Daily News Briefs, March 26, 2020

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HCTRA Toll Collection Moratorium Will Continue Until April 29

Community Impact Newspaper reports, on Tuesday, the Harris County Commissioners Court voted 3-to-2 to suspend tolls on Harris County-operated highways through April 29. “Commissioners who supported the move said it was intended to provide economic relief to people who might be struggling with job loss or reduced wages in the wake of the coronavirus.” Addressing the financial impact of the moratorium, a county engineer reportedly told commissioners that as of Monday, the toll roads “were seeing about 60% of the revenue from a typical day.” Commissioners also voted to postpone expiration of “Stay Home, Work Safe,” their epidemic response declaration, from April 3 to April 29.

Harris County Toll Road Authority (HCTRA) Highway and Bridge Safety (Including COVID-19 Impacts) Houston Metro Area Texas

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Maryland Expedites Bay Bridge Redecking Project

WBAL (scroll down to “MDTA Expedites Work . . .”) reports, the Maryland Transportation Authority is implementing new measures to expedite the redecking of the westbound span of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge. Among other things, contractors have blocked the span’s entire right lane to allow crews to work 24 hours a day milling the road surface and pouring concrete. MDTA has authorized the narrowing of the span’s left lanes from 13 to 11 feet.

Maryland Maryland Transportation Authority (MDTA)

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INRIX Holds Traffic Data Webinar Today

INRIX is inviting registrations for an afternoon webinar that promises to provide insight on traffic changes that can be expected to result from the COVID-19 pandemic response. The discussion will focus on the first in a series of National Traffic Volume Synopses that INRIX proposes to issue on Mondays.

Highway and Bridge Safety (Including COVID-19 Impacts) INRIX Traffic Economics

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NJ Transportation Chief Discusses Turnpike's Proposed Capital Plan and Toll Increase

The Record (subscription required) gets an “exclusive” interview with New Jersey transportation commissioner Diane Gutierrez-Scaccetti on the subject of the state turnpike authority’s proposed $24 billion capital plan and toll rate increases.

Highway and Bridge Maintenance New Jersey New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) New Jersey Turnpike Authority (NJTA)

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New Estimates Suggest COVID-19 Might Cost MTA $6.5 Billion

Newsday reports, “The devastating financial toll of the coronavirus on public transportation — including a 90% drop in Long Island Rail Road riders — could cost the already struggling MTA as much as $6.5 billion over a year,” according to a report delivered by chairman Patrick Foye during yesterday’s “virtual” monthly meeting of the MTA board. After noting that Congress’ coronavirus bailout package would include $4 billion in aid for the authority, Foye “signaled that the financial hole caused by the COVID-19 outbreak could be far bigger than originally thought and is deepening by the day.”

Company and Agency Financial Issues And Reports Highway and Bridge Safety (Including COVID-19 Impacts) Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) New York New York City

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Epidemic Brings Toll Collection to a Complete Stop in India

The Times of India reports, India’s transport minister announced that he has temporarily suspended toll collection throughout the country “to reduce inconvenience to the supply of emergency services in the wake of the deadly novel coronavirus outbreak.”

Highway and Bridge Safety (Including COVID-19 Impacts) India

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

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