407 ETR Announced January Rate Restructure And Toll Increase
407 ETR Concession Company announced it will introduce a new rate schedule on January 1, 2025. The changes include additional toll zones, new vehicle classifications, and a rate increase.
Instead of the current four toll zones, the facility will have 12, an adjustment that permits the concession company “to set different toll rates for each zone to better manage traffic volumes and flow.” The new vehicle classes — for motorcycles and for medium-sized vehicles (cars, vans, SUVs, and small pick-up trucks) — “will ensure toll rates better reflect a vehicle’s impact on the road.”
407 ETR stated it will also introduce more “promotional driving offers” next year to “boost peak morning and afternoon traffic, while giving the average enrolled customer almost $50 in credits per month.” “Enrolled customers” is a reference to the company’s MyAccount registered user and optional pre-authorized payments program.
According to the company’s announcement, “The toll rate increase for light vehicles ranges from three to 14 cents per kilometre, depending on the time of day and zone travelled. In addition to new toll rates, fees are increasing for the first time in five years, including the camera charge, account fee and transponder lease fee.
Colorado Implemented Dynamic Pricing Of I-25 And I-70 Express Lanes
Colorado DOT announced the start of dynamic tolling of the I-25 South Gap and I-70 Mountain Express corridors, effective November 25.
Coloradoan reported that the express lanes affected by the pricing change are the 12-mile westbound segment along I-70 from the Veterans Memorial Tunnels to the US 40 exit at Empire, and the 18-mile segment on I-25 between Castle Rock and Monument. “Tolls on both stretches will be similar to the time-of-day pricing that has been in place, ranging from $1.50 to as much as $9 on the I-70 Mountain Express Lane and from $1.50 to $4.75 for the I-25 South Gap Express Lane, CDOT said. Rates will be updated every 5-15 minutes. . . .” While the I-25 lanes remain toll-free for use by motorcycles, commercial transit vehicles, and HOV 3+ vehicles with a switchable transponder, all vehicles using the I-70 facility are still subject to tolling.
In its news release, CDOT stated that the transition from from variable (time-of-day) pricing to dynamic tolling is “designed to better maintain a free-flowing level of traffic and ease traffic congestion across all lanes in a dedicated corridor, including the untolled, or general purpose, lanes.”
Charlotte MPO Provided Insight Into Work Of I-77 Express Lanes Planning Group
TRN recently reported on the first meeting of an I-77 express lanes working group convened by the Charlotte Regional Transportation Planning Organization (CRTPO). The group will collaborate with North Carolina DOT on development of a P3 project to deliver tolled lanes between Uptown Charlotte and the South Carolina border.
CRTPO staff subsequently provided TRN with copies of the meeting agenda and a slide deck presentation. The presentation outlines the group’s schedule and provides an overview of the project and the forthcoming procurement process. Key goals of the project development process are also discussed.
These are a few of the toll industry developments TRN covered last week. If you’re not a subscriber to Daily News Briefs, click here for a free, 14-day trial. Read the news as it happens every weekday.
Proposal For Tolled Bypass Outside Charlotte, NC, Gets Early Consideration
WSOC reported, metro Charlotte transportation leaders support exploration of a concept that’s been under consideration for years, construction of a bypass around Marshallville, a town in Union County. A proposed traffic and revenue study has the backing of the town, the county, and the City of Charlotte. The “Marshville Bypass” would be a five-mile, four-lane tolled expressway with a grass median starting at the end of the Monroe Expressway and bypassing a congested segment of US 74.
A town official tells WSOC “the project would help with traffic and make it easier for people who live in Marshville to navigate around town. ‘With the growth in Marshville, we’re going to need some relief from traffic,’ she said.”
Illinois Tollway Touted Progress Of I-490 O’Hare Western Access Construction
WGN reported, Illinois Tollway officials and Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL 8) showcased the progress of the Elgin O’Hare Western Access Project during a Monday press event. The multiyear, multibillion-dollar building program is creating a new tollway — I-490 — and joining it to an extended Illinois Route 390 Tollway. The aim is to provide the first direct access to the western side of O’Hare Airport for businesses and passengers. Separate projects are tying the airport, transit facilities, and freight distribution centers together with other regional tollways.
Officials emphasized the progress achieved in constructing the $534 million I-490-IL 390 interchange. “We will continue to make excellent construction progress here and we have just started work to build the last six ramps for this interchange,” said Tollway Executive Director Cassaundra Rouse. The interchange is scheduled for completion in 2027. Officials also pointed out the completion or substantial completion of flyover ramps and an interchange that will connect I-490 to the Tri-State and Jane Addams Tollways.
Another aspect of the program spotlighted Monday was I-490 mainline pavement and bridge construction, which has reached the airport’s threshold. The Tollway’s chief engineer, Manar Nashif, noted that a solution that involved lifting approach runway lighting off the ground made it possible to keep the airport’s taxiway routes open during construction.
Locals Grow To “Begrudgingly Accept” Proposed Central Florida Tollway Plan
A Central Florida Expressway Authority (CFX) proposal that once attracted fierce local opposition now seems poised to move forward, Orlando Sentinel reported.
The authority’s Southwest Connector Expressway project development and environment study is exploring construction of an elevated, six-lane tollway that would run for 15 miles mostly above the middle of the existing Cypress Parkway. The facility would cross through the unincorporated Poinciana community, where population is steadily increasing and drivers need better connections to major regional highways such as Florida’s Turnpike and I-4.
