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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.

Blue Water Bridge US Toll Hike Takes Effect Sunday

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Michigan DOT announced yesterday that a Blue Water Bridge eastbound span toll increase — the first in 14 years — will take effect this Sunday, December 1. MDOT consulted the public earlier this month about two options for implementing an increase needed to help offset increased maintenance and operations costs and finance plaza improvements. “Following an overwhelming response from a public survey,” it was decided to implement a $1.00 increase this year and a similar increase on December 1, 2025.

A revised rate chart is included in the MDOT announcement. Currently, two-axle passenger cars are charged US$3.00 per crossing plus $3.00 for each additional axle. Trucks and buses pay $3.25 per axle. A 50-cent discount is available for EDGE Pass holders.

The bridge’s eastbound span connects Port Huron, Michigan, with Point Edward, Ontario. MDOT operates the bridge jointly with Canada’s Federal Bridge Corporation.

North Carolina Sees Positive Customers Response To Award-Winning BOS Upgrade

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On Friday, North Carolina DOT and the North Carolina Turnpike Authority (NCTA) issued a news release spotlighting the IBTTA 2024 Toll Excellence Award for Technology NCTA recently collected for a back-office system upgrade it completed in 2023 in partnership with TransCore.

The “Integrity” BOS2 solution included cloud-based processing and performance improvements and new features, such as cloud-based telephony, an interactive voice response system, and a mobile app. NCTA noted, “Since the new system was deployed, customers have responded positively to the improvements. Nearly 71% of all collected payments are made on the new website and app. Customers visiting the website has increased nearly 10% and the app has received more than 200,000 total downloads, setting a new industry standard for toll technology.” NCTA Executive Director JJ Eden commented, “The entire team is proud of the improvements we have made for millions of NC Quick Pass customers.”

TransCore “migrated 6 million customers, 9 million vehicles, 1.5 million tags, and over a decade of data to the newly installed Integrity system,” the company noted in a news release on the technology award.

Texas High Court Declines To Delay Trial Over 2021 Fort Worth Express Lanes Crash

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Fort Worth Star-Telegram reports, on Friday, the Texas Supreme Court denied a request to stay the trial of a lawsuit over the 2021 multi-vehicle collision on I-35W express lanes near downtown Fort Worth. The incident occurred in icy weather and involved scores of vehicles, dozens of injuries, and six deaths.

North Tarrant Express Mobility Partners, the express lanes operator, and FedEx, which are defendants in the suit, requested the stay. The trial is currently scheduled to start in January.