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IBTTA Elects 2025 Officers And Several Board Members

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ITSInternational.com reports, the International Bridge, Tunnel and Turnpike Association (IBTTA) elected 2025 board officers during its recent annual meeting. Starting one-year terms on January 1, 2025, are:

  • President: James Hofmann, North Texas Tollway Authority (NTTA) executive director
  • First Vice President: Joi Dean, Richmond Metropolitan Transportation Authority (RMTA) CEO
  • Second Vice President: Ferzan Ahmed, PE, Ohio Turnpike and Infrastructure Commission (OTIC) executive director
  • International Vice President: María Moreno, director of the international department of SEOPAN (the association of Spanish construction and concession companies)
  • Immediate Past President: Bill Halkias, president emeritus of HELLASTRON (the association of Greek toll roads)

Five member representatives were elected to serve four-year terms as board directors starting January 1, 2025. They are Anna Bonet (Elizabeth River Crossings), Christophe Boutin (ASFA, the association of French motorway companies), Rene Moser (ASFINAG, the Austrian autobahn operator), Craig Shuey (Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission), and Vincent Valdez (Transportation Corridor Agencies). Nick Roethel (Bay Area Toll Authority) was elected to serve a two-year board term. James Carone (New Jersey Turnpike Authority) will start a three-year board term on January 1.

Michigan Township’s Voters Approve Purchase Of Private Toll Bridge

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Yesterday, residents of Grosse Ile Township, Michigan, voted overwhelmingly to approve a public purchase of the Grosse Ile Toll Bridge, The Detroit News reports (scroll down to “Grosse Ile Toll Bridge Purchase Wins”). A local referendum approved a $59 million bond measure that will be funded through increased property taxes. “The township seeks ownership so that it has control of [one of the island’s two surface routes to the mainland.]”

Although details of the bridge’s operations remain guarded by a non-disclosure agreement, 73 percent of voters favored the acquisition. Access to the mainland has become a worrisome issue for residents because the one other crossing, a non-tolled, county-owned bridge, has major structural problems and a history of extended maintenance closures. The township government intends to upgrade the toll span so it can accommodate vehicles weighing more than 7.5 tons. It also intends to continue toll collection.

Changes In FHWA Work Zone Safety Regulations Take Effect Next Month

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Yesterday, FHWA announced that updates to federal regulations on work zone safety are final and will take effect on December 2. The agency plans to supplement the revisions “in the coming months” with support materials, outreach activities, and other implementation aids.

The Work Zone Safety and Mobility Rule and Temporary Traffic Control Devices Rule revisions proposed in September “are designed to improve work zone safety for roadway workers as well as the movement of motorists traveling through work zones using comprehensive management strategies to ensure safety while also minimizing impacts and traffic disruptions to the traveling public.” FHWA highlighted two aspects of the rules changes in its announcement. They require “the use of positive protection devices, such as temporary concrete barriers, to protect workers from motorized traffic operating at high speeds during construction, utility, and maintenance operations.” They also encourage “use of work zone programmatic reviews, which are more comprehensive, holistic, and data-driven.”

Kapsch Obtains Lengthy. Extension Of Riverside County (CA) Toll Systems Contract

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Kapsch TrafficCom announced it has received a ten-year extension of its toll services contract with the Riverside County (California) Transportation Commission (RCTC). “The extension applies to the current Kapsch TrafficCom contract to design, develop, test, install, and operate an end-to-end toll and traffic management solution for the I-15 Express Lanes Project [including the 15/91 Connector] and full replacement of the SR-91 Express Lanes roadside tolling system.”

Kapsch deliverables include ten I-15 toll points and six on SR-91. The ETC systems incorporate variable roadside message signs, CCTV cameras for enforcement, and microwave vehicle detectors. The company also provides the I-15 Express Lanes back-office system, dynamic pricing, image review, and collections enforcement. Kapsch staffs and operates the facility’s traffic operations and customer service centers. Over their contract’s initial term, Kapsch and RCTC have collaborated on system enhancements.

The express lanes run for 25 miles through of one of the 10 most populous counties in the US. More than 45 million trip transactions are processed each year.

JB Kendrick, president of Kapsch TrafficCom North America, commented, “We’re thrilled to have been awarded this contract extension and continue our strong partnership with RCTC and the traveling public in Southern California. We value our highly collaborative partnership with RCTC, and extending our services through 2041 shows our dedication to bringing top-notch technology, expertise, and people to enhance travel throughout the region.”

Oklahoma Has Given More Than 63,500 Teens Work Zone And First Responder Safety Training

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Oklahoma DOT is marking the one-year anniversary of Work Zone Safe, its required online training program for teen drivers. The aim is to personalize the experience of navigating emergency sites and work zones for intermediate driver’s license applicants. Oklahoma was the first state to require such training, however, “Wisconsin also now requires a similar course and several other states have started the process to implement Work Zone Safe.” In addition to the online training, Oklahoma’s program involves a traveling, in-person presentation by highway workers that “lets students get an inside look at work zones and lets them hear directly from highway workers on what they should be doing when driving through work zones to make it home safely every time.”

ODOT notes, a total of 72 employees of ODOT and the Oklahoma Turnpike Authority have died in the line of duty, which is a higher casualty rate than that experienced by any other civilian agency of state government.