A Tampa toll road is among the nation's busiest, a new report shows.
Tampa's Lee Roy Selmon Expressway, operated by the Tampa-Hillsborough Express Authority, saw a 25 percent increase in traffic between 2014 and 2015. Those 47.9 million transactions account for the highest percentage increase in the nation, according to the International Bridge, Tunnel and Turnpike Association (IBTTA).
Patrick Jones, the executive director of the IBTTA, said traffic on many toll roads has jumped because of an improving economy, and for many other reasons.
"They provide a necessary access to jobs, workplaces, places of leisure, etc.,” Jones said.
The National Toll Facilities Usage Analysis found that drivers' use of toll roads increased by 7 percent between 2014 and 2015.
The data came from 31 toll-operated facilities across the country. Those surveyed took 5-billion trips with toll transactions in 2015--an increase of 328 million. There are 125 toll roads in 35 U.S. states.
All but one of the 31 toll facilities in the survey reported a surge in traffic volume.
About one-third of the facilities in the national survey reported double-digit percentage growth. Those with the largest increases include:
1. Tampa-Hillsborough Expressway Authority, FL: 25%
2. North Carolina Department of Transportation: 25%
3. Central Texas Regional Mobility Authority, Austin: 23.4%
4. Georgia's State Road and Tollway Authority: 19.6%
5. Washington State Department of Transportation: 16%
6. I-15 Express Lanes, San Diego: 15%
7. 495 Express Lanes, Northern VA: 15%
8. Northwest Parkway, Broomfield, CO: 13%
9. E-470 Public Highway Authority, Aurora, CO: 12.4%
10. Central Florida Expressway Authority: 10%
