- Commentary: Eliminating Halifax Bridge Tolls Has Increased, Not Relieved, Congestion
- DRJTBC Extends Rate Increase Public Comment Period
- CFX And Florida Highway Patrol Recognized For Innovative Crash Clearance Pilot
- Bus Company Charged With Evading Nearly $300,000 In PANYNJ Tolls
- India Issues First Open-Road Toll System Contract Awards
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Commentary: Eliminating Halifax Bridge Tolls Has Increased, Not Relieved, Congestion
In an op-ed column, Deny Sullivan, a CSRB Group economist who conducts infrastructure investment analysis, calls the Nova Scotia government’s decision to eliminate Halifax Harbour Bridge tolls a “gimmick” that is already backfiring. When it was proposed, he advised against the move predicting it would lead to volume increases and frustrate two of the government’s main goals, reducing traffic and saving time for motorists. The reason, he writes, was “simple economics.”
“Tolls affect drivers’ choices, and we now know that traffic on the bridges has increased by 10 per cent since tolls were dropped,” Sullivan notes, citing data recently released by the provincial transport ministry. “With about 110,000 daily users, that means we put 10,000 more cars onto the bridges overnight.”
Mr. Sullivan argues that toll elimination is just one symptom of the conservative government’s “blind spot” on transportation. “Far from a sleepy city in a province managing decline, Halifax” — its population is nearly 500,000 — “is the focal point of a province that is growing rapidly. But the government doesn’t care to get serious on tackling congestion,” Sullivan maintains.
Source: The Chronicle Herald, TRN (10-8-25), TRN (10-30-24)
Canada Halifax (NS) Harbour Bridges Nova ScotiaDRJTBC Extends Rate Increase Public Comment Period
The Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission (DRJTBC) has lengthened the public comment period on its proposed 2026 toll rate increases by a week. In a Friday, October 10, news release, the agency stated it will extend its original feedback deadline to October 24. It did not specify the reason for the extension.
DRJTBC first announced the rate adjustment plan in July. The Friday news release has detailed information about the proposed increases. In addition, the commission has posted online a video presentation in which executive director Joe Resta addresses the rate hikes.
Source: DRJTBC news release
Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission (DRJTBC) New Jersey Pennsylvania Toll Rate ChangesCFX And Florida Highway Patrol Recognized For Innovative Crash Clearance Pilot
The Central Florida Expressway Authority (CFX) and the Florida Highway Patrol (FHP) have received a government productivity award for their innovative “Desk Trooper Program” pilot. According to CFX, the project “leverages secure, cloud-based technology that enables FHP troopers to remotely connect within minutes to those involved in a minor car crash and provide detailed crash assessments and documentation. The program enables FHP troopers to clear incidents more efficiently, reducing roadside risk and minimizing disruptions for motorists across CFX’s five-county system and statewide.” In the first year of its two-year trial, the program reduced the time it takes FHP to clear a single minor crash from hours to an average of 24 minutes. Since the beginning of the current fiscal year in July, nearly 30 percent of qualifying CFX crashes were cleared by Desk Trooper personnel.
CFX chief executive Michelle Maikisch commented that receiving the Government Productivity Award from Florida Tax Watch, a non-partisan public spending watchdog and research organization, “is a testament to our commitment to leveraging innovative technology and partnerships to enhance our world-class mobility network. With a busy holiday travel season right around the corner, the Desk Trooper pilot program ensures traffic on our system moves safely and efficiently.” FHP chief Colonel Gary Howze noted that the program “has received strong public support, significantly improved efficiency by reducing the need for traditional law enforcement responses and played a key role in preventing secondary crashes.”
Source: CFX news release, TRN
Central Florida Expressway Authority (CFX) Florida Highway-Tunnel-Bridge Safety (Includes COVID-19 Impacts) Industry Awards & Recognitions Information Technology Resources and Acquisitions Orange County FL Metro Area (Orlando)Bus Company Charged With Evading Nearly $300,000 In PANYNJ Tolls
On October 10, the New Jersey Attorney General announced that he has charged a Bayonne bus company, Best Big Bus, and its owner with theft for failing to pay $290,000 in tolls. According to charging documents, the defendants allegedly incurred nearly 7,000 Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (PANYNJ) tolls while operating a transportation service between Hudson County, New Jersey, and New York City over a five-year period that ended last month. The charges resulted from a joint investigation conducted by the New Jersey Division of Criminal Justice and PANYNJ police.
Source: Office of Attorney General news release, NJ.com
Crime Beat New Jersey Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (PANYNJ) ScofflawsIndia Issues First Open-Road Toll System Contract Awards
The Indian Highways Management Company Limited (IHMCL), an electronic toll system developer affiliated with the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), is now issuing tenders for the implementation of multi lane free-flow (MLFF) collection systems. NHAI plans to deploy systems at 25 national highway toll plazas within the fiscal year that ends on March 31, 2026, before proceeding with a nationwide installation program.
IHMCL is soliciting proposals from teams that are comprised of a financial entity and a toll system integrator. ICICI Bank, Airtel Payment Bank, JIO Payments (a digital payments platform developer), and IDFC First Bank are reportedly the leading financial institution competitors for the MLFF contracts.
According to JIO Payments’ parent company, five of the MLFF tenders have already been awarded, two of which JIO secured. The company manages collection at 11 existing toll plazas around India. With MLFF contracts in hand, JIO maintains it is “well-positioned to play a pivotal role in the country’s evolving infrastructure-linked digital payments landscape.”
Sources: The Economic Times (10-13-25), The Economic Times (10-12-25), TRN (9-2-25), TRN (8-5-25)
AET (All-Electronic Tolling) India National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) Open-Road Tolling Procurement of Tolling Equipment & ServicesSubscription Information
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