Dr. Amy Lee, a postdoctoral research fellow at the UCLA Institute of Transportation Studies, has made a study of induced travel and the politics of highway expansion in California. In an interview with Yale Climate Connections, she gives an overview of the phenomenon and discusses how it is perceived by the public and transportation professionals. She comments specifically on why California, a leader in climate-focused transportation policies, nevertheless remains wedded to expanding its highway networks.
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PayByCar Expands Footprint Of E-ZPass-Enabled Fuel Payment Solution
PayByCar, Inc., the mobile payment innovator, announced today its Driven by E-ZPass℠ non-toll payment solution will be available by the end of next year at more than 300 additional retail fueling locations across New England, New York, and Virginia. The new outlets are fueling stations and convenience markets owned and operated by Global Partners, LP, a Fortune 500 company, under the brand names Alltown Fresh, Alltown®, Xtramart, Honey Farms, and Jiffy Mart.
In July, PayByCar expanded Driven by E-ZPass℠ across the 20-state E-ZPass Group network. This allows more than 59 million transponder holders to register on the PayByCar website to pay for fuel at participating locations without touching the gas station keypad. For vehicles without a toll transponder, PayByCar offers its own non-toll sticker for easy enrollment.
PA Turnpike Interchange Repair Will Briefly Close E-ZPass Express Lanes
The Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission (PTC) announced that the open-road toll lanes at the Mid-County Interchange (exit 20) in Montgomery County will be closed between tomorrow, October 25, at 7:00 PM and Sunday, October 27, at 7:00 AM so workers can make roadway and equipment repairs stemming from a crash. “Due to the closure of the express lanes, motorists traveling northbound should be prepared for stopped or slowed traffic.”
The interchange was damaged on September 25 when a commercial truck hauling “chicken scrap” caught fire while in one of the open-road toll lanes.
Colorado Opens Three Transit “Mobility Hubs” On I-25 Express Corridor
Yesterday, Colorado Governor Jared Polis (D) joined dignitaries from USDOT, CDOT, and local government to mark the opening of three new “mobility hubs” for public bus service. The facilities were made possible through the I-25 North Express Lanes Project. In a CDOT news release, Polis heralded the opening as the start of a “new era of transportation” featuring multi-modal options for residents and visitors. The hubs will make bus use more convenient, efficient and desirable, especially for commuters to downtown Denver. Their broader purposes are to reduce traffic, improve air quality, save travelers money, and “encourage transit-oriented development.”
Ohio Turnpike Challenges Misconceptions About Its New Toll System
The new Ohio Turnpike and Infrastructure Commission (OTIC) toll collection system is “working well and as expected” since it was put into operation in April. About 97.5 percent of all customers completed their transactions successfully at a toll point, using E-ZPass, cash, or a credit card. Just 2.5 percent of drivers had to be invoiced for unpaid tolls.
That was the central message of a recent Cleveland.com guest column written by OTIC executive director Ferzan Ahmed. In part, the column was a response to some recent news reports — based on anecdotes or fragmentary data analysis — that the hybrid system has major flaws. It was also part of an OTIC effort to reduce the volume of invoices by helping customers understand not to use toll plaza lanes reserved for E-ZPass transactions unless they have a transponder account and a properly mounted transponder.
While candidly acknowledging that no electronic tolling system is 100 percent accurate, Mr. Ahmed maintained that “when 97.5% of the transactions on a brand-new tolling system have been completed successfully over a six-month period, the system is working well.”
Is OTIC getting through to local news media? Yes and no. WTOL reports that Mr. Ahmed shared system performance data and observations with his board members during the Monday, October 21, OTIC meeting. The article includes several of the key points raised in Mr. Ahmed’s column. On the other hand, WTOL leads by reporting that the percentage of successful transactions has dropped since August — even though the difference amounts to just two-tenths of one percent of millions of transactions.
WTOL also notes that OTIC customer service requests have risen substantially this year due to confusion over the changes in the tolling system and complaints about individual transactions. On Monday, Mr. Ahmed told board members 11 new service center employee have already been hired and 10 more positions will be added in 2025. In response to the telephone call and email surge, the turnpike has temporarily suspended the imposition of late fees.