- Washington State Commission Approved Tolling Expansion Despite Negative Public Feedback
- Ohio Turnpike Highlights IBTTA Safety Campaign During Customer Event
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Washington State Commission Approved Tolling Expansion Despite Negative Public Feedback
When the Washington State Transportation Commission (WSTC) voted earlier this week to approve toll rates and policies for forthcoming SR 509 and SR 167 expressways, it did so over public objections to tolling. No one took the opportunity to comment on the issue during a hearing that directly preceded the June 17 vote. However, commission staff received a considerable amount of feedback through a spring online open house and virtual public meeting. “[T]he overall theme of those 1,600 comments included ‘general opposition to the use of tolls’ and ‘sentiment that proposed toll rates are too high,’” according to a summary presented to commissioners. Comment was favorable to imposing higher rates on vehicles with three or more axles than on passenger vehicles.
Sources: The Center Square (Washington State), WSTC Staff Presentations, TRN
AET (All-Electronic Tolling) ETC Systems Public Outreach And Communication Seattle Metro Area Washington State Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT)Ohio Turnpike Highlights IBTTA Safety Campaign During Customer Event
At its second customer appreciation event of the summer, held Wednesday, June 18, at the Vermilion Valley Service Plaza, the Ohio Turnpike and Infrastructure Commission (OTIC) highlighted the theme of IBTTA’s 2025 road safety week campaign, “Be Safe Together: Be the Highway Hero.” Charles Cyrill, OTIC director of marketing and communications, said the campaign’s goal to put safety on top of travelers’ minds fits with one of the primary purposes of the turnpike events. They give the commission and partners such as the state highway patrol and local non-profits a forum for promoting safe driving and travel practices. Another benefit of the events is the opportunity they create for friendly interaction between staff and customers. “It’s really nice to see the faces of the people we talk to on the phone every day,” commented an OTIC customer service representative who participated in Wednesday’s event.
Sources: The Morning Journal, OTIC
Highway-Tunnel-Bridge Safety (Includes COVID-19 Impacts) IBTTA Ohio Ohio Turnpike and Infrastructure Commission Public Outreach And CommunicationSubscription Information
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