When first proposed in 2014 by an Osceola County authority that later merged into CFX, the tollway plan faced stiff opposition from residents — many of whom are black or Hispanic — who said it would divide Poinciana’s main business district and threaten businesses and jobs. A grassroots group called called SCAR (Southport Connector Alternative Routes) eventually filed a USDOT civil rights complaint against CFX that was dismissed in June on the grounds it was premature.
According to the newspaper, although many local residents remain skeptical about or outright opposed to the tollway concept, opposition has lately cooled, and even SCAR is now “begrudgingly” open to construction of an elevated facility. That’s due to its members recent discussions with CFX and a growing recognition in the community that some congestion relief solution is necessary. Another factor is Osceola County’s progress in widening an arterial, Poinciana Boulevard, that SCAR had once proposed as an alternate route for the CFX expressway. SCAR is also welcoming CFX proposals to widen Cypress Parkway and improve some of its intersecting roadways.
CFX staff expect to adopt a final route alternative and conceptual design by the third quarter of 2025, and submit its plan for board approval by the end of the year. Construction is “still years away with a cost or construction timetable unknown.”
Last week, CFX held an informal open house on the environmental study. Another such event will take place in the first or second quarter of 2025. Meanwhile, the authority has plans to conduct “smaller meetings and public outreach.”
Oklahoma And Cherokee Nation Agreed To Resolve PlatePay Tolling Dispute
Oklahoma Voice reported, Cherokee Nation and Oklahoma state officials reached a tentative intergovernmental agreement on motor vehicle licensing that, among other things, resolves a lingering controversy over tolling.
The proposed 10-year compact permits the Cherokee Nation to continue issuing license plates to its members through its own tag offices. However, the tribal government will now have an obligation to share registration data the Oklahoma Turnpike Authority (OTA) needs in order to bill and collect PlatePay tolls. OTA’s inability to obtain that information since its transition to cashless tolling led to a state-tribal dispute that prolonged compact negotiations.
The Cherokee Nation also agreed to pay OTA two million dollars over three years. In return, the authority will waive collection of all PlatePay charges that Cherokee licensees have incurred or will incur through November 30, 2024.
The compact still needs the approval of the Cherokee Nation Council and an Oklahoma legislative committee, actions expected to occur before the end of this year. The parties’ existing ten-year compact on vehicle registration expires on December 31.
During a June meeting with Native American leaders, OTA Executive Director Joe Echelle reported that $12 million in video tolls had gone uncollected since May 2023 due to the authority’s inability to access vehicle registration data from some tribal governments.
CFX “Desk Trooper” Program Enables Florida Highway Patrol To Clear Minor Crashes Virtually
The Central Florida Expressway Authority (CFX) and the Florida Highway Patrol (FHP) collaborated on developing a pilot that is testing an innovative way for FHP to respond to reports of minor vehicle crashes on the CFX system. When a driver calls *347 (*FHP) to report a crash, the dispatcher will now assess the incident and determine whether it meets the criteria for the new “Desk Trooper Program.” If the crash is minor and the motorist agrees to use the program, secure interactive technology with remote interface capability will allow a trooper to view the scene virtually, evaluate the vehicle damage, and interview drivers and witnesses. The program “aims to decrease roadside risk, help clear incidents more efficiently, minimize traffic disruption and improve highway safety for all motorists,” according to a CFX news release. The agencies will gather feedback on the pilot over the next two years.
Major San Miguel Corporation Tollway Projects Could Start Next Year
BusinessWorld reported, Philippines Toll Regulatory Board (TRB) executive director Alvin Carullo says San Miguel Corporation (SMC) has submitted final engineering designs for three major projects that could get started in 2025:
The designs are now undergoing technical review by the Department of Public Works and Highways. Carullo said the projects would be able to start as soon as SMC obtains notices to proceed. A fourth SMC project, the controversial Pasig River Expressway (PAREX), will take longer to launch because its alignment must be redesigned to harmonize with a government urban renewal project.
USDOT Released An Online Climate Action Strategy Resource
USDOT announced the release of an online playbook for state, local, and tribal governments on research-based climate action strategies. Entitled “Climate Strategies That Work”, the resource describes 28 solutions “that can help communities reduce carbon pollution and create a more resilient, sustainable, and accessible transportation system for all Americans.” Road Pricing and ITS are two of the solutions.
According to USDOT, the strategies emphasize “efficient, convenient, and clean” measures that support “safe and economically vibrant communities,” both urban and rural. They span infrastructure investments, technology applications, and policymaking. The playbook draws on the U.S. National Blueprint for Transportation Decarbonization released in 2023, and it includes implementation funding information and illustrative case studies. USDOT noted that the playbook can also inform philanthropic and private industry efforts to address climate change.
Dr. Gretchen Goldman, USDOT’s Climate Change Research and Technology Program Director, called the playbook “a critical resource for climate champions making strategic and evidence-based decisions about how to meet their climate and economic development goals while providing mobility choices. [It] makes up-to-date and best-in-class research on decarbonizing transportation available to transportation planners, decisionmakers, and state and local leaders nationwide.”
Additional information can be found on the USDOT Climate Change Center website
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