- Bay Area Motorists And Transit Patrons Share Benefits Of Toll-Funded Projects
- PTC And PennDOT Participate In Research On Drivers' Responses To Snow Squalls
- These are just some of the toll industry developments TRN is following.
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Bay Area Motorists And Transit Patrons Share Benefits Of Toll-Funded Projects
Toll rate increases on the seven state-owned bridges in the Bay Area are a popular topic of news and commentary this month. (You can skim through TRN’s coverage by entering the “Bay Area Toll Authority (San Francisco) (BATA)” content tag in the website search bar.
Last week, a Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) article recapped recent rate-setting and toll revenue spending. In addition to summarizing hundreds of millions of dollars of investment in bridge and highway work, the article reminded readers that the region’s voters approved certain increases expressly to provide funds for transit projects and services. While much of that work directly benefitted rail, bus, and ferry patrons, it also contributed to congestion relief for motorists. Project examples cited by MTC included “interchange improvements in Alameda, Contra Costa and Solano counties; an expanded Express Lane network; a direct freeway connector from northbound U.S. 101 in Marin County to the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge; upgrades to relieve congestion in the Dumbarton Bridge corridor; and improvements to state Route 37.”
Bay Area Toll Authority (San Francisco) (BATA) California Highway-Tunnel-Bridge Maintenance Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) San Francisco Bay Area (CA) Toll Rate Changes Transit and Toll RoadsPTC And PennDOT Participate In Research On Drivers' Responses To Snow Squalls
The Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission (PTC), PennDOT, and Pennsylvania’s emergency management agency are partnering with the National Weather Service and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to study how snow squalls affect driving. According to a PTC news release, “Due to their isolated and intense nature, snow squalls can catch drivers off guard and lead to major transportation impacts, including multi-vehicle crashes.”
A virtual reality snow squall simulator under development at Hofstra University will be employed in the research. The simulator will be used to evaluate drivers’ responses in a snow squall. The resulting data will be used by PTC and the other participating agencies to inform procedures for activating roadside electronic sign messaging, variable speed limits, and wireless emergency alerts. The news release includes information on PennDOT’s use of variable speed limit signs along I-80 and I-81 to improve traffic safety when adverse driving conditions are in effect.
Highway-Tunnel-Bridge Safety (Includes COVID-19 Impacts) Pennsylvania Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission (PTC) Transportation and Infrastructure Research & Development US Commerce Department US National Weather ServiceThese are just some of the toll industry developments TRN is following.
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