The News-Press reports on the significant damage some Southwest Florida barrier islands experienced during last week’s Hurricane Milton. Authorities are permitting home and business owners and property management firms to access affected communities but widespread utility outages continue and curfews are in effect.
On Saturday, the Gasparilla Island Bridge Authority reopened the Boca Grande Causeway although it sustained damage to both shoulders and drivers are urged to exercise caution. Boca Beacon reports on the storm’s devastation of the Boca Grande community.
Lee County has reopened the Sanibel Island Causeway after clearing it of debris. The facility didn’t sustain substantial damage, according to The News-Press. It is still undergoing restoration to repair the major damage caused by Hurricane Ian in September 2022.
WBBH reports, Lee County suspended toll collection on all three of its bridges last Monday, October 7, but tolling resumed Saturday, October 12, at midnight.
The Tennessean (subscription required) explores the potential for Tennessee DOT’s Choice Lanes (managed toll lanes) initiative to calm traffic congestion in metro Nashville. “The choice lanes are one of several components to address the growing strain on the region’s infrastructure. In November, Nashville voters will consider a $3.1 billion transit referendum that would raise the sales tax half a cent to fund mass upgrades to the bus system, sidewalks and traffic signals.” Early voting on the referendum begins this Wednesday, October 16.
TxDOT completed the early termination of its SH 288 Comprehensive Development Agreement (CDA) with Blueridge Transportation Group, the department announced Tuesday. As a consequence, the state has retaken control of a 10.3-mile highway corridor that includes two tolled express lanes in each direction. The 2016 CDA gave Blueridge a 52-year concession to develop, design, construct, finance, operate, and maintain the facility’s tolled and general purpose lanes lanes in metro Houston. However, the Texas Transportation Commission decided last March to initiate a contractually authorized process of early termination for convenience through TxDOT and a financing entity the commission created. Grupo ACS, the engineering, construction and concessions giant based in Spain, owned and controlled the Blueridge group through subsidiaries.
According to the TxDOT announcement, express lane tolling policies will not change “in the short term” due to contractual mandates, and drivers “should not expect to see any immediate changes regarding maintenance, operations, or billing.” However, the department “anticipates that future toll rates will be able to be reduced and will escalate at a slower pace than allowed under the CDA. TxDOT also anticipates that future toll revenues will be able to fund on-going and future maintenance on SH 288, along with improvements like additional non-tolled lanes on a portion of the SH 288 corridor.” It plans to start building two new general purpose lanes on a segment of SH 288 no later than 2030.
TxDOT Executive Director Marc Williams commented that the buyback deal is unprecedented in the US and has enabled the state to acquire a $4 billion asset for $1.7 billion. His estimate of the transaction’s value is based on TxDOT’s reckoning that the acquisition cost “is substantially below the value of future toll revenues on the corridor — even with the anticipated future reduction in toll rates.” The department will finance its payment to Blueridge by issuing toll revenue bonds, which means drivers will ultimately pay the facility’s acquisition.
“Texas Observer” reported on the culmination of the buyback transaction and the consequences of the state’s decision to improve SH 288 through a a public-private partnership. In response to a “Texas Observer” request for comment, a Blueridge spokesperson said, “We are deeply disappointed by TxDOT’s decision to expedite the purchase of the SH-288 toll road without fully considering the significant concessions we offered for motorists.” ACS Group did not respond to a request for comment prior to publication time.
Florida Governor Ordered Extensive Toll Suspension Ahead Of Hurricane Milton
Florida DOT announced Monday that Governor Ron DeSantis (R) directed the suspension of toll collection in Central and West Florida and on Alligator Alley in anticipation of Hurricane Milton making landfall in the state. Tolls are being waived for seven days on 24 facilities operated by FDOT, Florida’s Turnpike Enterprise, the Central Florida Expressway Authority (CFX), and the Tampa Hillsborough Expressway Authority (THEA). The announcement included a complete list of the facilities, which include the turnpike mainline between I-75 (milepost 309) and Canoe Creek Service Plaza (milepost 229). Tolling will be reinstated at noon on October 14 unless conditions necessitate a suspension extension.
