MTA Launched Its Manhattan Toll System, America’s Introduction To Congestion Pricing
The New York Times, CBS News New York, and Gothamist report, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) initiated its TransCore-developed congestion pricing toll system just after midnight this morning. A team of New York Times reporters started providing live updates of its coverage at about 8:20 AM Eastern.
Look to tomorrow’s edition of TRN’s Daily News Briefs for a detailed report on the all-electronic, barrier-free system’s launch.
Gothamist reported, it took several hours on Friday evening, but federal judge Leo Gordon eventually denied a last-ditch attempt by New Jersey to disrupt the start of tolling. As TRN reported Thursday, Gordon scheduled argument on a state motion for a temporary restraining order (TRO) to resolve confusion over the effect of an opinion he issued on Monday, December 30. The Metropolitan Transportation Authority interpreted the ruling as permitting toll collection to proceed. Attorneys representing New Jersey requested additional argument, contending that Judge Gordon’s decision foreclosed the immediate start of congestion pricing.
Gothamist reported yesterday that New Jersey failed in its attempt Saturday to get a federal appeals court to issue a TRO.
Pennsylvania Turnpike Launched A New Era Of Toll Collection Today
The Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission (PTC) implemented the first phase of a landmark toll collection system transformation today, January 5. Shortly after midnight, PTC began fully electronic, open-road tolling (ORT) of its network east of Reading and on the Northeast Extension. (The same system is due for launch on the commission’s western segments in January 2027.)
In a detailed Thursday news release, PTC acclaimed the benefits of ORT for drivers and nearby communities, explained the workings of the new collection system, and encouraged customers to prepare for changes brought about by the new system. The release also addressed systemwide toll structure changes that coincided with the ORT launch. PTC introduced a consistent per-mile rate schedule and axle- and height-based automated vehicle classification (AVC). “Both changes,” it explained in a briefing document, “increase predictability and consistency for our customers.”
An annual toll hike also took effect today. However, given the toll structure changes, PTC noted that nearly half of all passenger car trips will involve lower toll charges and “about 70% of commercial vehicles will see an increase of $5 or less.” PTC added, the new toll schedule keeps its rates “at mid-range among tolling agencies across the country.”
“The launch of Open Road Tolling is perhaps the most significant change since the Pennsylvania Turnpike opened in 1940 as ‘America’s First Superhighway’ and continues our legacy as a national leader in transportation,” commented PennDOT secretary and PTC chair Mike Carroll. Commission CEO Mark Compton noted, “For the past 15-years our team has been working tirelessly to make ORT a reality to further meet customers’ expectations for safe, convenient, and seamless travel.”
Florida DOT District Five Unveiled Tentative FY 2026-2030 Work Program
Osceola News-Gazette reported on Florida DOT District 5’s tentative five-year (FY 2026-2030) work program, which was the subject of public hearings last month. The program outlines the district’s plan for delivering highway, turnpike and transit improvements within Brevard, Flagler, Lake, Marion, Orange, Osceola, Seminole, Sumter, and Volusia Counties. Preliminary engineering, right-of-way acquisition, and construction are all within the scope of the program.
The article highlighted provisions for Osceola County work that include, but aren’t limited to:
- $236 million in funding for the Poinciana Parkway Extension Connector project that aims “to tie into the I-4 interchange as developed by the upcoming I-4 Beyond the Ultimate project. Several other Poinciana Parkway connector projects are also in the FDOT plan.”
- $142 million in funding for a John Young Parkway-Pleasant Hill intersection rehabilitation project.
- $174 million to widen the Florida’s Turnpike mainline between US 192 and Partin Settlement Road.
- Over $66 million in funds to expand commercial truck parking at the turnpike’s Canoe Creek Service Plaza.
The article added, “The five-year program also funds numerous county and city agreements for road maintenance, including traffic signals and signage, for state and federal roads and highways.” FDOT has secured funding for the work program’s first-year. Subsequent funding is contingent on state revenue receipts and annual legislative appropriations.
Kapsch Completed Installation Of Gothenburg Congestion Charging System
Kapsch TrafficCom announced Thursday that its rollout and testing of a new multi-lane free-flow toll (MLFF) system in Gothenburg, Sweden, is complete. The company called the installation work “a big step toward the completion of one of the biggest urban congestion charging projects in the world on behalf of Swedish traffic authority Trafikverket.”
