Daily News Briefs, September 10, 2024

Several Industries Join Toll Operators In Objecting To FCC Bandwidth Reallocation Request

RFID Journal reports, the public comment period has closed on NextNav’s request for reassignment of a portion of the lower 900 megahertz band that is currently allocated for, among other purposes, toll operators’ transponder communications. FCC, the spectrum regulator, reportedly received 744 comments before the closing date, most of which opposed the geolocation service company’s application. Joining toll entities such as Washington State DOT, the Golden Gate Bridge District, and LA Metro in defense of the band’s preservation were companies and trade associations in the healthcare, defense, energy, aerospace and retail industries. RFID Journal provides summaries of the NextNav petition and the unfavorable responses it elicited. FCC will accept replies to the submitted comments until September 20. It will then consider all the public feedback before determining its next step.

Comments on the NextNav application (FCC proceeding number 24-240) are searchable and reviewable on the FCC website.

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Indra Spotlights Its IBTTA Award For The 66 Express Tolling Solution

Indra USA, an international developer of tolling, traffic, and transit technologies, issued a news release to call attention to its achievement of the 2024 IBTTA Toll Excellence Award for Private Sector Innovation. IBTTA yesterday conferred the award on Indra’s implementation of an all-overhead, open-road tolling solution for the 66 Express Outside the Beltway project in Virginia. Indra’s release emphasizes that the award was granted because its technology “has helped the road operator to significantly improve traffic flow on I-66, and it also sets a precedent for future advancements in tolling technology, making it an exemplary project in the industry.”

IBTTA described the Indra deliverable as a “first-of-its-kind tolling solution” that “utilizes LiDAR for dimensions-based classification and Video AI for axle-based classification, all integrated into an advanced smart-road system. . . . The project sets a new standard for tolling systems globally, with its innovative use of commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) technology and holistic approach, including video-based occupancy detection, providing a blueprint for future implementations.”

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California Seeks Input On Draft Rules For Autonomous Vehicle Testing And Deployment

The California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) recently issued draft regulations (scroll down to “Regulation Proposals and Drafts” heading) on the testing and deployment of autonomous vehicles on public roads. It is now soliciting “informal feedback” on the rules proposal. DMV states the draft reflects its “continued interest” in facilitating safe testing and deployment of the technology and encouraging  innovation. It also emphasizes that the draft regulatory language “is intended only to encourage public feedback and is not a formal regulatory proposal.”

Trucking Dive provides a summary of the DMV proposals, which address both fully autonomous vehicles and vehicles with a human operator on board. The article suggests the draft signals “a potential shift to allow heavy-duty autonomous vehicles [those weighing 10,001 pounds or more] without drivers to operate on [specified] public roads.” It also notes that an AV trade group welcomed the issuance of the draft.

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NHTSA Estimates Traffic Fatalities Continued To Drop In 1H-2024

According to early estimates the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) released last week, the number of US traffic fatalities declined for the ninth straight quarter during the first half of 2024. “An estimated 18,720 people died in motor vehicle traffic crashes, a decrease of about 3.2% as compared to 19,330 fatalities projected to have occurred in the first half of 2023.” Because FHWA reports show that vehicle miles traveled increased by 0.8 percent year-over-year in the first half of 2024, the fatality rate also declined. “More miles driven combined with fewer traffic deaths resulted in a fatality rate of 1.17 fatalities per 100 million VMT, down from the projected rate of 1.21 fatalities per 100 million VMT in the first half of 2023.” USDOT Secretary Pete Buttigieg commented, “Reversing the rise in roadway deaths has been a top priority for this Department, so we’re encouraged to see continued reductions in traffic fatalities — yet the overall proportions of this issue remain at crisis levels and there is much more work to do.”

Traffic fatalities were down in most states and most regions of the country, but the exceptions were clustered in the upper South, Mid-Atlantic and New England regions. A detailed summary of the NHTSA data can be found in the agency’s September Traffic Safety Facts.

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

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