Texas’ toll roads: According to the company that operates Texas State Highway 130, truck traffic on the public-private thoroughfare in the Lone Star State increased by 26% last year to 3.2 million transactions.
Rise in Total Vehicle Transactions
SH 130 Concession Co. recorded 11.42 million vehicle transactions last year, a 17% increase year over year (y/y).
“With SH 130 serving as a critical transportation artery, this region has become a hub of manufacturing investment and economic development,” said Jeff Billows, president and COO of SH 130 Concession Co. in a news release.
State Highway 130 traverses central Texas for 91 miles. SH 130 Concession, based in Buda, Texas, operates a private toll road along a 41-mile stretch of the highway from just southeast of Austin to Seguin, a town about 30 miles east of San Antonio.
Officials at SH 130 attributed the increase in truckers using the tollway to a significant increase in industrial and manufacturing development along the corridor since 2020. Recent projects include the Tesla Gigafactory, which will open in Austin in 2021, and the $17 billion Samsung semiconductor plant, which is currently under construction in the nearby town of Taylor.
Another factor is SH 130 Concession Co.’s collaboration with the Texas Trucking Association (TXTA) to provide more carriers and shippers with toll road access via rebates and incentive programs.
“SH 130 Concession Co. partners with TXTA-qualified carriers to pilot various programs that highlight the travel time, reliability, and safety benefits that SH 130 provides to carriers and shippers in this important freight corridor,” SH 130’s director of government relations and public affairs, James Lovett, told FreightWaves.
Texas’ toll roads Rates for SH 130
To travel the entire length of the toll road, the base toll rate for passenger vehicles is $8.14 with an electronic toll tag. With an electronic toll tag, the base toll rate for an 18-wheeler with one trailer is $32.46.
Total traffic on the highway has increased 47% since 2019, while tractor-trailer traffic has increased 68% since 2014.
The Outbound Tender Market Share Index, which adds up to 100 on the FreightWaves SONAR platform, measures the relative percentage of outbound tender volumes in each market in the United States. Recently, the Austin market accounted for approximately.65% of total outbound truckload demand, while San Antonio accounted for.35%.