FDOT also “actively implement[ed] Emergency Shoulder Use” on I-4 and portions of I-75 to help facilitate evacuation.
Conduent Protested Award Of NJ E-ZPass Customer Service Contract
NJ.com reported, Conduent State and Local Services formally protested the recent decision by the New Jersey Turnpike Authority (NJTA) board to award the next NJ E-ZPass customer service center contract to TransCore. Conduent reportedly claims it proposed a range and quality of services similar to those proposed by TransCore at a price $250 million below the TransCore offer. Conduent also raised an issue based on the fact that TransCore, an American company located in Tennessee, is owned by a Singapore-headquartered firm.
According to NJTA spokesperson Tom Feeney, “Until a final decision is made by the Executive Director on the protest, the Authority will not proceed with the contract. The Authority will undertake a thorough review of the protest . . . in accordance with the Authority’s regulations.” He declined to comment on the substance of Conduent’s protest “to ensure the integrity” of the procurement process. TransCore gave the same reason for offering no comment.
The contract has an 11-year term and an overall value of $1.73 billion. A six-member NJTA evaluation committee gave TransCore’s proposal the highest score, in preference to proposals submitted by Conduent and a third competitor, WSP. The article looks at the final negotiated pricing offers made by the three firms.
Conduent is headquartered in New Jersey and has held the statewide E-ZPass customer service contract for 22 years. It has received periodic legislative and customer criticism for its performance in recent years.
County Official Announced Plans For Further Westpark Tollway Extension
For the second time in less than a week, a Fort Bend County, Texas, official made an announcement about plans to extend the Westpark Tollway in Metro Houston. In an article contributed to Covering Katy News, Precinct 1 Commissioner Vincent Morales stated the county is working with TxDOT on the early stages of design for a project that will extend the tollway west to FM 1489 in Simonton. “The plan includes adding tolled lanes between the current lanes on FM 1093. The existing lanes will remain free and serve as a service road.”
Construction, which is expected to take about two years, would begin after another extension project recently launched is finished. That $71.4 million Fort Bend County Toll Road Authority project will add a four-mile extension onto Westpark Tollway from Spring Green Boulevard to Texas Heritage Parkway. Completion and opening is expected by the summer of 2026.
Controversy Surrounding San Diego Toll System Deepened
Revelations directly or indirectly related to the functionality and procurement of an electronic toll system for the San Diego Association of Governments’ South Bay (SR 125) Expressway emerged over the past week.
The San Diego Union-Tribune reported, the association (SANDAG) released an internal audit report on Monday that concludes association leaders failed to disclose deficiencies in an existing toll road collection system — ETAN Tolling Technology was the vendor — before they “rushed into a contract with a new vendor whose financial systems did not meet agency standards.” The result, according to SANDAG’s independent fiscal watchdog, is that the agency “will have difficulty tracking and recording revenue from the toll road — almost the same problems as those identified in the earlier contract.”
SANDAG executives allegedly “took deliberate shortcuts” to get board approval to hire the new contractor — Deloitte, in partnership with Brisa’s A-to-Be — “rather than performing the due diligence needed” before entering into a $28 million replacement system contract. “System requirements were not developed for the replacement (back office) implementation and therefore are absent in the contract with Deloitte,” the audit report states. It includes a finding that top SANDAG executives — all of whom have since left the association — had knowledge of the legacy collection system’s problems long before disclosing them to the board of directors.
The Union-Tribune article noted that a former finance director’s wrongful discharge lawsuit, a toll payer class action lawsuit, and a federal investigation of SANDAG business practices — all of which were triggered by the SR 125 toll system controversy — remain unresolved.
