MTC Will Start Converting Bay Area Bridges To Open-Road Tolling In May
KTVU reported that next month, the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge will be the first Bay Area state-owned toll bridge to start undergoing conversion to open-road tolling. Although the project schedule hasn’t been finalized, Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) spokesperson John Goodwin said work will begin by the end of May and is scheduled for completion in early 2026. The East Bay bridge project will kick off the elimination of obsolete tollbooth infrastructure on all seven of the spans operated by MTC’s Bay Area Toll Authority. Subsequent conversions will take place over several years, culminating with the completion of the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge transition in late 2028.
Mr. Goodwin told SFGATE the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge will be the first to undergo conversion because of its “really severe, recurring congestion problem during peak periods.” In addition to demolishing tollbooths, contractors will comprehensively reconfigure the lanes on the bridge’s Contra Costa County side to “alleviate some of the traffic pains on the westbound approach for the tens of thousands of drivers who pass over it every day.” Goodwin commented, “I’m not telling anyone it’s going to eliminate congestion, but it will significantly improve things.”
New York Thruway Revenue Topped $1 Billion Last Year
The Ithaca Journal reported, “Revenue on the New York State Thruway surpassed $1 billion for the first time in the agency’s 71-year history in 2024, spurred by toll hikes that kicked in at the beginning of last year. The revenue bump was helped by a slight increase in passenger traffic, which, for the first time since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, exceeded 2019 traffic totals. Last year’s passenger car traffic of 338.2 million was up 5.5 million from 2023, or nearly 2%, from 2023 totals.”
Revenue in 2024 reached $1.1 billion, $980 million of which came from tolls; the 18 percent year-on-year increase in toll revenue amounted to $165 million. The Thruway is using the additional revenue to fund its multiyear $2.7 billion capital investment program.
A development Thruway officials are monitoring closely is last year’s three-percent annual drop in Governor Mario Cuomo Bridge commercial truck traffic. “Early indications are that out-of-state trucks with E-ZPass have been using the George Washington Bridge instead of the Cuomo on their way into Manhattan,” despite the George Washington span’s substantially higher toll rates. The newspaper talked with two freight company owners about the possible cause of the traffic shift, which was particularly apparent in November and December.
Month-By-Month, MTA Congestion Pricing Is Effectively Reducing Manhattan Congestion
Gothamist reported, “The MTA’s congestion pricing program continues to accomplish one of its primary goals: drastically reducing the number of vehicles that enter the busiest parts of Manhattan every day. Data released by the transit agency last week estimates the tolls deterred an average of roughly 82,000 vehicles from entering Manhattan below 60th Street each day in March. That marks a 13% reduction from the 642,500 vehicles the MTA estimates would have entered the tolling area had congestion pricing not been implemented.”
Gothamist added:
- The rate of congestion zone traffic reduction grows monthly. The drop was 13 percent last month and just eight percent in January, the program’s first month.
- The number of vehicles entering the zone dropped last month in comparison to March 2024, but the total volume was slightly higher than in January. MTA attributed the difference to “seasonal patterns, saying fewer people drive into Manhattan in the winter than the spring.”
- In a statement, MTA spokesperson Juliette Michaelson noted that the traffic reduction rate is in line with MTA projections and the program is “enabling New Yorkers to get where they need to go more quickly.”
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.
Tolling Was Delayed A Fourth Time On Colorado’s I-25 North Express Lanes
Colorado DOT and the Colorado Transportation Investment Office cited tech-related “unforeseen scheduling conflicts” in announcing another delay in the start of express lanes toll collection on a segment of I-25, The Coloradoan reported. A department spokesperson said those conflicts involve equipment delays and coordination of technology that detects lane-weaving infractions. Tolling of the 19-mile stretch between Fort Collins and Berthoud is now predicted to start by the end of 2025. It was originally set for mid-summer of 2024, then the end of 2024, and most recently the start of this year. When collection begine, toll revenue will go toward paying off the express lanes’ $900 million construction cost.
The article noted that construction continues on the I-25 North express lanes between Berthoud and Mead, a $450 million project expected to open in May 2028.
Texas County Agreed To Work With CTRMA On 290 Toll Extension Study
KXAN reported that the Bastrop County, Texas, Commissioners Court approved an agreement to work with the Central Texas Regional Mobility Authority (CTRMA) on an environmental study and design project for a possible 290 Toll extension. The county pledged to give its approval and support to the project, something CTRMA needs because the county is outside its territorial jurisdiction. The agreement makes the authority solely responsible for funding and delivering, at a minimum, “a schematic plan and a National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) environmental study” of the project.
Last month, the CTRMA board approved the work agreement, which relates to a potential 13-mile extension of 290’s tolled section from just west of Manor, Travis County, to Elgin, Bastrop County. CTRMA engineering director Mike Sexton told the board funding and construction of the extension are not yet contemplated.
New Jersey Turnpike Rejected Conduent’s Challenge To E-ZPass Contract Award
On Tuesday, the New Jersey Turnpike Authority (NJTA) issued a final decision rejecting Conduent’s protest of the award of an 11-year, $1.73 billion E-ZPass customer service center contract to TransCore.
