Jan. 13--Drivers who like the convenience of EZ Tags on toll roads soon will be able to use them to pay for parking at the city's two major airports.
This week, Harris County Commissioners Court approved using the tags at the Bush and Hobby airport parking lots beginning this summer.
"If you can also use EZ Tag to park, it makes life a little more convenient," said Art Storey, head of the county public infrastructure department, which oversees the Harris County Toll Road Authority. "It improves customer service and promotes the use of EZ Tags."
EZ Tags are devices attached near a rearview mirror. Each time a vehicle passes through an EZ Tag toll lane, an electronic reader deducts a toll from the motorist's EZ Tag account with the authority.
At the airports' parking lots, some exit lanes will be designated as EZ Tag lanes. Those using the lanes might avoid long waits in lines to pay parking fees, said Peter Key, deputy director of the authority.
Commissioners Court authorized spending up to $4.3 million to install the equipment.
The city, which runs the airports and parking lots, will continue to run the lots. The authority will collect EZ Tag payments and transfer the money to the city.
The toll road authority will keep 7.75 percent of payments derived from EZ Tags at airports to cover collection costs and the costs of installing EZ Tag equipment. It will take about six years to pay for the equipment.
After the equipment is paid off, the authority will keep 4 percent of the payments to cover collection costs.
At that point, Key said, the authority hopes to make a little money out of providing EZ tag services at the parking lots, but the service primarily is being offered as a convenience.
