- MTA Hearings On Congestion Pricing Rates And Policies Start Next Week
- Proposed Maine Turnpike Project Could Require Taking Part Of 300-Year-Old Family Farm
- The Current Status And Realistic Potential Of Wireless Electric Vehicle Charging
- TRB Webinar Will Explore Transportation Agency Adaptation To New "Disruptive" Technologies
- These are just some of the toll industry developments TRN is following.
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MTA Hearings On Congestion Pricing Rates And Policies Start Next Week
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) has four upcoming hybrid public hearings on its proposed Manhattan congestion pricing plan, Queens Chronicle reports. Hearing attendance will be accommodated in-person in Manhattan, or by video or telephone. “The hearings are 6 to 10 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 29; 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Friday, March 1; and both 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 6 to 10 p.m. on Monday, March 4.” (See the article for details on how to register to speak at a hearing and how to submit comments, which will be accepted through March 11.) The hearings also will be livestreamed on the agency’s YouTube channel and on the toll program website. The article notes that proposed toll rates range from $15 to $36 depending on vehicle size, with overnight discounts and some other variations applicable. It concludes with a summary of pending litigation that could delay the expected start of tolling, most recently stated as mid-June.
AET (All-Electronic Tolling) Congestion Pricing ETC Systems Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) New Jersey New York New York City Public Outreach And CommunicationProposed Maine Turnpike Project Could Require Taking Part Of 300-Year-Old Family Farm
News Center Maine reports, the 4.5-mile Gorham Connector proposed by the Maine Turnpike Authority (MTA) to streamline commute traffic in and out of Portland would claim 45 acres of the 550-acre Smiling Hill Farm, a family-run 300-year old dairy operation outside the city. Farm co-owner Michael Knight said there’s no way to replace the productivity of hay fields that would be lost to the tollway. He’s also concerned that area development will create a demand for more of the farm’s acreage, frustrating his hope of passing the holding down to the fourteenth generation. MTA executive director Peter Mills said about 35 percent of the linear distance needed for the project is already secured, and the agency is in talks with Knight. “The Turnpike Authority rarely uses eminent domain because they usually come to an agreement with land owners, according to Mills.”
Maine Maine Turnpike AuthorityThe Current Status And Realistic Potential Of Wireless Electric Vehicle Charging
BNN Bloomberg delves into the topic of inductive (or wireless) EV charging, reporting on the promise of a future in which “plug-in cars may no longer need a plug,” but can “pull into a specialized parking space when it’s time to power up.” The article focuses on the significant technological, financial and marketing challenges that must be overcome before drivers will be able to bypass charging stations. However, it also spotlights some current US implementations — mostly by transit agencies and entrepreneurial partners — while acknowledging that most are still in the pilot phase. One encouraging sign for the technology’s advocates is Tesla’s recent announcement it is developing a form of the technology based on its potential to become a standard charging method for passenger car owners. Bloomberg notes, “Powering up an EV on a pad isn’t charging’s final frontier, either. The [standards organization SAE International] plans to update its light-duty vehicle standard to include bidirectional charging, which lets a car supply power back to the grid. . . . The SAE is also developing technical guidelines for what’s known as ‘dynamic inductive charging’ — i.e. charging without a plug when a vehicle is in motion.”
Electreon Electric and Hybrid Vehicles Service Plazas Tesla, Inc. Transportation and Infrastructure Research & Development US Infrastructure Funding And Financing InitiativesTRB Webinar Will Explore Transportation Agency Adaptation To New "Disruptive" Technologies
The Transportation Research Board (TRB) will host a February 26 afternoon webinar on the advent of “new and potentially disruptive technologies in the transportation sector,” including modes of transportation, as well as data and communication tools. “With rapid technological innovation and deployment, state departments of transportation (DOTs) and other transportation planning agencies need a clear framework to find opportunities to enhance agency performance,” according to the event announcement. The webinar is based on National Cooperative Highway Research Program 1075, “Becoming a Tech-Savvy DOT of Tomorrow.”
Information Technology Resources and Acquisitions Intelligent Traffic Management Systems Intelligent Transportation Systems Transportation and Infrastructure Research & Development Transportation Research Board Transportation Systems Management and Operations (TSMO)These are just some of the toll industry developments TRN is following.
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