Phil Thompson Will Lead Kapsch North America Sales and Business Development

Today, Kapsch TrafficCom announced that Phil Thompson has been appointed Vice President of Sales and Business Development for North America. Commenting on the appointment, JB Kendrick, President of Kapsch TrafficCom North America, said, “Phil’s proven leadership and deep industry expertise make him a perfect fit to drive growth and innovation in our sales and business development efforts. We are excited about the fresh perspective he will bring to our team and look forward to the impact he will make in shaping the future of intelligent transportation solutions in 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.

West Virginia Turnpike Turns 70 This Month

WCBC Radio notes that the West Virginia Turnpike opened to traffic 70 years ago, on November 8, 1954. The station marks the anniversary by publishing a state news release that touts the 88-mile tollway’s contribution to mobility and economic development over the decades.

The release also looks back at the turnpike’s origins, observing that it was built “during a time of optimism and forward-thinking for the state. With limited infrastructure in the mountainous regions, state leaders recognized the need for a modern highway that could accommodate increasing traffic and facilitate economic development. . . . The highway was built using funds from the sale of bonds, a move that was seen as innovative at the time. Despite the challenges posed by West Virginia’s rugged terrain, construction crews worked tirelessly to build the road, overcoming significant engineering hurdles to carve a path through the Appalachian Mountains.”

“At its completion in 1954, the Turnpike was hailed as a feat of engineering, featuring a series of tunnels, bridges, and curves that were not only functional but also scenic. With an initial cost of approximately $200 million, the project was one of the largest of its kind in the country at the time.”

Driver Fatigue Was Involved In NY Bus Rollover That Injured 28 People

Syracuse.com (subscription required) reports, the driver of a bus that rolled over on I-490 near Rochester, New York, Thursday morning has been “ticketed for fatigued driving, speeding more than 70 mph, unsafe lane changes and not wearing a seatbelt,” according to the Monroe County Sheriff’s Department.

The Democrat and Chronicle covered the crash before fatigue was officially cited as a contributing cause. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration records show that the bus company, Tribal Sun, has already been selected for “more frequent ‘intervention thresholds’ – inspections and investigations – partly because of past issues with drivers spending too much time behind the wheel.” One of the six crashes on the company’s record over the past two years involved fatal injury.

TRN notes, the New York State Thruway last week issued a news release about the problem of “drowsy driving.” The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration maintains an online information resource on the issue.

Australia-Based International Transport Firm Makes Major EV Investments

“EV Magazine” reports on Australia-based Toll Group’s decision to make a USD 67 million  corporate investment in battery electric trucks and EV charging facilities. The company plans to operate 28 electric-powered heavy vehicles and install at least 30 charging points across ten corporate and customer facilities. The truck acquisitions alone will require a $20.3 million capital investment that the Australian Renewable Energy Agency is supplementing with $9 million in aid funneled through its Driving the Nation Program. The federal money will provide “a considerable portion of the cost difference between electric and diesel vehicles.”

Toll Group provides multimodal logistics, freight hauling, and supply chain services across 150 countries. It is a subsidiary of Japan Post Holdings.

Oklahoma Turnpike Will Complete Its Four-Year AET Transition On November 20

KOSU reports, the Oklahoma Turnpike Authority (OTA) says its entire network’s tolling 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.