PRESS RELEASE
Brian Wilson
(Arlington, Texas) – Those who travel on Dallas-Fort Worth area TEXpress Lanes will soon have a simple, new way to qualify for high-occupancy vehicle (HOV) toll discounts.
The Dallas-Fort Worth area’s TEXpress Lane System was established to enable users of some of the region’s most highly traveled roadways to reach their destinations more reliably. On these roadways, drivers can either choose to pay a variable toll for the ability to travel at least 50 mph on the TEXpress Lanes, or they can use the general-purpose lanes for no additional charge.
The Regional Transportation Council established policies that provide a toll discount for HOV vehicles on TEXpress Lanes during weekday peak periods (6:30-9:00 a.m. and 3:00-6:30 p.m.) and 24/7 on IH 635 from IH 30 to US 75. The discount is currently implemented through an app-based pre-declaration method, Drive On TEXpress, and enforced manually through police officers in the field.
Beginning Jan. 24 at 6:30 p.m., the GoCarma smartphone app will replace Drive On TEXpress, ensuring road users will no longer need to activate their HOV status prior to each trip.
GoCarma uses Bluetooth technology to automatically verify travelers in a carpool. As long as at least two people in the vehicle install the GoCarma app or have an occupant pass, they will not need to interact with the app after setup. It’s that easy.
Drive On TEXpress users are invited to switch to GoCarma prior to the January 24 6:30 p.m. launch and can pre-register today at
www.gocarma.com/dfw. The GoCarma app is available for FREE in the App Store and on Google Play.
Dallas-Fort Worth is the fourth-largest region in the nation, with a population of approximately 7.5 million. Innovative solutions such as TEXpress Lanes, intended to provide residents with travel choices, are helping transportation planners develop a transportation system that will meet the needs of the region as it continues rapid expansion.
About the North Central Texas Council of Governments:
NCTCOG is a voluntary association of local governments established in 1966 to assist local governments in planning for common needs, cooperating for mutual benefit and coordinating for sound regional development. NCTCOG's purpose is to strengthen both the individual and collective power of local governments and to help them recognize regional opportunities, eliminate unnecessary duplication and make joint decisions.
NCTCOG serves a 16-county region of North Central Texas, which is centered in the two urban centers of Dallas and Fort Worth. Currently, NCTCOG has 238 member governments including 16 counties, 169 cities, 22 school districts and 31 special districts. For more information on the NCTCOG Transportation Department, visit
www.nctcog.org/trans.
About Carma Technology Corporation:
Carma Technology Corporation (Carma) is the provider of GoCarma, a smartphone app that automatically verifies vehicle occupancy. For more than a decade, Carma has been a trusted partner of government agencies in fighting traffic congestion by rewarding high-occupancy vehicle (HOV) travel. From launching the first ridesharing smartphone app in 2008, to verifying millions of passenger trips, Carma’s patented and proven technology helps people to save time and money on their commute. The GoCarma app automatically verifies HOV status, enabling commuters to qualify for HOV toll discounts without needing to declare it prior to each trip.
About TEXpress Lanes:
The TEXpress Lanes system is all about choice, predictable travel speeds and congestion relief. Currently, there are more than 100 miles of TEXpress Lanes that form a network within the North Texas region. Managed to reduce congestion and keep traffic flowing, these toll express lanes use variable pricing in which tolls fluctuate based on real-time traffic conditions in the lanes. They offer drivers more choice in their daily commutes, located across eight major Dallas-Fort Worth corridors including I-635, I-35E, Loop 820 and SH 121/183, I-35W, I-30, SH 114, SH 183 and Loop 12.
For more info about the TEXpress Lanes, visit
www.texpresslanes.com.
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