxTag problems.