Laredo mayor directs staff to study peak-hour bridge toll increases; industry and port advisory committee urge transparency

City of Laredo Mayor Dr. Victor D. Trevino successfully moved on Jan. 28 for city management to study raising bridge tolls during known peak hours as part of a traffic-management strategy (c 25 c-06) and to return to council in about six months with recommended toll amounts, an implementation timeline and evidence that the trade industry had been included in planning.

The motion, which passed on a voice vote, does not raise tolls immediately. “What I would like to direct management to do within the next 6 months … is to recommend an increase on the amount of the tolls, a timeline for implementation to include the trade industry in their discussions,” Mayor Trevino said before formalizing the motion.

The discussion focused on whether peak-hour pricing could reduce congestion and idling-related emissions by shifting some commercial traffic away from times when noncommercial traffic (including school buses and afternoon pick-up) is heavy. Interim bridge director Kent Richard told the council that current commercial rates are $4.75 per axle (a five-axle tractor-trailer today pays $23.75 per crossing) and that staff tracks competitor ports and performs annual rate reviews.

Members of the Port of Entry Advisory Committee and the trade industry urged the city to lay out how any additional revenue would be used before a rate increase. Rick Lauderdale, chair of the Port of Entry Advisory Committee, said the committee declined to support a proposed increase “until further clarification is provided regarding how additional funds will be allocated, particularly in relation to the development of a port authority.” He asked for a detailed breakdown tying revenue to projects and timelines.

Jerry Maldonado, chairman of the Laredo Motor Carriers Association, called for industry inclusion in the study and for staff to analyze how crossings have grown. “If you just throw the word out, ‘we’re going to raise the bridge,’ clearly the industry is going to say, ‘we don’t want that.’ But if we have the conversation and analyze and use the data … we’re here,” Maldonado told council.

Council members and staff repeatedly emphasized the need to avoid sudden changes that would disrupt trade contracts and to coordinate with Mexican counterparts where appropriate. The city manager and interim bridge management agreed to return to council with updated competitive comparisons, an analysis of peak-hour windows (council members cited afternoon pickup hours roughly 2–7 p.m. as an example), and options for targeted incentives or premiums rather than a flat across-the-board rise.

The council vote was procedural: the motion directed staff to develop and return with recommendations rather than to adopt a new toll schedule. Mayor Trevino and others stressed the purpose of a study and industry engagement before any implementation.

What’s next: Staff will analyze current toll structures and competitor ports, map daily and hourly crossing volumes to identify “peak” windows, estimate potential revenue under alternative pricing models, and return to council with recommended next steps and community/industry outreach plans.