Drivers who sit in frustration during rush hour on the Dallas North Tollway might find video from the Jones Film Archive at SMU a bit nostalgic and refreshing. In 1975, the toll road was largely barren of cars and not enough tolls were being collected to pay off the bonds.
So those drivers who did use the tollway saw the cost per trip increased from 20 cents to a quarter to help make up the deficit. Some of those drivers lamented the increased cost and vowed not to use the road anymore, while others felt throwing a quarter into the bin would be easier than fumbling around for a combination of nickels and dimes.
One of the earliest WFAA reports on the tollway came in 1967, a year before construction was completed. The reporter said when the tollway became a reality, North Dallas residents would enjoy “one of the most modern highway systems anywhere.”
Later reports identified a trend after each rate increase: revenue would go up and usage would go down. Shortly after the 1975 hike, WFAA reporter Jane Horowitz reported estimations had the Dallas North Tollway being paid for and converted to a freeway in the year 2005.
Obviously, that did not happen.
Over the years, the North Texas Tollway Authority has built new roads such as the President George Bush Turnpike and Sam Rayburn Tollway to help accommodate the area’s growth. Billions of dollars in bonds were used to fund the roads and the payoff date is now estimated around 2060.
In 2017, WFAA did a breakdown of the NTTA’s budget to show drivers where their money is being spent.
However, one old North Texas toll road is now a freeway enjoyed by thousands every day. Interstate 30 used to be the only direct road between Dallas and Fort Worth and was known as the “DFW Turnpike” from 1957 until it was paid off in 1977.