The European Association of Operators of Toll Road Infrastructures (ASECAP) will focus its 52nd ASECAP Days conference on how road infrastructure can contribute to meeting European Union climate goals — including reducing net greenhouse gas emissions at least 55% by 2030. Accommodating electric vehicles and other “green” projects and safety initiatives are listed as topics of discussion. Sustainable financing also will be in the spotlight. The conference will be held from May 26 to May 28 in Madrid.
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PA Turnpike And TransCore Successfully Launch “Groundbreaking” ORT System
In a news release, TransCore and the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission (PTC) reflect on this month’s successful launch of the first phase of a “groundbreaking” open-road toll (ORT) collection system developed on TransCore’s Infinity roadside tolling platform. The longtime partners collaborated to strategically relocate tolling points on the turnpike’s eastern segments from interchange toll plazas to overhead gantries. “The newly deployed Infinity system provides electronic tolling at highway speeds with a combination of RFID technology to read E-ZPass transponders and advanced in-lane sensors to identify, classify, and process Toll By Plate transactions.”
The innovations will improve motorist safety and convenience by eliminating stops at turnpike entrances and exits. PTC expects to realize gains in efficiency and infrastructure scalability, as well as a $25 million savings in annual operations and maintenance costs. The environment will also benefit: by eliminating interruptions in traffic flow, the new system will bring about even more reductions in vehicle CO2 emissions than were achieved when PTC transitioned to all-electronic tolling in 2020.
PTC is now in position to start the next phases of its ORT conversion process. On its eastern segments, it will demolish obsolete toll plaza structures that can still disrupt traffic flow. And together with TransCore, it will begin expanding ORT technology to the turnpike’s western segments, a process slated for completion in 2027.
PTC chief executive Mark Compton commented that the arrival of “the future of toll collection” has made the past several weeks exciting. He added, “We have been working tirelessly behind the scenes for more than a decade to modernize operations and meet customer expectations for seamless, nonstop travel. We are grateful to TransCore for their partnership and work to make this a reality as we begin this exciting new chapter for America’s First Superhighway.” Whitt Hall, TransCore President and CEO, noted that the company and PTC have been collaborating on toll system development for 85 years. “We are grateful,” he said, “for the opportunity to partner with trailblazers in the industry to help deliver on their vision. With the first phase of work now live, we are looking forward to completing the statewide deployment in the coming years.”
Malaysia To Open Key Expressway Segment Outside Kuala Lumpur
The Star reports, Section 2 of the West Coast Expressway (WCE) connecting the South Klang Valley and Shah Alam expressways was scheduled to open at midnight, local time, “taking Port Klang a step closer to becoming the largest logistics hub in South-East Asia.” The 7.2-kilometer (4.5-mile) connector will be free to travel for its first month of operation.
Malaysia’s Works Minister, Alexander Nanta Linggi, told reporters covering the opening, “This [new facility] will directly attract investments to industrial areas and ports, besides creating job opportunities and being an economic catalyst.”
Virginia Lawmaker Reprises Legislation To Cap State Residents’ Monthly Toll Costs
Virginia State Delegate Candi Mundon King (D-23) has re-introduced a tolling bill that never made it past a House subcommittee last year, WRIC reports. HB 2368 would put a $200 monthly limit on any resident’s toll costs for travel on roads, bridges, tunnels, and ferries throughout the state. It also would exempt recipients of Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) from paying all tolls.
Winter Storm Impedes Metro Houston Tollway Operations And Travel
With a major weather system bearing down on the Houston area, the Fort Bend County Toll Road Authority announced in advance that it would close both the Westpark Tollway and Fort Bend Parkway after Monday evening’s rush hour, KPRC reports. The authority also closed some Houston Grand Parkway overpasses. The facilities will reopen as weather conditions permit.
To keep the public informed about icy road conditions, KHOU is publishing Houston TranStar’s real-time list of incidents and road closures, as well as an interactive map of “trouble spots.”
Houston Chronicle is providing comprehensive coverage of the storm and its impact on the metro area. A number of additional road closures have taken place this afternoon.