Times of San Diego reported that former San Diego Mayor (and SANDAG board member) Kevin Faulconer “may have had an insider’s view” of the SR 125 toll system problems through his role as an HNTB “strategic” consultant during 2023. HNTB held a contract to oversee ETAN’s implementation and testing of the electronic collection system. Public records show that Faulconer worked on nine different projects for HNTB and met frequently with former SANDAG CEO Hasan Ikhrata during the year. Those contacts occurred before and after last fall’s initial public disclosures about the extent of the ETAN system problems. Faulconer’s work for HNTB has become an issue in his current campaign to win a seat on the San Diego County Board of Supervisors. Faulconer did not respond to requests for comment on his HNTB consulting work.
Finally, inewsource reported that opponents of a November ballot measure to increase sales tax in San Diego County to fund transportation infrastructure upgrades are criticizing the proponent committee’s receipt of major contributions from top construction and engineering firms. Several of those firms have received SANDAG contracts that, according to internal association audits, lacked adequate management or oversight. “The fact that Measure G money would funnel millions of dollars annually to SANDAG has created an opening for opponents of the tax hike” who say voters should be “alarmed” about the support Measure G is getting from the beneficiaries of contracts that SANDAG allegedly mismanaged.
Kapsch Marked Spain Toll System Completion And Launch
A Kapsch TrafficCom news release spotlighted the firm’s completion this summer of a multi-lane free flow truck toll system in Bizkaia province. Delivered on time pursuant to a 2022 contract awarded by Interbiak — the Spanish province’s publicly owned highway infrastructure management company — the system covers 146 lanes on sections of the A-8 motorway and the N-636 and N-637 highways. Kapsch installed 26 gantries (an increase of 10), cameras, sensors, and all other required system hardware and software. Kapsch included three roadside units that can be used for connected vehicle use cases, adding to the 25 units already placed along Bizkaia’s cooperative intelligent transport systems (C-ITS) corridor. Kapsch was also given a level 2 and 3 maintenance contract that extends through June 2026.
West Virginia Turnpike’s New TransCore BOS And Website Went Live
West Virginia DOT announced that the state turnpike’s upgraded back-office system and customer website went live on September 30. “Also released was an upgraded phone system which includes Interactive Voice Response. That response allows customers to self-service and manage their account as well as make payments.”
Jeff Miller, executive director of the West Virginia Parkways Authority, the turnpike operator, commented, “Over the years, the TransCore team has reliably supported our toll road operations with the best technology and staff available, so upgrading our back-office system to their latest generation technology was an easy decision.”
Customer service improvements still under development include an online chat feature, third-party mail services to handle pay-by-plate transactions, and a mobile app with a digital wallet. The parkways authority predicts roadside toll collection system upgrades will be completed by the end of this year. (TRN inserted a link in quoted text.)
North Carolina DOT Unveiled Design Alternatives For Cape Fear Memorial Bridge Replacement
According to WilmingtonBiz.com, Alternative A, a moveable span with clearance ranging from 65 to 135 feet, is estimated to cost $765 million. Alternative B, a fixed span with 135 feet of clearance, is tagged at $452 million. A cost projection is not available for Alternative C, a fixed span with vertical clearance between 65 and 135 feet. Each alternative includes three lanes in each direction for vehicular traffic and a 15-foot-wide multiuse path. The first of two public meetings on the span’s design took place Tuesday. A public comment period is open through October 25. NCDOT hopes to finalize its design for the project in spring 2025. An NCDOT web page contains links to maps of the four proposed alternatives.
TRN notes, NCDOT secured a $242 million federal Bridge Investment Program grant for the project over the summer, but a final funding package — it potentially includes tolling — remains unresolved.
