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CFX “Desk Trooper” Program Enables Florida Highway Patrol To Clear Minor Crashes Virtually

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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.

FHP Major Mark Castleberry commented “With the Desk Trooper program, we’re bringing advanced technology directly to the roads, improving safety and freeing up critical resources for higher-priority incidents. Motorists can now resolve minor crashes faster than ever, making our highways safer and more efficient for everyone.”

Proposed Toll Rates For Two London Tunnels Announced

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“Transport for London (TfL) has announced a plan to charge up to £4 [(USD 5.07)] to use the Blackwall and Silvertown tunnels,” MyLondon reports. “In an announcement that went out yesterday (November 26), TfL set out a number of recommendations for discounts, exemptions and charges for the [two] tunnels ahead of the Silvertown Tunnel opening next Spring.” (TRN inserted and deleted links in the quoted text.)

If the tolling structure is approved by the TfL board at its December 4 meeting, motorcycles and most passenger vehicles signed up for TfL AutoPay would pay £1.50 (USD 1.90) per crossing at off-peak times. Rates would go up to £2.50 (USD 3.17) for motorcycles and £4 for passenger vehicles not using AutoPay during peak hours, which run weekdays from 6:00 to 10:00 AM and 4:00 to 7:00 PM.

London Mayor Sadiq Khan said the toll plan will ease traffic congestion and help manage vehicle pollution. He added that the proposed concessions, exemption, and discounts “will support Londoners in a variety of ways, including those on the lowest incomes, and help local residents take full advantage of the new bus and cycle connections.”

Time Out England also covers this news.

TfL began accepting public comment on the tolling proposal in July.

Former MTC Commissioner And Chair Jon Rubin Died Sunday

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The Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) announced that longtime MTC Commissioner “and full-time bon vivant” Jon Rubin died Sunday at his San Francisco home. He was 75.

Mr. Rubin served for 16 years as the San Francisco Mayor’s appointee to the MTC board. “Originally named to the position in 1995 by then-Mayor Frank Jordan, Mr. Rubin’s keen intelligence, deep understanding of transportation issues and mastery of diplomatic arts led to successive reappointment by mayors Willie Brown, Gavin Newsom and Ed Lee.” He served as MTC chair from 2005 to 2007. “A resolution of appreciation adopted by the Commission upon his 2011 retirement described him as a ‘consummate regionalist who put the Bay Area’s needs above parochial interests’ and noted that Mr. Rubin may be best remembered for his campaign to drop the word ‘transponder’ from the FasTrak™ program lexicon in favor of the more customer-friendly term ‘toll tag’” — a move born of his crusade for plain speaking and transparency in government.”

Mr. Rubin was also a documentary filmmaker. Works he produced and directed included a feature on the design and construction of the Bay Bridge’s new east span.

AAA Forecasts Heavy Thanksgiving Holiday Traffic

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“This year’s projection of nearly 80 million travelers is an increase of 1.7 million people compared to last year and 2 million more than in 2019,” according to a news release from AAA. For the first time, the organization’s forecast includes both today, the Tuesday before Thanksgiving, and the Monday after. A breakdown by travel mode predicts 71.7 million people will journey 50 miles or more by car for the holiday, an increase of 1.3 million over last year and surpassing pre-pandemic levels. The AAA news release includes discussion of fuel prices, best and worst times to travel, and projected peak congestion by metro area.

USA Today offers a holiday period weather forecast by region, noting, among other things, that “messy” weather is predicted for the Great Lakes region and into the Northeast.

Information about holiday traffic in specific states and regions is available from these sources:

USDOT Releases Online Climate Action Strategy Resource

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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.