Daily News Briefs, July 26, 2024

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In Massachusetts Statewide Poll, Half The Respondents Express Openness To Congestion Pricing

Boston.com reports, a poll commissioned by the Transportation for Massachusetts (T4MA) organization finds that twenty percent of the 1,400 Bay State respondents want to move elsewhere because of concerns about the high costs of transportation and housing. “This survey confirms that housing and transportation are not separate issues; they are deeply interconnected,” commented T4MA executive director Reggie Ramos. She added, “Our public officials must take steps to solve [the intersecting problems] jointly and immediately.”

According to a T4MA news release, the poll results reveal significant public dissatisfaction with the existing transportation system and “some openness to policies that would raise more money for transportation: 50% support studying congestion pricing around Greater Boston; 68% support letting cities and towns put transportation funding on their local ballots; 58% think that real estate developers should pay to support transportation infrastructure near their projects; and 47% think large employers should pay a payroll tax to cover the cost of their employees commuting.”

The Salem News (payment or subscription required) reports, “Transit advocates jumped on the poll’s findings to argue that voters want the state to revisit congestion tolling in the greater Boston region to reduce traffic congestion and tailpipe pollution. ‘With a dire budget shortfall when it comes to transportation, we need a mix of solutions and funding sources to ensure our system works for everyone – and isn’t a crushing financial burden for people across our state,’” Ms. Ramos told the newspaper. “‘Congestion pricing should definitely be on the table as one of those solutions we need to explore,’” she added.

Boston Metro Area Congestion Pricing Economic & Social Considerations Affecting Transportation Massachusetts Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) Massachusetts Turnpike Transit and Toll Roads

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TransCore Technology Facilitated Kansas Turnpike's Conversion To Cashless Collection

TransCore issued a news release on this month’s successful launch of its Infinity roadside tolling system at 21 bidirectional toll points along the 236-mile Kansas Turnpike. The new open-road system’s installation marked the turnpike’s conversion to all-electronic, cashless collection. TransCore credited a multi-disciplined project team working in partnership with Kansas Turnpike Authority (KTA) staff with executing a phased design, construction and installation plan on time and on budget. The implementation process aimed to minimize traffic flow impacts and motorist disruption.

KTA selected TransCore’s solution in 2022 through a competitive procurement process that started the preceding year. The firm stated its Infinity system “seamlessly forms tolling transactions for both KTAG users and drivers without compatible transponders by integrating AI-powered automatic license plate recognition (ALPR) technology with a combination of RFID technology to read KTAGs, including TransCore’s multi-protocol readers and transponders.”

“We are proud to partner with KTA to deliver a modern, efficient tolling solution that not only improves driver experiences, but also helps make roadways safer,” said Whitt Hall, TransCore’s president and CEO. Referring to the company’s 30-year-long association with KTA, Mr. Hall added, “We are always grateful for the opportunity to build on our long-term relationships and implement innovative transportation technologies that facilitate our customers’ complex system conversions.”

TransCore is a subsidiary of ST Engineering, a global technology, defense and engineering group.

AET (All-Electronic Tolling) ETC Systems Kansas Kansas Turnpike Authority (KTA) Open-Road Tolling ST Engineering Group TransCore

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These are just some of the toll industry developments TRN is following.

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