Maryland Announced Preference For Chesapeake Bay Bridge Replacement
“Chesapeake Bay Magazine” reported, the Chesapeake Bay Crossing Tier 2 NEPA study started by the Maryland Transportation Authority (MDTA) in 2022 has reached the point where the authority is ready to publicly vet a selected alternative. Its preference involves “taking out the existing two spans entirely to replace them with new, wider spans. The proposal comes with several possible options for number of lanes and exact location.”
At three early December open houses — two in-person and one virtual — MDTA will present “its proposed action to remove the existing eastbound and westbound structures, replacing them with two new bridge structures to be built near the location of the existing bridges. While some may be surprised by the news that the existing bridge spans would be pulled down entirely, MDTA points out that the spans are 70 and 50 years old. Major reconstruction would be needed for about half of the next 36 years to make the bridge safe. That means full-time lane closures. Plus, the current spans don’t have any shoulder for disabled vehicles or emergency vehicles to pull over onto. From a navigational perspective, they don’t provide enough vertical clearance for the ever-larger ships that would call on the Port of Baltimore in the future.”
The magazine article summarizes the design and construction options (in addition to a no-build alternative) that will be presented at the open houses. It also recaps the bridge project NEPA study process that started in 2017 and yielded a Final Environmental Impact Statement and Record of Decision in early 2022.
WTOP reported, the state estimates the cost of replacing the two existing spans ranges from $7.3 billion to $8.4 billion, “depending on the number of lanes chosen.” It reckons the no-build alternative would require it to invest $3.8 billion in the present crossing through 2065.
New York Governor Restarted MTA Congestion Pricing Launch
Gothamist reported, “New York Gov. Kathy Hochul’s “indefinite” pause of congestion pricing officially ended on Thursday, five months after she abruptly halted the tolling program that’s designed to fund $15 billion worth of crucial transit repairs. In a development first reported by Gothamist, the governor gave the MTA the green light to launch the tolls” at a reduced level beginning January 5. During a noon press event, Hochul said, “I’m proud to announce we have found a path to fund the MTA, reduce congestion and keep millions of dollars in the pockets of our commuters,” Hochul said. “You heard that correctly: It was $15 before, and now it is $9.”
Gothamist reported on:
- The revised variable toll rate structure proposed by Hochul.
- The limited discounts, credits, or tax rebates proposed for some low-income drivers and for commuters who pay tolls to enter the congestion zone via certain crossings.
- The emergency vehicles, school buses, city vehicles, and transport services for people with disabilities exempt from tolling.
- Hochul’s directive to bolster MTA bus service on 23 routes in boroughs outside of Manhattan “to help commuters who are forced to switch from cars to mass transit as a result of the congestion toll.”
Hochul said the process of securing a final federal approval of the program has already started. USDOT confirmed that the state and MTA have notified FHWA of the proposed program revisions and the administration is “working to finalize the last steps of [a Value Pricing Pilot Program] agreement. Hochul said the final approval will likely come after the MTA’s board approves the new toll structure at its [November 20 meeting].”
According to Gothamist, “Hochul’s strategy of rushing the tolls into effect in early January is designed to get the program in place before [President-elect Trump, an ardent opponent] takes office. Hochul’s administration believes that could help the toll withstand any Trump effort to rescind it.” The program faces opposition from several other political leaders, and it is the subject of a few unresolved lawsuits, including one filed by New Jersey.
Tennessee Board Got Express Lanes Update And Approved Toll Collection Policies
Tennessee’s Transportation Modernization Board, the body authorized to oversee development and operation of “Choice Lanes” (i.e., managed toll lanes), held its second meeting on Wednesday, November 6.
Bryan Ledford, a senior TDOT engineer, delivered a slide deck presentation on the status of the Choice Lanes program that noted, among other things:
- An RFQ for the initial I-24 Southeast Choice Lanes Project is scheduled to be advertised later this month (see slides 3 and 17).
- TDOT will procure separate back-office and customer service vendors for the toll collection system (see slide 15).
- October 14 pre-bid meetings were well attended (see slide 4).
- A draft environmental assessment is scheduled for completion next month (see slide 6), and a Finding of No Significant Impact is anticipated by mid-2025.
