Daily News Briefs, April 25, 2024

Maryland Schedules Industry Forum On Key Bridge Reconstruction Procurement

The Maryland Transportation Authority (MDTA) announced this morning it will host an open Virtual Industry Forum on rebuilding of the Francis Key Bridge on May 7, 2024, from  2:00 to 4:00 PM Eastern. MDTA representatives will discuss “the anticipated Progressive Design-Build (PDB) Process with potential consultants, contractors and subcontractors to help inform” a Request for Proposals the state expects to release by the end of May. “MDTA and staff will be available to answer questions about the PDB project delivery method, procurement process and [Maryland Disadvantaged Business Enterprise] opportunities and certification. While there will be an opportunity to ask questions during the Virtual Industry Forum, the MDTA is encouraging industry professionals to submit questions in advance online at KeyBridgeRebuild.com. All forum materials, including questions and answers, will be posted to the website following the virtual event. Questions will be limited to the upcoming procurement opportunity only.” Registration Online registration for the forum is now open.

Bruce Gartner, who started another term as MDTA executive director in January, commented, “Rebuilding the [bridge] and reconnecting the I-695 Baltimore Beltway as expeditiously and safely as possible remains a top priority for MDTA. The anticipated contracting process is a significant opportunity for the consulting and construction community in Maryland to bring their skills to the table of this important project. The upcoming forum will bring together the industry’s diverse prime contractors and sub-contractors in a unified effort to rebuild the Key Bridge.”

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Conduent Launches Express Lanes ETC System Created For Virginia DOT

Conduent Transportation issued a news release today marking the March 17 debut of the dynamic tolling system it implemented for Virginia DOT’s Hampton Roads Express Lanes Network (HREL). The system includes vehicle classification, traffic-responsive dynamic pricing and automated license plate recognition components. Conduent will also conduct license plate image reviews for the department. The initial installation covers two HREL sections, the Norfolk Reversible Express Lanes and VDOT’s new 14-mile Chesapeake Express Lanes segment. Conduent noted that the system will ultimately extend to three future HREL sections as the facility evolves into a continuous 45-mile HOT lanes corridor. The company received a VDOT design, installation and maintenance contract in 2021. At that time, the value of the agreement was estimated to be $51 million. The department has options to extend the three-year base term on a year-to-year basis and to procure implementation of vehicle occupancy detection technology by Conduent.

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Toll Bill Smishing Scam Spreads To Virginia

WRIC reports, “On Tuesday, the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) said it had not yet received any reports of an unpaid toll charge scam seen in multiple other states popping up on Virginian’s phones. By lunch on Wednesday . . . that had changed. As of midday [yesterday], VDOT told [WRIC] it had received over 160 reports of [the smishing scam] targeting Virginia residents.” David Caudill, VDOT’s toll division administrator, said the surge happened overnight and there’s no discernable pattern in the selection of targets. WRIC, which received numerous reports about the scam from viewers, reproduced images of fraudulent texts requesting payment of SunPass charges in the article. According to Caudill, VDOT is limited in its ability to respond to the fraud. “What we [can] try to do is create awareness,” he said. “We wanna protect the credibility of tolling — and these kind of scammers, they undermine that. So we try to get in front of that, make people aware that there’s risk out there.” The article includes advice for detecting and avoiding the smishing attack, and lists VDOT resources available to people concerned about receiving a fraudulent text.

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US Representatives Announce New Efforts To Block MTA Congestion Pricing

Congresswoman Nicole Malliotakis (NY-11) announced yesterday that she and Congressman Josh Gottheimer (NJ-5) have introduced a bill, HR 8121, that would prohibit MTA from implementing the proposed Manhattan congestion pricing program. Both lawmakers are members of Congress’ “Anti-Congestion Tax Caucus” and active supporters of federal lawsuits aimed at thwarting congestion pricing. Malliotakis once again characterized the MTA program as a “cash grab” and claimed it will “shift traffic from Manhattan to the outer boroughs, increasing pollution in my district, particularly in minority communities.” Mr. Gottheimer’s remarks were similarly critical and disparaging of the program. (Since the text of HR 8121 hasn’t been released yet, it isn’t clear how the bill would affect MTA.)

New York Post reports, during a press conference outside MTA headquarters yesterday, Representative Gottheimer pressed the authority to disclose “a breakdown of how [it] came up with the estimate that the new Midtown $15 toll [sic] would generate $1 billion in revenue.”  He claimed MTA stands to collect substantially more revenue from tolling. Gottheimer added that he will ask the chairman of the US House transportation committee to issue a subpoena for the information and schedule a hearing on congestion pricing.

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These are just some of the toll industry developments TRN is following.

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