- California Lawmakers Approve Bill Extending Road Charge Pilot Program
- Louisiana Transportation Secretary Says Hurricane Ida Delivered A Wake-Up Call
- Five Toll Agencies And A Tech Firm Receive IBTTA Awards
- These are just some of the toll industry developments TRN is following.
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California Lawmakers Approve Bill Extending Road Charge Pilot Program
California State Senator Scott Weiner (D-11) announced that the passage of legislation he introduced to extend the sunset date for the California Road Charge Pilot Program to January 1, 2027. The bill (SB 339) also requires CalSTA, the state transportation agency, to implement a voluntary RUC pilot program “to identify and evaluate issues” by January 1, 2023. Weiner stated, “It is imperative that we continue collecting data on road charges as more electric vehicles hit the road each day. We must prioritize new funding programs for transportation infrastructure, especially public transit. . . .”
According to the California Legislative Information website, the bill was enrolled and presented to the governor yesterday, September 9.
California Caltrans (CA Department of Transportation) Road Use Charging (RUC-MBUF-VMT) Transportation and Infrastructure Research & DevelopmentLouisiana Transportation Secretary Says Hurricane Ida Delivered A Wake-Up Call
KATC reports on Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development (DOTD) Secretary Shawn Wilson’s assessment of the infrastructure damage he’s seen on his rounds of the state following Hurricane Ida. He remarked that one of the worst impacts was “LA-1 at ground level, you can see straight through the burrito levee out to the Gulf of Mexico at eye level.” Dr. Wilson called Ida a wake-up call from which his state and the entire country should take lessons. “The issue is are we going to do something about [infrastructure resilience] or are we going to just consider ourselves lucky and live to fight again another year from now. I don’t think that’s the right thing. When you know better, you do better.”
The Federal Highway Administration this week made $5 million in “quick release” Emergency Relief Program funds available to DOTD to help fund repairs to federal-aid highways and bridges damaged by Ida. FHWA stated that the money will pay for stabilizing impacted roadway embankments, repairing and rebuilding damaged facilities, bridge scour work, and sign replacement.
Climate Change & Infrastructure Resilience Highway and Bridge Maintenance Highway and Bridge Safety (Including COVID-19 Impacts) Louisiana Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development (DOTD) US Department of Transportation (USDOT) US Gov't Transportation Funding US Infrastructure Funding And Financing InitiativesFive Toll Agencies And A Tech Firm Receive IBTTA Awards
IBTTA yesterday announced the recipients of its 2021 Toll Excellence Awards:
- Oklahoma Turnpike Authority (Technology Category): OTA was recognized for fiber optic network development work related to the authority’s multiyear expansion program.
- Ohio Turnpike and Infrastructure Commission (Administration and Finance Category): OTIC was recognized for the methods it used to manage and monitor execution of its long-range strategy.
- Metropolitan Transportation Authority Bridges and Tunnels (Customer Service and Marketing Outreach Category): MTA received this award for developing the Tolls NY smartphone application in conjunction with the NY Thruway Authority, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (PANYNJ), and Conduent Transportation. The app expands self-service options for motorists who incur tolls on the three systems.
- Elizabeth River Crossings Opco, LLC (Social Responsibility Category): ERC was recognized for its corporate citizenship program, Connecting Communities, which aims to improve health, education and the environment in Virginia’s Hampton Roads region.
- Tampa Hillsborough Expressway Authority (Toll Operations, Maintenance and Engineering Category): THEA was recognized for its design and execution of the $230 million Selmon West Extension construction project.
- Carma Technology Corporation (Private Sector Innovation Category): The award recognized the firm’s development of the GoCarma smartphone app, which streamlines and simplifies the process of qualifying TEXpress managed lanes users to receive the Dallas-Fort Worth network’s high-occupancy-vehicle toll discount.
These are just some of the toll industry developments TRN is following.
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