Following the presentation, the board unanimously approved two motions. One established a procedure and administrative fee schedule for the collection of tolls not paid via transponder. The other ratified TDOT criteria for determining when a motorist who repeatedly fails to pay tolls may be deemed a habitual violator whose vehicle registration is subject to suspension or non-renewal.
WKRN reported that board members learned the I-24 Southeast lanes “will most likely consist of a mix of raised lanes and others that will stretch and cover grassy medians.”
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.
PANYNJ Proposed $9.4 Billion 2025 Budget, Toll And Fare Hikes Included
At its board meeting on Thursday, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (PANYNJ) approved a proposed fiscal year budget that includes rate increases for tolls, transit fares, and airport concessions, New Jersey Monitor reported. Notably, the announcement came on the heels of New York Governor Kathy Hochul (D) re-launching the Manhattan congestion pricing plan with a $9 peak toll for most vehicles, a cost separate from PANYNJ’s fees for using the Lincoln and Holland tunnels, and the George Washington, Bayonne, Goethals, and Outerbridge Crossing bridges. “The cost increases are ‘necessary to address those negative impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on revenues and operating costs’ and for further investment in the bi-state agency’s capital agenda,” according to the agency’s CFO.
The toll increases would be 25 cents per year for three years, starting in January 2025, on top of previously approved inflationary adjustments that amount to a 46-cent increase in 2025. A proposed toll-by-mail rate increase would bring that cost up to $22.38 for cars to incentivize E-ZPass adoption.
Four public hearings on the toll and fare plans, two in New York and two in New Jersey and all with virtual options, are scheduled in early December.
NJ.com reported in greater detail on PANYNJ’s recent toll hikes. The article noted that the agency has decided to institute a “mid-tier toll rate” of $18.72 for vehicles whose E-ZPass transponders are improperly placed. A six-month public education campaign is planned before that rate is implemented in July.
FDOT: I-4 Express Continues To Improve Traffic Flow And Safety
WKMG reported, I-4 Express congestion relief and crash reduction statistics have held steady since FDOT opened the managed lanes to traffic in 2022. New data — consistent with department information released last February — shows that the 21 miles of lanes, two in in each direction, are reducing travel time for both toll-paying drivers and drivers in the adjacent general purpose lanes. The average driver in the non-tolled lanes currently saves five minutes westbound and four minutes eastbound, a total of up to three hours a month, according to FDOT. Less congestion also makes the roadway safer, the department notes. “Vehicle crashes in the past 2.5 years have decreased by 42%, and lane-blocking incidents have dropped 63%,” a spokesperson said.
FDOT still has not announced plans to introduce dynamic pricing, something that is anticipated as an eventual departure from the inaugural 50-cent-per-segment fixed price that remains in effect.
TxDOT Revealed Its Plan For Transferring TxTag Management To HCTRA
TxDOT issued a news release explaining why and how it intends to transfer TxTag toll billing and customer service operations in the Austin and Houston metro areas to the Harris County Toll Road Authority (HCTRA). The department said its partnership with HCTRA — as defined by a November 6 agreement — will “provid[e] a more regional approach that will improve the user experience through consolidated invoicing and support.” It also foresees savings and efficiency gains for the state that could result in a future lowering of rates.
TxDOT advised customers that TxTag.org and TxTag systems will go into maintenance mode and be unavailable to customers between the close of business on Friday, November 15, and tomorrow, November 18, to prepare accounts for transfer. Customers with Pay By Mail accounts or accounts not transferred to HCTRA (because they are not in good standing) who need to pay outstanding invoices, will be able to contact TxTag again starting November 18.
Drivers using TxDOT toll roads in Austin and Houston on and after November 9 will be billed through HCTRA rather than TxTag. However, customers whose accounts are transferred to HCTRA will not be able to access their accounts until December 2. Late fees will not be assessed during the blackout period. Although TxTag users will not have to replace their tags, they will have to create a new account on HCTRA’s system after December 2.
Study Of Boston Toll Bridge Replacement Project Begins
NBC News Boston reported, “A constellation of transportation planners, elected officials and community groups embarked Wednesday [November 13] on a campaign to think about a massive project coming into focus on the horizon: replacing the Tobin Bridge. Over the next 18 months, a state working group will examine options to [replace the 74-year-old span]. Its scope is broad, and will focus on threads such as how to balance vehicular traffic with public transit and the best way to minimize upheaval during construction.”
