- Groundbreaking (of Sorts) for VDOT's I-66 HOT Lanes
- TransCore's NATIONALPASS Now Accepted by Kansas Pike
- Big Increase in Estimated Cost of Ramp to GDOT I-75 Managed Lanes
- Hudson River Bridges Enjoy Traffic and Revenue Increases
- PA Pike Chairman Says Legislation Would Give the "Hammer" Needed for Toll Cheats
- ERC Discounts Late Fees for Motorists Who Open an E-ZPass Account
- New I-66 HOT Lanes Are an Antidote to HOV Cheating
- You Can Scrape Your Plate, but You'll Still Pay Tolls
- Truck Crashes into OK Turnpike Building
- Senate Candidate: Brent Spence Bridge Exemplifies Need for Infrastructure Renewal
- Senate Leader Claims Christie "Rehearsal" Is Slowing Resolution of Transportation Funding Impasse
- TBX-Funded Study for Hillsborough Transit Set to Kick Off
- Tesla Accident Still Raising Concerns about "Self-Driving" Technology
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Groundbreaking (of Sorts) for VDOT's I-66 HOT Lanes
The Washington Post’s Dr. Gridlock covers the ceremonial opening of VDOT’s I-66 inside-the-beltway HOT lanes project. Instead of turning dirt, dignitaries uncovered and switched-on a digital sign. “Workers now will begin to install eight toll gantries and 125 signs over and around the interstate inside the Capital Beltway. In terms of construction work, that’s pretty much it,” according to the doctor.
WTOP-FM News quotes Governor Terry McAuliffe as telling event participants, “This will give solo drivers for the first time ever a new option to use lanes that are now restricted by paying a variable toll during the travel times.”
Virginia Washington (DC) Metro RegionTransCore's NATIONALPASS Now Accepted by Kansas Pike
The Kansas Turnpike Authority announced it will now accept NATIONALPASS, TransCore’s nationally interoperable toll payment solution. “This new electronic transponder will help provide a more seamless travel for those who frequently drive in multiple states, like those who regularly travel for business,” said Steve Hewitt, KTA’s CEO. “We are pleased to be part of TransCore’s effort to improve nationwide interoperability.” Kansas is the twentieth state in which NATIONALPASS is now accepted.
KansasBig Increase in Estimated Cost of Ramp to GDOT I-75 Managed Lanes
WABE-FM News (Atlanta public radio) reports that the chairman of the Cumberland Community Improvement District Board was “alarmed” to learn that the projected cost of constructing an Akers Mill ramp to GDOT’s new I-75 managed lanes has jumped to $51 million, five times the original estimate. GDOT commissioner Russell McMurry issued a statement saying, “This proposed express lane interchange is very complex,” but the department will continue to work on the project with the improvement district.
GeorgiaHudson River Bridges Enjoy Traffic and Revenue Increases
Daily Freeman (Kingston, NY) reports, “Traffic and revenue on all five Hudson River crossings operated by the New York State Bridge Authority were higher in the first half of 2016 than in the same period a year earlier, according to the authority. [Link added.] Total crossings on the bridges rose 6.7 percent, to almost 30.4 million, while revenue increased 6.4 percent, to $28.2 million.”
New YorkPA Pike Chairman Says Legislation Would Give the "Hammer" Needed for Toll Cheats
Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reports, “Motorists blow past Pennsylvania Turnpike toll booths every year, resulting in millions of dollars of losses.” Turnpike Commission Chairman Sean Logan tells the newspaper that pending legislation (SB 1086) would “give us the hammer we need to go after habitual toll cheats. This measure would ensure that everyone pays their fair share. There are no free rides.” If passed, the bill will authorize PennDOT to suspend vehicle registrations for non-payment of toll bills.
The Scranton Times-Tribune editorial board supports toll enforcement legislation, noting that “the state government must ensure that everyone who uses the turnpike shares the pain while benefiting from system improvements.”
AET (All-Electronic Tolling) Pennsylvania ScofflawsERC Discounts Late Fees for Motorists Who Open an E-ZPass Account
WAVY-TV News (Portsmouth, VA) reports that August 1 was the deadline for settling overdue Elizabeth River Tunnel tolls and penalties for 61,000 people who received letters warning that they face penalties including a vehicle registration hold. The station notes that ERC was giving customers a 50 percent discount on late fees when they opened an E-ZPass account.
VirginiaNew I-66 HOT Lanes Are an Antidote to HOV Cheating
WTOP News also reports, “New tolls coming to Interstate 66 could force a lot of cheaters to pay up. The rush-hour tolls for solo drivers inside the Capital Beltway, which are set to begin next year, will be automated — which means drivers who use the lanes without an E-ZPass Flex switched to HOV mode will automatically get a bill,” or, as VDOT Secretary Aubrey Layne puts it, “The default will be, you get charged; the default now is, you don’t pay.”
Virginia Washington (DC) Metro RegionYou Can Scrape Your Plate, but You'll Still Pay Tolls
Mercury News (San Jose) columnist Mr. Roadshow (Gary Richards) puts the kibosh on yet another toll avoidance scheme: brushing the reflective material off a license plate. Tampering with a license plate is an offense, he says, and besides, he has it on good authority (from “Ricardo-the-SF-Traffic-Man”) that toll system cameras can capture the image of a plate with or without the reflective material.
CaliforniaTruck Crashes into OK Turnpike Building
Associated Press reports, “Authorities say no workers were injured after a tractor-trailer crashed into a Turnpike Authority building on the Cimarron Turnpike in northern Oklahoma [last week].” The building, which adjoins a toll plaza, was unoccupied at the time of the crash.
OklahomaSenate Candidate: Brent Spence Bridge Exemplifies Need for Infrastructure Renewal
WLWT-TV News (Cincinnati) reports that during a campaign appearance former Ohio governor and current US Senate candidate Ted Strickland called the Brent Spence Bridge “perhaps the No. 1 infrastructure emergency in the country,” and “a clear example of why our country has to start getting very serious about rebuilding.” Strickland has previously supported tolling as a way to finance replacement of the bridge.
OhioSenate Leader Claims Christie "Rehearsal" Is Slowing Resolution of Transportation Funding Impasse
NJ.com reports that New Jersey State Senate President Stephen Sweeney “thinks Gov. Chris Christie is stalling on resolving the Transportation Trust Fund crisis, which has prompted a month-long construction shut down, to help his chances in a Trump administration if the Republican nominee wins the White House.” A Christie spokesman responds, “The governor remains committed to reaching an amicable solution . . . that puts people to work, funds infrastructure investment in roads, bridges and mass transit and represents tax fairness for all the people of New Jersey.”
New JerseyTBX-Funded Study for Hillsborough Transit Set to Kick Off
Tampa Bay Business Journal reports, “Hillsborough Area Regional Transit Authority leaders are moving forward with plans to implement a regional transit feasibility study they say would poise the agency for federal dollars aimed at increasing multimodal mobility options.” The report adds, “The Florida Department of Transportation is funding the study as part of its funding for the controversial Tampa Bay Express project.” The study could cost as much as $800,000.
FloridaTesla Accident Still Raising Concerns about "Self-Driving" Technology
Detroit Free Press reports, “The May death of a driver in a Tesla Model S with the Autopilot function engaged is still rippling through the automotive industry as it raises concerns about how fast the industry should adopt self-driving technology and how it should be designed.”
Self-Driving Vehicles