Daily News Briefs, November 15, 2022

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Kapsch Tests Sophisticated Passenger Car Charging System In Norway

Kapsch TrafficCom announced the successful completion of a sophisticated tolling pilot project in partnership with Aventi Intelligent Communication AS and Norwegian authorities. The pilot, conducted over the summer, tested technology capable of assessing toll fees based on vehicle type, emissions class and distance driven. Kapsch noted, “While this type of charging is already established for trucks, the tested system could for the first time offer a practicable and user-friendly instrument for passenger cars as well.” According to the firm’s CTO, Alfredo Escriba, “In total, more than two million kilometers of trips . . . were analyzed. The system was able to handle the challenging environments of the Norwegian road network, matching routes and calculating rates with an accuracy level  above 99%.” The project furthered Norway’s effort to replace fuel taxation, which is producing diminishing returns with so many of the country’s drivers switching to electric vehicles.

ETC Systems Kapsch Norway Road Use Charging (RUC-MBUF-VMT)

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THEA Concludes Multiyear Demonstration Of CV Technology's Safety Potential

The Tampa Hillsborough Expressway Authority (THEA) (scroll down to “Media Alerts”) announced the conclusion of its innovative seven-year pilot program testing full-scale operation of connected vehicle devices on Tampa roadways, including the Selmon Expressway. The program started in 2015 when USDOT designated THEA as one of three agencies to deploy and test connected vehicle devices installed on transportation infrastructure and in transit vehicles and the private vehicles of 1,100 volunteers. Initial successes led USDOT to authorize a final phase of testing in which THEA collaborated with vehicle manufacturers Honda, Hyundai and Toyota. The $27 million pilot was the only one in the country to implement real-time, vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I) and vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communications and to produce real-time data. THEA notes that its tests yielded “a massive amount of open shared data that can be used to help spur private/public collaborations, eventually resulting in better driving conditions.”

More information about the pilot program and its results is available on a THEA website.

Florida Highway and Bridge Safety (Including COVID-19 Impacts) Tampa Bay-Hillsborough County FL Metro Area Tampa Hillsborough Expressway Authority (THEA) Transportation and Infrastructure Research & Development US Department of Transportation (USDOT) V2X and V2V Technology

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Biden Administration Says 2023 IIJA Spending Will Equal Or Exceed 2022's Level

Reuters reports, today is the first anniversary of President Biden’s approval of the landmark Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA). The White House announced that $185 billion of the nearly $1 trillion in funding authorized under the law has already been released, and the administration will authorize spending the same amount or more in 2023. National Economic Council Director Brian Deese said a trio of administration-backed funding laws including IIJA will generate approximately $3.5 trillion in investment over the next decade, and he dismissed concerns that the spending will fuel inflation.

The White House issued a detailed fact sheet on spending over the past year, much of which was dedicated to improving the nation’s transportation networks and systems. The document also touts administration policies and programs aimed at guiding state and local implementation of IIJA.

Infrastructure Investment Trends US Department of Transportation (USDOT) US Gov't Transportation Funding US Infrastructure Funding And Financing Initiatives

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Kansas Turnpike Completes Lyon County Bridge Raisings

The Emporia Gazette reports on the completion of the Kansas Turnpike Authority’s latest bridge elevation project. “Construction crews raised the height of the [Road K] bridge over the last two months, as part of a project to add a few extra feet throughout the turnpike for larger trucks. . . . The work about four miles north of the Emporia interchange should conclude the lifting of all bridges along the turnpike in Lyon County. Crews are lifting about 50 bridges throughout the turnpike.”

Highway and Bridge Maintenance Highway and Bridge Safety (Including COVID-19 Impacts) Kansas Kansas Turnpike Authority (KTA)

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

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