The authority’s law director, Thomas Holl, issued an lengthy (107-page) hearing report and recommendation concluding that all asserted challenges to the September 2024 award decision are meritless. Highlights of Holl’s exhaustive review and findings are set out in an executive summary. Among other things, he concluded:
- “The procurement process yielded the most competitive price possible for the best service available.”
- NJTA’s “qualitative , multi-factor” evaluation of all proposals was consistent with the RFP terms and a state policy on evaluation of requests for professional and technical services, according to which Conduent’s submission of a lower price proposal than TransCore’s wasn’t determinative.
- “TransCore was consistently ranked first on a technical basis, exceeding Conduent’s score in every category except price,” and “[o]nce the evaluation committee determined that TransCore’s proposal was technically superior, NJTA entered into negotiations with TransCore to obtain the best price,” consistent with the predetermined procurement procedures known to Conduent.
- Conduent’s pricing would have been 30 to 50 percent higher, except for the fact that it proposed using outsourced, non-American labor.
- TransCore provided NJTA with adequate ownership disclosures and security assurances, and Conduent’s claim that TransCore ownership presents data safety and security risks is meritless.
- The award to TransCore was based on “a lengthy, exhaustive, and comprehensive review of each proposer that consistently found TransCore’s technical and operational capabilities to provide superior services to those offered by other proposers.”
Holl alluded to Conduent’s status as the incumbent customer service vendor, stating that NJTA looks forward to “working to ensure a seamless transition [from Conduent to TransCore] that will lead to a noticeable improvement in customer service” for E-ZPass customers.
According to NorthJersey.com, Mr. Holl “did not mince words in his 107-page decision.” He reportedly “beat back” Conduent claims about procurement process unfairness and supposed TransCore errors “by accusing Conduent of being hypocritical, failing to demonstrate how its new technology would work, and outsourcing IT and phone center services to Guatemala and India.” In response to Conduent’s assertion that it was error to award the contract to a proposer with a higher price offer than Conduent’s, “Holl maintained that in every procurement for E-ZPass service in the past, the agency has made decisions based on price and qualitative factors, a process Conduent has ‘previously benefitted’ from, ‘to the tune of hundreds of millions of dollars in compensation. . . . Our procurement law disapproves of proposers who wish to have their cake and eat it too,’ Holl said.”
Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel Made Rapid Turnaround After Pandemic Dips
Eastern Shore Post reported in detail on Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel (CBBT) toll traffic and revenue trends since the end of the COVID-19 pandemic emergency. Although tolled vehicle volume decreased slightly year-on-year in 2024 — from 4.32 million to 4.24 million — the Virginia facility’s annual volume has been on a slow upward trend since the precipitous drop that occurred in 2020. Because the facility primarily serves commercial drivers and tourists, the post-lockdown traffic recovery was faster than it would have been if commuters were a larger business segment.
Revenue has also steadily increased. The 2019 total of $64.8 million rose to more than $67 million in 2021 and 2022, and nearly $69 million in 2023. Despite the 2024 drop in volume, toll receipts climbed to nearly $76.7 million thanks to a rate increase and a commercial traffic uptick that compensated for some loss of passenger car and light truck volume.
According to CBBT district finance and operations executive Tom Anderson, the facility is meeting financial expectations, in particular, the traffic and revenue projections made when the district sought financing for construction of the $756 million Parallel Thimble Shoal Tunnel Project that is scheduled for completion in 2028.
ALDOT: I-10 Bridge And Bayway Project Is Advancing Despite JV’s Withdrawal
According to WPMI, Edwin Perry, the project director for Alabama DOT’s estimated $3.5 billion I-10 Mobile River Bridge and Bayway project, says the department is now in talks with a Kiewit Massman and Traylor Brothers team that has committed to providing design and construction services for the long-delayed Mobile River toll bridge part of the larger project. “Those two will come to form our guaranteed max price, which will be what we’ll use to award the contract, and the price we’ll be able to use to finish the financing for the project,” Perry says. “Again, that all happens this year, and we’ll issue the notice to proceed by the end of this year and start construction activities.”
WPMI reported at the end of last month that ALDOT and Mobile Bayway Constructors (MBC) — a joint venture that included Flatiron and Lane — jointly agreed to end negotiations regarding the design and construction of the Bayway portion of the project. The department noted that engineering and design work performed by MBC will transfer to ALDOT and support the project’s advance.
NTE Mobility Partners And Cintra Settled A Lawsuit Over 2021 Managed Lanes Crash
KERA reported that NTE Mobility Partners and Cintra US reached an out-of-court settlement on Wednesda in a lawsuit involving the 130-vehicle chain-reaction crash that occurred on the North Tarrant Express I-35 West managed lanes in February 2021. The confidential settlement with survivors of one the six motorists killed in the crash involved an undisclosed amount of money. It removed the concession operator from a scheduled trial that will move forward between the motorist’s family and some remaining defendants, including FedEx. “The families of other victims are also plaintiffs in ongoing litigation over the crash.”
The crash was the subject of a National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigation that concluded in 2023. Among other things, NTSB found that the facility operator’s failure “to effectively monitor and address icy roadway conditions” during a winter storm contributed to the crash.
