- Prospects for a Tolled US 1 in the Florida Keys Are Rising (along with Congestion and the Sea Level)
- Oregon Lawmakers Consider Funding Bill that Calls for Tolling on I-5 and I-205
- Tolling Could Be Key to Resolving Wisconsin's State Budget Impasse. Debate over Legality of Border Tolls Continues.
- Who Knew? Study Shows Southerners, Women Most Likely to Favor Bumper Stickers
- New FTE Interchange with Potential $1 Billion Economic Impact Will Ease Orlando Commutes
- PANYNJ Opens First Span of the New Goethals Bridge
- FDOT's Top Tampa Bay Region Staffer Plans to Resign
- INDOT Publishes Draft Contract for Statewide Tolling Study
- Another City Opposes Possible TCA 241 Toll Road Extension Routes
- Locals Brood Their Share of $2 Billion Tab for WSDOT SR 509 and 167 Extension
- Trump Administration Plan Failing to Register in Economic Forecasts
- Bloomberg BNA: Cash-Strapped States and Cities Are Sweating Trump's Infrastructure Plan
- County Commissioners (Who Double as Toll Authority Directors) Consider Resolution Supporting TX 249 Tollway
- NET RMA Awards Texas County $250,000 for Highway Loop Feasibility Study
- Tolls, Road-Usage Charges on the Table in British Columbia as Debate over Replacing the George Massey Tunnel Continues
- Wrong-Way Driver Hits Another Car, Kills Driver on Sam Houston Tollway. Two Others Attempting to Drive through Crash Scene Arrested for DUI.
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Prospects for a Tolled US 1 in the Florida Keys Are Rising (along with Congestion and the Sea Level)
FlKeysNews.com reports, “Increasing traffic congestion on U.S. 1 through the Florida Keys has revived the prospect of collecting tolls for the islands’ main highway. Monroe County Commissioner Heather Carruthers plans to ask fellow board members June 21 to ‘support the exploration of a toll into the Florida Keys for non-residents to offset tourist impact, protection and improvement of water quality, and to support infrastructure investment to mitigate against rising sea level.’”
Florida Monroe County, FloridaOregon Lawmakers Consider Funding Bill that Calls for Tolling on I-5 and I-205
OregonLive.com reports, “The multibillion-dollar transportation bill under consideration in Salem includes a section to put tolls on Interstate 5 and Interstate 205 at the Washington border and continue them through the Portland metro area. . . .” The newspaper adds, “Under the tolling plan, the Oregon Transportation Commission . . . would start a [dynamically priced] tolling program and get federal approval to put it in place by the end of 2018.”
Oregon Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) Washington StateTolling Could Be Key to Resolving Wisconsin's State Budget Impasse. Debate over Legality of Border Tolls Continues.
WXOW reports, “A key [Wisconsin] Republican lawmaker believes road tolling could be the key to speeding up work on the stalled 2017-19 state budget. But where those tolls would be placed is concerning for some.” Representative John Nygren (R-Marinette), co-chair of the state budget committee, tells the newspaper that Governor Scott Walker’s inclination to impose tolls only at the state’s borders may violate federal guidelines and provide an insufficient amount of revenue. However, Nygren adds that “if a solid plan can be developed for future tolling, it may lead Assembly Republicans to concede to more road borrowing for the next two years — which could break the current transportation budget impasse.”
WisconsinWho Knew? Study Shows Southerners, Women Most Likely to Favor Bumper Stickers
Chicago Tribune reports, “A survey of more than 2,000 Americans found that women are more likely than men to have a bumper sticker, by 63 percent to 50 percent. Southerners are the biggest fans, with more than two out of three decorating their chrome in Louisiana, Kentucky, Alabama, Mississippi and Tennessee, according to the survey, which was conducted by Cheap Car Insurance, a Utah-based comparative services company.” The report adds, helpfully, “Some bumper sticker[s] are more likely to agitate other drivers, the survey found.”
New FTE Interchange with Potential $1 Billion Economic Impact Will Ease Orlando Commutes
Orlando Sentinel reports, “Completion of a new Florida’s Turnpike interchange in [Minneola] south Lake County brings the promise of faster commutes into Orlando and another wave of residential development into burgeoning bedroom communities.” The $29 million interchange, which opened over the weekend, has the potential to create about 7,000 jobs and “as much as a $1 billion impact in the region,” the Lake County Commission Chairman tells the newspaper.
Florida Florida Turnpike Enterprise (FTE)PANYNJ Opens First Span of the New Goethals Bridge
SILive.com reports, “The first span of the new twinned Goethals Bridge opened to traffic on Saturday [June 10],” and the “89-year-old original Goethals Bridge permanently closed [Friday night, June 9].” The website adds, “At a Port Authority press conference on Saturday, it was announced that there will be no change to the existing toll booths of the Goethals Bridge.”
New York City Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (PANYNJ)FDOT's Top Tampa Bay Region Staffer Plans to Resign
Tampa Bay Times reports, “The top Florida Department of Transportation official overseeing the Tampa Bay region will step down next month. District 7 Secretary Paul Steinman sent [a June 9 email] to his staff saying that he was resigning so that he could move to Raleigh, N.C., and be closer to his son. His last day will be July 14.”