Each one of the city’s dozens of charging points now has its own portal with cameras and other technical equipment that are part of Kapsch’s replacement of a legacy system. Carolin Treichl, the company’s regional executive vice president, said the new system has started processing over 150 million transactions per year. “Upon finalization, Kapsch TrafficCom will be in charge of operations and maintenance for the next 10 years, with two years of optional extension. Entering the operations phase, the new congestion charging system covers the entirety of the city center, allowing for automatic vehicle identification and enabling the city to manage urban congestion proactively and successfully.”
Kapsch noted that much of the installation was undertaken at night and on weekends and holidays “to ensure undisturbed system functionality.”
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.
CTRMA Nears Completion Of 183A Extension While Advancing Other Major Projects
The Central Texas Regional Mobility Authority (CTRMA) has three major highway projects underway in metro Austin. KXAN offered a year-end look at the status and aims of these undertakings.
The $259 million 183A Phase Three project is on the verge of completion. By early 2025, CTRMA will open two tolled lanes in each direction on a segment of US 183, completing a 5.3-mile extension of the existing 183A Toll.
The $612 million 183 North Project is on track for completion in 2026. CTRMA is building two express lanes in each direction as well as an additional general-purpose lane along a congested nine-mile segment of US 183. The facility will have express lane direct connectors with MoPac Express at the southern end of the construction corridor. The project reached a major milestone this past summer when CTRMA opened the new general purpose lane ahead of schedule. According to CTRMA engineering director Mike Sexton, that development led to as much as a 20 percent improvement in corridor travel times.
Despite years of delay caused by litigation and the COVID-19 pandemic, the MoPac South Project is “gaining new momentum,” according to KXAN. Following two open houses, the proposal to add one or two variably priced express lanes in each direction to an eight-mile segment of the MoPac corridor south of CTRMA’s existing express lanes is undergoing an extended comment period. The public has until January 28 to provide feedback on the recommended build alternative (2C), which envisions two express lanes with elevated ramps.
Local Authority Members Resolved Dispute Delaying Denver Toll Road Project
The Denver Post reported on a breakthrough in a long-running dispute among Jefferson Parkway Public Highway Authority (JPPHA) members that has impeded plans to construct another metro Denver tollway.
On December 19, the City and County of Broomfield formally withdrew from the authority with the assent of the remaining members, Jefferson and Arvada Counties, something it had been trying to do since 2020. As part of the withdrawal agreement, Broomfield ceded “a critical piece of right of way to the project and end[ed] an internecine battle that had gummed up construction efforts for the past half decade.”
Although the settlement removed one impediment to progress, the JPPHA construction project faces other major obstacles. “The authority still needs to land a concessionaire to build and operate the toll road. Bloated interest rates make financing the $875 million project increasingly challenging. And environmental concerns persist about the toxic legacy of the nearby former Rocky Flats weapons plant, which once churned out components for the nation’s Cold War nuclear arsenal.” Owners of residential property along the proposed toll road corridor say they will now resume efforts to thwart construction.
The article includes a detailed look at the parkway plan, the dispute over Broomfield’s withdrawal, and the views of the proposed facility’s supporters and detractors. TRN subscribers can find several earlier articles about the disputed project by entering the content tag “Jefferson Parkway Public Highway Authority (JPPHA) (CO)” in the TRN website search bar.
Did Ohio Turnpike’s New Toll System Contribute To The Drop In Thanksgiving Week Crashes?
WKYC News reported on the possible safety impact of the toll collection system introduced earlier this year by the Ohio Turnpike and Infrastructure Commission (OTIC). A comparison of the last two years’ Thanksgiving holiday traffic data shows that OTIC volume was higher in 2024 (by 112,000 vehicles –the total was 800,000 vehicles), yet there were just 22 crashes, a year-on-year decrease of 37 percent. “Significantly more drivers, fewer crashes. In fact, the turnpike had its lowest accident rate for Thanksgiving week in at least three years,” WKYC stated.
The article doesn’t address annual differences in roadway and weather conditions or other factors recognized as crash influencers. Nevertheless, it implies OTIC’s April 2024 introduction of a hybrid toll system designed to enhance safety contributed to the single-year drop in crashes.
