EZ riders

Harris County eases the toll on Houston-area commuters with new EZ Tag charges

Local drivers can celebrate the new EZ Tag changes on Labor Day.

As Houston drivers are well aware, paying to simply commute to work, errands, and entertainment can truly take a toll. But a new policy change will soon help ease the burden for countless local motorists.

Local drivers and commuters in Harris County can soon enjoy a new development coming soon. Houston-area EZ TAG users will now receive a discount on tolls from the Harris County Toll Road Authority (HCTRA). The change goes into effect starting on Labor Day morning (Monday, September 4).

This fee adjustment follows an initial HCTRA proposal for a10-percent discount in January, as CultureMap news partner ABC13 reported. The changes were then voted into effect by the Harris County Commissioners Court in July. HCTRA officials note in the policy update and announcement that this fee change is an effort by the agency to make using its EZ TAG system more accessible for users.

Now, about those changes. Drivers can look forward to eight free EZ Tag charges per account. All subsequent EZ Tag uses after the first eight will be charged at $2 each.

Additionally, drivers will also receive a 10-percent reduction on any posted toll. Notably, the reduction applies to solely to anyone using an EZ TAG and driving a two-axle vehicle.

More changes: The minimum EZ Tag account balance has been lowered to $10 (down from the original $40) for accounts with one or two cars. Cash-and-carry types can now pay for EZ Tag accounts using cash at any physical EZ Tag store location.

ABC13's Elissa Rivas reports that HCTRA will change signage and launch the new system over Labor Day weekend. She also offers a fun-fact reminder for local travelers: The EZ TAG works throughout Texas, Oklahoma, and even Kansas.

H-Town rising

Houston leaps back into top 50 'World's Best Cities' list for 2025

Photo by Adrian Newell on Unsplash

Houston made a big leap back into the top 50, ranking No. 40, after previously plummeting into No. 72 last year.

Lively Houston has regained its rightful place among the top 50 best cities in the world, according to a prestigious new report by Resonance Consultancy.

The Canada-based real estate and tourism marketing advisors ranked Houston the 40th best city worldwide for 2025 in its annual "World's Best Cities" list.

The report quantifies the relative qualities of livability, "lovability," and prosperity for the world's top 100 cities with metropolitan populations of 1 million or more. New to the 10th anniversary edition, Resonance partnered with global market researchers Ipsos to include perception-based data into the rankings, surveying over 22,000 people in 30 countries worldwide to determine "the most desirable places to visit, live or work."

Houston made a major rebound after plummeting to No. 73 in last year's report. In 2022, Houston ranked No. 42.

Resonance refers to its previous "World's Best Cities" reports and its 2024 "America's Best Cities" list – which ranked Houston in the top 10 – when explaining the Bayou City's successes. The report praised Houston's vast cultural diversity and placed a great focus on its economic prosperity, even going so far as to suggest Houston residents make more money "and can sock more away."

"...[W]here America’s fourth-largest city truly takes off is in its economic heft and wealth, ranking No. 9 globally for GDP per Capita and No. 14 for Fortune 500 companies in town," the report said. "All that rolls up into an overall Prosperity index ranking of No. 36, which is even more impressive given the No. 14-ranked Price-to Income Ratio [of the city]."

Elsewhere in Texas, Austin and Dallas also earned spots on the World's Best Cities list for 2025, but only one made a similar rebound from the previous year's rankings. Dallas moved up from No. 66 in last year's report to its current rank as No. 55. Meanwhile, Austin took its first tumble out of the 43rd spot (which it had occupied for two years straight) and now ranks No. 53.

London held onto its crown as the No. 1 best city in the world for 2025, followed by New York (No. 2), Paris (No. 3), Tokyo (No. 4), and Singapore (No. 5).