Florida Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT)INDOT Publishes Draft Contract for Statewide Tolling Study
South Bend Tribune reports that in addition to its recent RFI regarding interstate tolling studies, INDOT “also published a draft contract [with HDR]. . . to create a tolling feasibility report for all the state’s interstates. The agreement lists several tasks, including creating a project management plan, doing traffic and revenue analyses, performing a public survey to gauge support for tolling, and doing an assessment of potential economic impacts. The report is due Oct. 31, according to the draft agreement.”
Indiana Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT)Another City Opposes Possible TCA 241 Toll Road Extension Routes
The Orange County Register reports, “San Juan Capistrano will ‘strongly oppose’ any effort to run a 241 Toll Road extension through its boundaries, echoing a stance that San Clemente took last September against any tollway cutting through San Clemente. On a 5-0 vote Tuesday night, June 6, San Juan’s City Council approved sending a letter informing the Transportation Corridor Agency ‘very respectfully’ that the city strongly opposes four of 18 mobility options in a TCA mobility study.”
California Transportation Corridor Agencies (CA)Locals Brood Their Share of $2 Billion Tab for WSDOT SR 509 and 167 Extension
Kent Reporter reports, “City leaders are struggling with how much Kent will have to pay to help extend State Routes 509 and 167.” The $2 billion project budget approved by state lawmakers calls for $130 million in local contributions. The article adds, “Construction on the highway extensions isn’t expected to start until 2020 or 2021,” and, “The state also plans to install toll lanes along the new four-lane SR 509 extension at a cost yet to be determined.”
Washington State Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT)Trump Administration Plan Failing to Register in Economic Forecasts
Bloomberg reports, “President Donald Trump is stepping up the fanfare around his $1 trillion infrastructure proposal, but the plan is fast becoming a non-factor in forecasts for U.S. economic growth. The administration [highlighted infrastructure last week] attempting to move forward on campaign promises to create millions of jobs and spur growth to rates not seen in recent years. The reality is, many concrete details are still missing on specific policies and programs, timelines, costs, and the savings or employment they’ll generate.”
Trump Administration Infrastructure PlanBloomberg BNA: Cash-Strapped States and Cities Are Sweating Trump's Infrastructure Plan
Bloomberg BNA reports, “Already cash-strapped states and cities are concerned President Donald Trump’s plans for $1 trillion worth of infrastructure projects will rely too heavily on them for financing. Some states and groups representing them say a hike in direct federal funds is needed. . . . They’re concerned with White House plans to cut hundreds of millions of dollars in federal grants for [highways and other infrastructure],” and “lingering talk in Washington of eliminating the federal tax exemption for municipal bond interest.”
Trump Administration Infrastructure PlanCounty Commissioners (Who Double as Toll Authority Directors) Consider Resolution Supporting TX 249 Tollway
Laredo Morning Times reports, “Two months after the Montgomery County Toll Road Authority approved a more than $400,000 toll and revenue study on the county’s portion of the Texas 249 tollway [also called the “Aggie Expressway”], the Montgomery County Commissioners Court will consider passing a resolution in support of the controversial project.” The report adds, “In April, MCTRA, which consists of members of Commissioners Court, awarded the contract for the study to Houston-based CDM Smith Inc. Commissioners James Noack and Jim Clark were the nay votes.”
Montgomery County (TX) Toll Road Authority TexasNET RMA Awards Texas County $250,000 for Highway Loop Feasibility Study
Longview News-Journal reports, “Upshur County has been awarded $250,000 to pay for a feasibility study into creating a loop around Gilmer. The North East Texas Regional Mobility Authority announced [on June 8] that it is awarding the funds for the study.” The newspaper adds, “[NET RMA communications director Colleen Colby] said the goal of a regional mobility authority is to start up a project, such as Toll 49, that will generate revenue and then to return that money to communities in the region.”
NET RMA TexasTolls, Road-Usage Charges on the Table in British Columbia as Debate over Replacing the George Massey Tunnel Continues
Delta Optimist reports, “Delta residents could pay for the privilege of driving through the aging George Massey Tunnel that might not end up being replaced. It’s a scenario that could play out as the regional Mayors’ Council last week announced it has created an independent commission tasked at finding how to implement a mobility pricing system that could include tolled crossings and road-usage fees.”
British Columbia Canada RUC & VMT ProgramsWrong-Way Driver Hits Another Car, Kills Driver on Sam Houston Tollway. Two Others Attempting to Drive through Crash Scene Arrested for DUI.
KPRC reports, “Harris County precinct 5 deputies are investigating a fatal crash near Beltway 8 and U.S. 59 Sunday morning. Deputies say around 1:30 a.m., a driver in a pickup truck was going the wrong way on the Sam Houston Tollway and crashed head-on into a Mercedes which into another car.” The report adds, “Deputies also made two more arrests at the scene of the crash for separate suspected intoxicated drivers attempting to drive through the crash scene.”
Harris County Toll Road Authority (HCTRA) Texas