Transactions on North Texas toll roads see sharp decline in March as residents shelter in place

The number of transactions on North Texas toll roads has sharply declined over the past two weeks, according to data from the North Texas Tollway Authority.

Across NTTA’s network, transactions dropped by 44% in Week 3 of March, data shows. This lines up with the time when most Dallas-Fort Worth schools and offices closed in an effort to slow the spread of coronavirus.

The Dallas North Tollway took the biggest hit in Week 3, with transactions down by about 47% year-over year, followed by the Sam Rayburn Tollway and the President George Bush Turnpike at roughly 46% and 42%, respectively.

That trend worsened in Week 4. Through Tuesday, transactions were down roughly 53% year over year across the NTTA network, according to the data.

Overall, transactions were down by 28% year over year in March, NTTA spokesperson Michael Rey said.

A full month’s worth of transaction data will not be available until the end of April. While it is still too early to gauge the impact of decreased revenue, Rey said the NTTA will continue to monitor the various effects of COVID-19 on the agency.

Editor's Note: Information for Week 4 transactions is current through Tuesday, March 24.