The group’s planning study isn’t due until the summer of 2026, and there is no fixed schedule for construction of a new bridge.
Oklahoma Turnpike Will Complete Its Four-Year AET Transition On November 20
KOSU reported, the Oklahoma Turnpike Authority (OTA) says its entire network’s tolling system will be cashless by November 20, the target date for completing the conversion of the Will Rogers Turnpike, the last facility to accept cash payments.
OTA started its transition to all-electronic collection in 2021. “OTA spokeswoman Lisa Shearer-Salim said that cash toll booths have contributed to vehicle crashes, with 500 incidents over the past six years caused by drivers not slowing down quickly enough. . . . ‘It’s ultimately a change to help make travel more safe, efficient and reliable for those customers who choose to use turnpikes, and we want to give them the best toll rate possible,’ Shearer-Salim said. ‘[OTA’s PIKEPASS-PlatePay system] is the best way to do that.’”
Shearer-Salim noted that OTA will also cut administrative costs through tollbooth elimination. Currently, just ten percent of OTA customers use cash to pay tolls, and that represents less than two percent of total monthly revenue.
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Oklahoma Turnpike Plans Early 2025 Bond Issue
The Oklahoma Turnpike Authority (OTA) announced that its board unanimously approved resolutions during its November meeting that authorize the issuance of revenue bonds sufficient to generate $1 billion in construction funding for the ACCESS Oklahoma expansion initiative. The resolutions also authorize the refinancing of outstanding revenue bonds, provided “market conditions are favorable and will allow the Authority to reimburse certain capital expenditures . . . with the proceeds of tax-exempt turnpike revenue bonds should the need arise.” The new bonding requires the additional approval of the Oklahoma Council of Bond Oversight, the body tasked with ensuring that state financial and legal requirements for borrowing are met. The council does not evaluate the merits of the proposed spending of bond proceeds, OTA emphasized.
OTA Executive Director Joe Echelle informed the board that more borrowing than anticipated will be necessary to complete the controversial expansion program. He said a $3.2 billion increase in total estimated costs is attributable primarily to inflation. OTA sold $500 million in bonds in October 2023 to cover costs of the initial phase of ACCESS Oklahoma planning and design. The authority currently has a total of $2.017 billion in bonds outstanding.
A turnpike official told The Bond Buyer (subscription required), upon bond council approval, OTA will sell second senior revenue bonds during the first quarter of 2025, “along with a potential refunding of Series 2017A bonds.” He added that a state supreme court proceeding, something that delayed issuance of the 2023 bonds, won’t be necessary. He said Goldman Sachs will lead the bond underwriting team, which will include Morgan Stanley, Jefferies, Stifel, Raymond James, BOK Financial, and PNC Capital Markets. OTA “refreshed its underwriter pool this summer” after the state’s Energy Discrimination Elimination Act banned Barclays, Bank of America, JP Morgan, and Wells Fargo from underwriting municipal bonds.
The Bond Buyer and state media outlets (for example, KFOR and KOCO) reported that OTA is receiving some criticism for the rising program costs and the decision to issue new bonds.
How And Why The Pennsylvania Turnpike Is Transitioning To Barrier-Free Tolling
A Traffic Technology Today feature article takes a comprehensive look at the Pennsylvania Turnpike’s transition to an open-road tolling system, the first phase of which will go live in January. The report suggests the transformation process merits attention because, “[w]hen it comes to deploying tolling technology, few roads in the world have more experience than America’s ‘first superhighway.’”
The visible part of the conversion process involves the elimination of tollbooth plazas — demolition contract procurement will begin soon — and the systemwide introduction of gantry-mounted, all-electronic tolling technology. These infrastructure and technology developments enable the turnpike commission (PTC) to introduce two significant improvements in pricing:
- Standard per-mile rates — seven cents in the case of passenger vehicles — will be introduced for the first time and tolls will be based on actual miles traveled by each driver, making the rate structure “more akin to nascent distance-based road user charging.”
- PTC will “move away from its current weight-based classification system to a new system based on vehicle height and number of axles,” which will bring it into conformance with all other US tolling systems.
