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Illinois County Offers To Sell Unused AET System Equipment

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Toll agencies and toll system operators and integrators are invited to express interest in purchasing unused electronic toll collection equipment from the Kane County, Illinois, Division of Transportation.

The equipment — it includes “a full set of hardware, electronics, and spares, required to install, operate, and maintain a four-lane cashless tolling system with fully overhead sensors” — was purchased by the county to install an AET system on the Longmeadow Parkway Bridge, a facility that the county eventually decided to finance without tolls.

A county notice of sale has additional information about the available equipment and contact information.

Potential Ticket Prices For “Brightline West” Rail Service Revealed

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“In recent filings that seek to raise $2.5 billion in a bond offering, Brightline West revealed that ticket prices for the trip would range from about $119 to $133 one way,” SFGATE reports. That’s a preliminary estimate, and it’s projected a round-trip ticket could eventually cost more than $400. “In comparison, Brightline’s prices for its original line from Miami to Orlando start as low as $29 for a ticket, though that can increase depending on the time, date and class of the ticket.”

The projected $12 billion venture aims to connect Las Vegas and Southern California by 2031 with fully electric, zero-emission, 200-mile-per-hour rail service along the I-15 corridor. It promises to complete a one-way trip in about two hours, intermediate stops included. A 270-mile car trip on the interstate now takes four to five hours with no traffic but can exceed six hours with congestion. Brightline would face major competition from airlines.

Tennessee Governor Proposes New Transportation Financing Authority

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In a special legislative session convened this week by Governor Bill Lee (R), lawmakers are considering HB 6006 to create a Tennessee Transportation Financing Authority for maintenance and improvement project contracting and bonding “without limitation as to the amount,” WBIR reports. The authority would be chaired by the governor, with the state comptroller serving as both vice chair and secretary. The bill is one of several on a variety of subjects under consideration during the session.

Meanwhile, Tennessee Senator Mark Pody (R-17), who sponsored SB 24 to direct vehicle and tire sales taxes to TDOT, said the measure would boost the department’s coffers by $1 billion annually, according to “Land Line” Magazine. Similar legislation reportedly failed last year, although that was before TDOT said it needs more than $300 million to shore up its 2025-26 budget.

TRN notes that another pending measure, SB 105, would extend the expiration date of the Transportation Modernization Board, charged with overseeing development of the state’s “Choice Lanes,” from 2025 to 2029.

MTA Says Congestion Pricing Is Working As Expected

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After just three weeks, Manhattan congestion pricing is having impacts planned for and anticipated in regard to congestion zone traffic volume, transit patronage, and transit operations. Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) staff delivered that news to board members in a detailed meeting presentation yesterday. Highlights of the reported data include:

  • Travel times at inbound crossings to the Congestion Relief Zone (CRZ) are at least 10 percent and as much as 48 percent faster now than during January 2024.
  • “Drivers in the CRZ are experiencing travel time improvements especially during afternoon peak hours with reductions as high as 59%.”
  • Since the program’s launch, the number of vehicles entering the CRZ has diminished by over a million.
  • “Bus riders and especially express bus riders have benefited from less gridlock and are continuing to experience faster and more reliable commutes.”
  • With faster and more reliable service, bus and subway ridership is growing.

An MTA news release provides a concise summary of the data, which the authority obtained through TRANSCOM, the interagency coalition that collects and supplies data on metro New York City travel times. A video of the presentation to the board is available on MTA’s YouTube channel. MTA stated it will now provide regular congestion relief program data updates through New York State’s Open Data portal and the authority’s own performance metrics website.

Gothamist notes that MTA officials are hopeful the improved travel conditions reflected in the data will “ease the ire” over CRZ tolling.

Bloomberg CityLab and Daily News report on the data findings and the satisfied reactions of MTA board members and executives.

Trump’s Tariff Threats Disrupt North American Steel Trade

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Transport Topics reports, some steelmakers in Canada and Mexico have paused any new business or sales quotes with US-based customers due to concern that President Donald Trump will include steel in sweeping tariffs he’s threatened to impose starting February 1. “Canada is the top foreign import source of steel into the U.S. and Mexico is the third largest, according to U.S. Commerce Department data.”