An NTE Mobility Partners spokesperson issued a statement of condolence but declined to comment on the case.
FDOT Will Complete I-4 Widening Project Months Ahead Of Schedule
On Monday, Florida DOT announced the early completion of the first phase of the Moving I-4 Forward Program’s Accelerated Start Project. Approximately seven miles of new lanes, one in each direction of I-4 from US 27 in Polk County to World Drive in Osceola County, will be finished and opened to traffic beginning the week of April 28. FDOT is using an innovative “Modified Phased Design-Build method” to complete the phase eight months ahead of schedule. The new lanes will remain open during future stages of Moving I-4 Forward Program construction.
The department is also expediting construction of the next phase of the Accelerated Start Project and its preparations for the start of the program’s five subsequent projects along the 14-mile I-4 corridor from US 27 to SR 536 in Orange County. “Improvements include two new express lanes and one general use lane in each direction, interchange upgrades, bridge work, resurfacing, and added safety features. These improvements will enhance traffic flow, safety, and regional connectivity — creating a continuous express lane system from Seminole County to Polk County and boosting Florida’s economy.”
Delaware Bill Proposes Extended Deadline For Paying Toll Bills
WDEL reported that the Delaware Senate is considering legislation (SB 88) that would double the time for making a toll payment before an overdue bill turns into a violation. Currently, a toll must be paid within 30 days to avoid initial penalties that add up to $50.00. The bill would set an initial payment deadline of 61 days.
DelDOT Secretary Shanté Hastings testified favorably about the bill during a Senate committee hearing on April 9. She acknowledged it could affect penalty fee revenue but said the department’s primary objective is securing timely payment of tolls. She also addressed questions about how drivers would react to getting additional time to pay tolls and about the penalties DelDOT imposes when a driver disregards an initial violation notice.
The Delaware Senate unanimously approved the bill on Tuesday and sent it to the House.
FDOT: Dynamic Pricing Hasn’t Significantly Increased I-4 Express Toll Costs
On February 24, Florida DOT initiated dynamic pricing of the previously fixed-rate I-4 Express lanes in metro Orlando. When it subsequently announced that the minimum flexible toll of 50 cents per segment — the same amount as the fixed rate — is capped at $3.00, there was public concern that the pricing change would lead to a steep increase in express lane trips.
WKMG obtained FDOT data that indicates the concern was unwarranted, at least for now. According to an FDOT spokesperson, most drivers “haven’t seen any increase at this point.” In the first three weeks of dynamic tolling, toll rates increased to 75 cents about 39 times but only “in some of the busier segments in downtown Orlando” during some peak periods. On April 8, there was a single jump of unspecified duration to $1.00 per segment but drivers were only charged 50 cents because lane travel speeds dropped below 40 miles per hour. The FDOT spokesperson said the data conforms with the department’s expectation that tolls wouldn’t increase significantly during the transition to dynamic pricing.
Trump Technology Directive Aims To Expedite Federal Project Review And Permitting
Bloomberg News (via Transport Topics) reported that President Trump signed a presidential memorandum directing executive departments and agencies to make “maximum use of technology in environmental review and permitting processes for infrastructure projects of all kinds, such as roads, bridges, mines, factories, power plants and others.” His stated aims include “accelerat[ing] the processing time for projects, with little to no impact on quality of review.” The article characterizes the directive as “part of a broader administration effort to cut red tape and speed the approval of new projects.”
Among other things, the memorandum requires the chair of the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ), in consultation with the National Energy Dominance Council “and relevant permitting agencies,” to devise and issue a Permitting Technology Action Plan within 45 days. The plan will include an initial data and technology standard for NEPA permit applications and reviews, and “a roadmap for creating a unified interagency permitting and environmental review data system consisting of interconnected agency systems and shared services.”
Private Equity Firm Weighs Options For Disposition Of Telepass Stake
Bloomberg (via MSN) reported, Partners Group, a Swiss-based private equity firm, is privately “exploring options” with regard to its 49-percent stake in Telepass SpA, the Italian firm that provides a range of mobility services, including electronic toll collection. Unnamed sources told Bloomberg the international investment firm “is in the early stages of considering alternatives for the stake it acquired in 2021. . . . Considerations are preliminary and any deal may not come together until after year-end. . . . Partners Group could also decide to keep the asset for longer,” sources say. Mundys SpA, the successor of Atlantia, holds the other 51-percent stake in Telepass.
Indian Official Said Satellite-Based Tolling Implementation Will Begin Within Weeks
The Financial Express reported that Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari publicly stated India will begin rolling out a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS)-based toll collection system by the end of this month or in early May.
It was reported in March that the government would postpone implementation of the new system pending deployment of its own navigation satellite technology to ensure transactional accuracy and data security. It isn’t clear whether the required technology is now in place or whether the government reversed its postponement decision.
According to The Times of India, the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) will be responsible for introducing the new system as a replacement for existing RFID-based toll collection technology. In the initial phase of a staged deployment, only commercial vehicles such as trucks and buses will transition to satellite tolling. The Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System will support the tolling process.
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