Based on its extensive studies and pilot projects, PTC confidently expects open-road tolling to provide important benefits for customers: added safety from the elimination of entry and exit barriers; less congestion and freer traffic flow; accurate, equitable toll charges; and reduced emissions from idling vehicles.
Commenting on the significance of the transformation project, PTC chief engineer Brad Heigel observes, “When we opened as America’s first superhighway, we set the national standards for interstate highway design and engineering. Open road tolling continues that legacy.”
New South Wales Government Proposed Comprehensive Toll Reform Legislation
The New South Wales government announced it will introduce legislation “to create a new state-owned tolling entity that will oversee a reformed toll road network.” The body, called NSW Motorways, would be tasked with managing the state toll regime concentrated in metro Sydney “in conjunction [with] the owners of the city’s private motorways.” The announcement said the legislative action will proceed in tandem with its negotiations with toll road concessionaires over toll reform. Transurban Group controls nearly all the state’s toll concessions.
Among other things, NSW Motorways would own and operate tollways not subject to private concession arrangements, such as the Sydney Harbour Bridge and Tunnel. It would take over all toll collection and “oversee any future revenue adjustment mechanism to protect private toll concessionaires from losses from a single, network toll – but also ensure any windfall gains that stem from toll reform go to the NSW public, rather than private operators.” The government noted, “The legislation going to Parliament does not override private contracts of concessionaires and a negotiated outcome through the direct deal process remains the Government’s preference.”
The legislation would give the state’s pricing and competition regulatory agency the power “to monitor toll prices, investigate specific tolling issues and make recommendations on tolls.” It would also create a Tolling Customer Ombudsman “to deal with disputes and complaints between customers and operators of toll roads, and all operators in NSW would be bound by a decision of the Ombudsman.”
Both the legislative proposal and the reform negotiation process involving the state government and Transurban are outgrowths of a lengthy independent inquiry commissioned by the present Labor government. In a report released in July, the study authors concluded that “a fairer, consistent, simpler and better functioning toll network” is needed and many toll rates should be lowered.
Industry People Made News
Kapsch TrafficCom announced that Phil Thompson has been appointed Vice President of Sales and Business Development for North America. Mr. Thompson has more than 20 years’ experience in the IoT industry, with leadership roles in sales operations, marketing, and business development for firms including Crestron, Control4, Honeywell, and Lexmark. He will succeed Dan Toohey, who has been the North America sales and business development leader since 2021. Mr. Toohey announced in May that he will retire at the end of this year.
Missouri Independent reported, the Missouri Highways and Transportation Commission selected a 40-year Missouri Department of Transportation veteran to be the department’s new director. Ed Hassinger, PE, who has been serving as interim director since Patrick McKenna’s departure for the Eno Center, was the commission’s unanimous choice for the post. Mr. Hassinger told reporters one of his top priorities will be increasing staffing levels because MoDOT “has missed more than 2 million labor hours in the past decade” due to factors including the pandemic. One key to achieving that goal will be resolving a lawsuit that has tied up state funding for wage increases.
Bike Portland reported that Oregon DOT will lose a key staff member when Brendan Finn, director of the Urban Mobility Office, departs in January to become the chief of staff for a newly elected Multnomah County commissioner. Finn became the office’s first director shortly after it was created in 2019. The office’s mission is to implement the state’s Urban Mobility Strategy to reduce congestion, improve safety, and modernize metro Portland’s transportation system. Projects assigned to the office include the Interstate Bridge Replacement Program, the I-205 Abernethy Bridge Project, the I-5 Rose Quarter Improvement, and the now largely paused Oregon Toll Program. Mr. Finn’s replacement hasn’t been named.
An Overview Of New FHWA Work Zone Safety Regulations
Construction Dive provided a brief overview of the updates to federal regulations on work zone safety that FHWA announced last week, with an effective date of December 2. The rules, which hadn’t changed in 20 years, were amended to reduce the risk of fatal crashes by setting minimum requirements and “providing guidance for the use of protection devices such as concrete barriers.” New provisions also address:
- installation and maintenance of temporary traffic control devices,
- use of uniformed law enforcement personnel during construction,
- new requirements for contract provisions and the use of positive protection devices, and
- mandatory state DOT programmatic reviews.