OTIC’s new system increased motorists’ access to barrier-free, electronic collection lanes. Research and anecdotal evidence indicate that such facilities reduce the probability of vehicle collisions that are prone to occur in certain conditions around the narrow tollbooth lanes at conventional toll plazas.
Transportation Research Board Annual Meeting Starts Today
Transport Topics previewed the agenda of the Transportation Research Board’s 104th annual meeting, which runs from today, January 5, through next Thursday, January 9, at the Washington, DC, convention center. Highlights cited in the article include a January 6 afternoon session entitled “U.S. Department of Transportation: Beyond the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law: Lasting Legacy in a Time of Transition,” during which senior USDOT leaders including deputy secretary Polly Trottenberg will discuss IIJA implementation.
An overview of the event schedule is posted on the meeting website. The entire program is available for browsing and searching online. Registration will remain open throughout the event. The Chair’s Plenary Session will take place Wednesday afternoon, January 8.
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New York Thruway Service Area Redevelopment Program Will Reach Completion This Year
The Citizen reported, Empire State Thruway Partners, the consortium led by Applegreen LTD, is nearing the end of the effort it launched in 2021 to rebuild or renovate all 27 service areas on the New York State Thruway. To date, 24 modernized facilities are in operation. The company will reopen the Angola and Mohawk service areas in this year’s first quarter, while it expects to complete the final area, Modena, toward the end of this year.
The article noted that the project “got off to a slow start” due to the COVID-19 pandemic and supply chain issues. Empire State’s privately funded, $450 million undertaking includes a 33-year concession to operate the facilities, 23 of which will have been completely rebuilt.
Report: Hong Kong Conglomerate Explores Sale Of 15 Mainland Toll Roads
Unnamed sources tell BNN Bloomberg that Hong Kong -based CTF Services LTD (CTFS) (formerly NWS Holdings) is in early-stage discussions about the sale of all or part of its bundle of toll road assets. The 15 facilities are located in mainland China and have a value estimated at $2 billion, although “valuation could still change depending on the finalized assets and deal structure.”
Sources say CTFS is talking with China’s state-owned Yuexiu Group — it currently controls nearly 650 miles of motorways — but it is also in communication with other potential buyers. The company is reportedly willing to sell the bundle whole or in separate parts. Its presumed aim is to “raise cash, boost value for investors and focus on developing businesses with faster growth potential.”
CTFS is a diversified conglomerate controlled by Chow Tai Fook Group, a major part of the Cheng family businesses.
Dutch Government Funding Permitted Early Termination Of Tunnel’s Passenger Vehicle Tolls
As of Monday, December 30, the Westerscheldetunnel (Western Scheldt Tunnel) connecting Zeeland with the rest of the Netherlands is toll-free for passenger cars and motorcycles, NL Times reported. Toll elimination was not extended to commercial trucks even though freight carriers complained that “creates an uneven competitive landscape for businesses in the region.” The Dutch government maintains that further study is required to determine whether and how eliminating a truck toll would affect congestion and road safety on Zeeland roads. In the meantime, cars and trucks are being separated in the tunnel. “Special lanes have been designated for cars and motorcycles, though vehicles still pass through gates where barriers are raised, ensuring a safe and controlled flow of traffic. This measure is intended to prevent vehicles from speeding over the toll plaza.”
The tunnel, which opened in 2003, is owned by the Zeeland provincial government, which had planned to eliminate tolls entirely by 2033. However, soon after the facility’s opening, provincial residents and legislative representatives began to call for a suspension of passenger vehicle tolling. The NL Times article recounts an eight-year political movement that culminated in a 2023 national government appropriation of EUR 140 million (USD 145.3 million) to enable the partial toll elimination that took effect last week.
California Attorney General Warned Of Uptick In Toll-Related Smishing Scams
In a news release issued Thursday, California Attorney General Rob Bonta warned mobile phone users to beware of the fraudulent text messages, which claim to be collecting FasTrak express lane or toll charges. “Scammers have become skilled at imitating legitimate companies, sometimes even linking to legitimate websites,” Bonta stated. Although other California-based toll agencies are implicated, the Transportation Corridor Agencies (branded as “The Toll Roads”) is mentioned as a frequent target of impersonation.
LAist and Los Angeles Daily News are two of many media outlets that reported on the upsurge of scam messages.