Petition for Toll Relief on SH 99: The Highlands ↔ Birnham Woods
Oct 2, 2026

To: Texas Transportation Commission; Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT), Grand Parkway / SH 99

CC: Texas State Senator for the District; Texas State Representative for the District; TxDOT Houston District; Montgomery County Commissioners Court; The Highlands Community Association

Re: Toll relief for Highlands residents on the SH 99 segment between the Highlands exit and the Birnham Woods exit, in both directions, until a toll-free alternative route is provided

Our request
We, the undersigned residents of The Highlands community in Porter, Texas (Montgomery County), ask that SH 99 travel between the Highlands exit and the Birnham Woods exit be made toll-free for Highlands residents, or offered at a substantially discounted rate, until a toll-free alternative route is provided.

This request covers only this short segment of about 2 miles, eastbound and westbound. It does not cover travel toward New Caney or US 59/I-69, where residents already have reasonable toll-free routes.

No practical toll-free alternative
For Highlands residents, this 2-mile stretch of SH 99 is the only practical connection west to Spring and The Woodlands. The trip takes about 5 minutes on SH 99. The only toll-free alternative takes about 1 hour.

   Route
Approx. travel time
Toll
SH 99, Highlands exit to Birnham Woods exit
~5 minutes
$1.10 minimum each way
Toll-free alternative
~1 hour
None
Residents use this connection daily to reach schools, businesses, groceries, medical care and jobs. A 1-hour detour is not a realistic option for school drop-offs or routine errands, so families have no real choice but to pay the toll.

The cost to families
Every trip across this segment costs at least $1.10 each way, or $2.20 round trip, and more for drivers billed by mail. For a typical family, that adds up to hundreds or more than a thousand dollars a year for a 2-mile drive.

   Household pattern
Round trips
Annual toll cost
One round trip each school/work day
260 per year
$572
One round trip every day
365 per year
$803
School drop-off and pick-up each school day
2 per day, ~180 days
$792
School drop-off and pick-up, plus one weekend errand trip each Saturday and Sunday
~464 per year
$1,021
Figures use the $1.10 minimum per direction. Families with more than one driver, or with children at different schools, pay more. This cost comes on top of mortgage or rent, property taxes, HOA dues, fuel and insurance.

Relief requested
We ask TxDOT and the Commission to adopt one of the following for the Highlands–Birnham Woods segment, in order of preference, until a toll-free alternative route exists:

Toll-free travel for Highlands residents on this segment, through a resident toll-tag registration or similar program.
A substantial resident discount (for example, 50% or more) on this segment.
A monthly cap on tolls for this segment for registered resident toll-tag accounts.
A toll-free local connection, such as frontage roads or a local road between the Highlands area and Birnham Woods Drive, with a timeline for its construction.
We ask that any relief remain in place until option 4, or another toll-free route of comparable travel time, is open to traffic. If options 1–3 are not possible, we ask TxDOT to explain the legal, financial or bond-related reasons and identify what relief it can offer.

Response requested
We ask for a written response that states which relief TxDOT can provide and when. We also ask for a meeting between Highlands community representatives and TxDOT officials, or time on a Texas Transportation Commission public agenda, to present this petition.

Signature and exhibits
Respectfully submitted,

 
Community Representative / Petition Organizer

On behalf of the undersigned residents of The Highlands, Porter, Texas 77365

Exhibit A – Resident signatures: printed name, street name (no house number needed), and signature of each participating resident or household.

Exhibit B – Household toll costs: redacted toll statements showing Highlands–Birnham Woods charges. Remove account numbers, license plates and personal details before submitting.

Before submitting, verify the exit names, the current toll rate, and the travel time of the toll-free alternative.