HOUSTON – Paying to sit in traffic. Houstonians are tired of it.
However, it’s the continuous reality along some parts of Beltway 8 which is operated by the Harris County Toll Road Authority — better known as HCTRA.
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Overall, HCTRA is responsible for a system that consists of 133 miles, and in recent years they’ve launched a “Keep it Moving” campaign designed to attract and sell drivers.
One problem, drivers tell us they are routinely not moving. The system they pay for is not working for them, and as a result they are exiting the Beltway for a faster commute along surface streets.
“We’ve heard that feedback, but we’ve also heard the feedback that the lighting is good on our system, the condition of the roadway is really well,” said Roberto Treviño, the Executive Director of HCTRA.
However, a good roadway and lights? These are baseline expectations for drivers.
But, paying to sit in traffic or to flee from it because surface streets work better is another avenue altogether?
“I can’t speak for the people who are making the decision to get off our system, as we start taking a look at the traffic we are monitoring where the traffic is and we do have plans to address the congestion on our system,” said Treviño to 2 Investigates in a recent interview.
In 2025, HCTRA collected $874 million dollars in toll revenue, according to Treviño.
A system flush with public dollars where salaries are on the rise.
In fact, HCTRA’s finances show that in Treviño’s first year in 2021 he was the only executive making an annual salary over $200,000. The agency lists his salary from five years ago at $287,492.40.
Fast forward to 2026 and the number is now at nine executives making north of $200,000 with Treviño’s publicly funded salary at $490,000.20.
Treviño justified his salary and those of his team with a system that is well-kept and with tolls that have not gone up in ten years.
The reality is salaries are only part of the picture.
The bigger question is what happens to the hundreds of millions of dollars that leave the toll road system?
After we filed a Texas Public Information Act request, HCTRA provided 2 Investigates with records showing that last year $398,613,574 dollars transferred to Harris County Commissioners for “mobility projects” in their precincts.
So what projects did the dollars go to?
“So that is one of the things, once that transfers out it is no longer in HCTRA’s financials and those projects are no longer operated,” said Treviño.
However, when asked as to who is overseeing these dollars?
Treviño said, “It varies between the county engineer and HCTRA.”
But when reminded that the money goes to the county and he doesn’t get involved with it?
Treviño quickly acknowledged, “I am getting involved now, because here recently commissioners court adopted it, where HCTRA is going to hire a third party auditor. It’s going to audit the use of those funds so that is where my involvement is in now recently.”
An audit!
However, as of right now no real-time transparency exists. Not even a dashboard for drivers to see where their toll dollars are being parked.
“We’ve been very transparent, you can find anything on our website. Anything in the county budget book. There should be no secret as to where the money is going,” said Treviño.
We reminded HCTRA Director there is $398 million dollars going from his agency to the county, yet he did not know of any projects?
“That is not my topic as the Executive Director of HCTRA to speak to. That money got transferred out of HCTRA it is not my responsibility or role at the county to speak on that behalf,” said Treviño.
We did ask Treviño if there was any kind of dashboard to see how hundreds of millions in public dollars transferred from HCTRA to the county are being spent, but he admitted, “I cannot point you to any one specific dashboard.”
However, he did admit that, “I think transparency is a great idea. How you do that is not up to me to decide? But I’m all about transparency and I support transparency but I am not going to be the decider as to how that is going to be conveyed to the citizens of Harris County and our users.”