Oregon Legislature Prepared To Address Critical Transportation Funding Issues
Oregon Capital Insider assessed the status of state transportation funding as the Oregon Legislature processes feedback collected by the Joint Committee on Transportation over the course of its summer-long statewide tour. With ODOT facing a roughly $1.8 billion annual revenue shortfall and in need of funds for several major projects, the article teed up two central questions: “Will Democrats and Republicans get it together in 2025, as legislators did in 2017, to cooperatively address Oregon’s flailing transportation system?” or “Will partisanship and interest-group pandering prevail instead?”
Although tolling and the controversy surrounding it are not mentioned, the article provides interesting insights into key personnel changes that have occurred since the last major transportation budget legislation was passed in 2017. The lawmakers who formed a bicameral, bipartisan coalition to champion the 2017 funding package won’t be at the statehouse next year, nor will several influential lobbyists who had a hand in forging the plan.
Nevada Mayor Promoted Estimated $500 Million Toll Road Construction Idea
In an extended Nevada Newsmakers (via Nevada Appeal) interview, Sparks, Nevada, Mayor Ed Lawson outlines his city’s proposal for building a 13-mile toll road from its northeast section to the Tahoe Reno Industrial Center (TRIC) in Storey County. TRIC is considered the “economic engine” of the Reno-Sparks metro area because the complex’s tenants include major employers such as Google, Panasonic, Tesla, Switch, and Walmart. Lawson estimates that eighty percent of the facility’s workers commute from Reno and Sparks via a segment of I-80 that is chronically congested and increasingly prone to crashes. He’s convinced some infrastructure solution is needed and a new toll road may be the best of the several options he discusses during the interview.
Lawson maintains that building the toll road is more practical than mounting alternative highway construction, I-80 widening or rail projects. Since getting funding for any project is a significant obstacle — costs would be around $500 million, which is half the amount of Nevada DOT’s entire annual capital budget — toll revenue could provide a financing solution that other approaches lack. Lawson says TRIC employers “may help with the costs,” and “they’re actually looking to participate with us in the cost of doing the road alignment and some of the other expenses up front because of the impact [I-80 traffic] having on their business.”
Lawson acknowledges the toll project faces some obstacles. The city has to convince the Nevada legislature to pass a bill authorizing toll road development. The mayor has also encountered some predictable pushback from constituents opposed to tolling.
President Biden Approved Permit To Build New Texas-Mexico Toll Bridge
Laredo Morning Times reported, on October 3, President Biden issued a permit that allows the Southwebb Bridge Company, LLC, to construct, maintain, and operate a vehicular and pedestrian bridge on the US-Mexico border between Laredo, Webb County, Texas, and the Mexican state of Tamaulipas. In a statement welcoming the action, Webb County noted that “for decades” it has proposed construction of another international bridge to facilitate commerce with Mexico, which has become America’s top trade partner. The county added that necessary project studies have already begun. The span is being called the 4/5 International Bridge because it is Tamaulipas’ fourth such span and Webb County’s fifth. It will be constructed by Webb County and Southwebb Bridge through a proposed US public-private partnership agreement. The county is also planning to build a loop highway that will connect the new span to US 359 and I-35.
A subsequent Laredo Morning Times article covered a news conference during which county officials provided more details about the bridge project.
Senior UK Official Said Britons Need To Be Prepared For Road Use Charging
The Guardian reported, Sir John Armitt, chair of the UK government’s National Infrastructure Commission (NIC) told reporters Thursday, “Britain must prepare for the widespread use of road pricing to make up a £35bn [US$ 45.7 billion] shortfall in tax revenues from the transition to electric vehicles.” Armitt called for a “proper public debate” about the future of funding critical infrastructure projects and indicated an RUC system based on license plate recognition is a distinct possibility.
While acknowledging the political sensitivity of imposing road use charges, he noted, “We pay for all our other infrastructure services as we use them, and we pay for driving on the road, as we use it, via petrol tax. And if you’re going to lose the petrol tax, at [more than] £30bn a year, what is government going to replace it with?” The government estimates that nearly all UK vehicles will operate on electricity by 2045 because a ban on the sale of new gas-powered vehicles is due to take effect in 2035.
