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The Economic Times
The Economic Times
National
Team Global

Since 1950, Texas has run the Galveston-Port Bolivar ferry toll-free, 24 hours a day; its 18-minute crossing carries about 1.5 million vehicles each year

Galveston Texas TXDOT

Most people crossing Galveston Bay don’t need to reach for their wallet, and that is no accident. The Galveston-Port Bolivar ferry has been toll-free since 1950 and now operates around the clock, ferrying drivers and walk-on passengers across a strip of Galveston Bay that would take hours to drive around, according to the Texas Department of Transportation. The ferry is not a side attraction. It’s an official stretch of State Highway 87, so the boat is a piece of Texas road itself. For people living or working on the Gulf Coast, this stretch of highway has played an important role in everyday life for nearly a century.

A free ride that almost wasn’t free

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