- New Jersey DOT Enlists Volunteers For Mileage-Based User Fee Pilot
- US Lawmakers Offer Bills To Promote Drone Use In Infrastructure Projects
- A Brief Look At The Origins And Evolution Of US Tolling
- These are just some of the toll industry developments TRN is following.
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New Jersey DOT Enlists Volunteers For Mileage-Based User Fee Pilot
New Jersey DOT announced yesterday it is seeking state residents with a valid driver’s license and a vehicle willing to volunteer for a mileage-based user fee pilot the department is conducting with the Eastern Transportation Coalition. According to the program website, participants have several mileage recording options: “a plug-in device with GPS, a plug-in device without GPS, a manual odometer entry, or in-vehicle telematics.” They may be paid up to $100 “and also have the opportunity to offer their input on the future of transportation in our state.” Enrollment is conducted online. Potential volunteers can learn more about the pilot by viewing a video.
Eastern Transportation Coalition (Formerly I-95 Corridor Coalition) New Jersey New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) Road Use Charging (RUC-MBUF-VMT)US Lawmakers Offer Bills To Promote Drone Use In Infrastructure Projects
US Senator Jacky Rosen (D-NV) announced that she and two of her colleagues have introduced a “Drone Infrastructure Inspection Grant Act” (S 4744) to encourage the use of American-made drones in performing infrastructure inspection, maintenance and construction projects. The bill would make $100 million in competitive grants available for drones and another $100 million “for workforce training and education to prepare the next generation of workers in this field.” Rosen commented, “As we make historic investments in fixing and updating our nation’s infrastructure, we can rely on the latest technology to identify physical vulnerabilities that need to be fixed. This bipartisan legislation will help local governments invest in drones and skilled workers to ensure America’s existing infrastructure remains safe.”
Nextgov notes, “The Senate bill comes after a version of the bill was introduced in the House in September 2021.The House bill would establish a ‘drone infrastructure inspection grant program to make grants to governmental entities’ to use drones to assist with the ‘inspection, repair, modernization, and construction of critical infrastructure.’”
Highway and Bridge Maintenance Highway and Bridge Safety (Including COVID-19 Impacts) US Gov't Transportation FundingA Brief Look At The Origins And Evolution Of US Tolling
RateGenius, a Texas-based auto loan originator, sketches the historical evolution of US tolling from its roots in ancient systems through the construction of seventeenth- and eighteenth-century turnpikes to the introduction of cashless collection and congestion pricing in the 2000s. The article notes, “Toll roads are intended to move high volumes of people and goods quickly and efficiently. This is why you’ll never see a stop sign or a red light on a toll road. Because of this, they are expensive to build and maintain, so travelers are charged before they can use the road. This money goes towards repairs and improvement, which is why coming across a car-swallowing pothole is a rare sight — unlike on municipal thoroughfares.”
AET (All-Electronic Tolling) Congestion Pricing ETC Systems US Gov't Transportation FundingThese are just some of the toll industry developments TRN is following.
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