Armitt made his remarks while attending an event at Skanska’s UK headquarters. He accompanied a senior treasury official, Darren Jones, who announced that a new entity, the National Infrastructure and Service Transformation Authority (NISTA), is being created to oversee major infrastructure projects in place of NIC and another authority. Jones added that “a 10-year infrastructure strategy” is now under development that will include plans for the construction of schools, hospitals and housing.
As Merger Talks Near Completion, Metro Pacific Tollways Will Get New CEO
GMA News reported, Metro Pacific Tollways Corporation (MPTC) president and CEO Rogelio Singson said Wednesday he expects “discussions” on the planned merger of his company and San Miguel Corporation’s tollways business to be completed this month. Singson told reporters that a merger or formation of a joint venture “is happening ‘sooner’ after MPTC finalized its purchase of [a] 35% stake in Indonesia’s in PT Jasamarga Transjawa Tol (JTT).” The proposed deal encompasses MPTC’s Indonesian assets. Singson also clarified that the merged entities would be MPTC and SMC Tollways, rather than their respective operating units, such as North Luzon Expressway Corporation (NLEX).
Mr. Singson also confirmed recent media reports that he will step down from his MPTC offices later this month. He will be replaced by Arrey Perez, who recently departed government owned Clark International Airport Corporation (CIAC), where he was president and CEO.
According to a recent SunStar profile, Perez’s arrival at MPTC, “is much anticipated, if not awaited with excitement.”
New White Paper Explores Impact Of Road Pricing On Traffic Volume
ITSInternational reported on the release of research providing insight into how different road pricing systems affect traffic volume. In a new white paper, The Traffic Impact of Road Pricing, the CSRB Group analyses data from 76 international toll road, bridge, tunnel, and cordon case studies and concludes that imposing charges tends to significantly increase traffic diversion.
According to CSRB senior partner Robert Bain, “We collected additional data for each of our case studies in terms of the toll facilities’ characteristics, toll prices and the quantity and quality of alternative routes and modes available to local drivers. From these candidate explanatory variables, we were able to construct a simple predictive model that can be used to provide ‘first cut’ estimates of the likely traffic response to toll charging under different circumstances.”
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In pointing to Georgia’s leadership in advancing sustainable transportation, Eco News spotlights The Ray organization and the 18-mile stretch of I-85 it uses as a testing ground for technologies such as photovoltaic roadways that can charge electric vehicles (EVs) and power street lights and traffic systems. It also reports on what the City of Peachtree Corners and its affiliated Curiosity Lab — already known for hosting the largest fast-charging site for EVs in the Atlanta region — are doing in Gwinnett County to test applications of solar road technology, including installing solar panels in bike and autonomous vehicle lanes. Peachtree Corners in partnership with The Ray is reportedly “ready to produce the first completely operational solar road in the U.S.” The article notes that Georgia is also “exploring the potential for a solar-powered mobility hub, which can serve micro-mobility vehicles,” such as electric scooters and bikes that provide clean energy transportation options.
“The Indiana economy thrives because of our ability to move goods, services, and people easily throughout the state,” writes Jeff Rea, president and CEO of the South Bend (Indiana) Regional Chamber of Commerce, in a post to his “Talking Business” blog. The post focuses on the funding conundrum Indiana faces as gas taxes continue to dwindle amid stark inflation in the construction industry. “From 2020-2022, construction materials increased by 36%, and labor costs increased by 16%,” Rea notes, in addition to providing figures on specific material costs that spiked by as much as 113 percent. With state purchasing power so drastically curtailed, and gas tax revenue shrinking, Rea stresses that state leaders need to prioritize identifying new sources of transportation funding. Among other options available to the state, he cites tolling of key arteries. Rea maintains it “could get a lot of consideration, especially given how much traffic just passes through the State, uses our roads, but doesn’t contribute to the maintenance and upkeep of those roads.”
