- Full Cost of Paying Off Texas Toll Debt Is $36.7 Billion, TxDOT Reports
- Bridge of the Gods Operator Explores ETC Options
- County Officials Are Skeptical of FTE's Idea for Reviving the $1.5 Billion Central Polk Parkway Project
- CFX Plans an Advance Refunding of $425 Million in Bonds
- OCX Official Calls Toll Road Development Agreement with CFX a "Win for Everyone"
- Ottawa City Council Wants an Environmental Study of Toll Tunnel Proposal
- Canada Opens Its First HOT Test
- SC I-526 Extension Won't Be a Toll Road
- Governor Hogan Announces Appointment to MD Transportation Authority Board
- Bridgegate Jury Selected
- NY Newspaper Looks at MA Turnpike's Proposed Discount for Customers with MA E-ZPass Accounts
- MetroWest Legislators Object to Proposed MA Turnpike Toll Rates
- NET RMA Is Considering Additional Toll 49 Safety Measures
- VINCI Acquires a Stake in ETC Systems Developer TollPlus
- RITBA Begins Mount Hope Bridge Improvement Project
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Full Cost of Paying Off Texas Toll Debt Is $36.7 Billion, TxDOT Reports
The Texas Tribune reports, “Paying off most of the debt Texas has racked up building toll roads would cost about $36.7 billion, a final report from the Texas Department of Transportation revealed, a tall order for state lawmakers who would like to wean the state off tolled highways.” The new estimate is significantly higher than a preliminary estimate TxDOT shared with legislators earlier this year. The report triggered a vigorous discussion of tolling and its alternatives during a September 14 meeting of the Senate Transportation Committee, the newspaper notes.
Texas Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT)Bridge of the Gods Operator Explores ETC Options
Hood River News reports, “Traffic surged this year at Bridge of the Gods, prompting the Port of Cascade Locks [Oregon] to hone in its pursuit of an automated toll system. The Port’s engineer, HDR Inc., is looking into options for putting in new electric tolling technology at the bridge, cooperating with the Port of Hood River as they push their technology forward.” [Links added.] The newspaper adds, “HDR is working on a task order for the Cascade Locks Port dealing with applications for the project. The Port expects a review concept on the plan by December.”
Port of Cascade Locks (OR) (Bridge of the Gods) Port of Hood River (Oregon)County Officials Are Skeptical of FTE's Idea for Reviving the $1.5 Billion Central Polk Parkway Project
The Ledger reports that Polk County officials reacted coolly to an idea floated by Florida’s Turnpike Enterprise that the county make an open-ended commitment of funds to the stalled Central Polk Parkway project. Although county commissioners support the parkway proposal — they actually authorized the formation of a Polk County Expressway Authority in hopes of advancing it — they were not receptive when presented with FTE’s suggestion that the new authority step aside and let the state build the 50-mile tollway with county financial assistance.
Florida's Turnpike Enterprise (FTE)CFX Plans an Advance Refunding of $425 Million in Bonds
The Bond Buyer (subscription required) reports under the headline, “Market Metrics Fuel Florida Toll Road Refunding,” that the Central Florida Expressway Authority plans a $425 million advance refunding “spurred by continued low interest rates in the bond market and reduced negative arbitrage.”
Bond Buyer is out with another article (subscription required) stating that, “As traffic congestion increased, more and more motorists see tolls and mileage charges as funding solutions.”
Central Florida Expressway Authority (CFX)OCX Official Calls Toll Road Development Agreement with CFX a "Win for Everyone"
Osceola News-Gazette has more on the agreement that the Central Florida Expressway Authority (CFX) will “take the lead” in the planning and design of new toll roads for the Osceola County Expressway Authority (OCX). The newspaper reports that “OCX Chairman Atlee Mercer — who will see his board eventually be absorbed into CFX if everything goes as planned — said it’s a goodwill arrangement that is ‘a win for everyone. It’s an agreement written to make sure it serves the future transportation needs of us and the entire county. The goal is to have all of these roads part of CFX. It’s in their best interests to do so, because they want to have positive cash flow and our roads will help get them there.’”
Central Florida Expressway Authority (CFX) Osceola County Expressway AuthorityOttawa City Council Wants an Environmental Study of Toll Tunnel Proposal
CBC News Ottawa reports that the city council directed the mayor to approach provincial officials for financial assistance in obtaining an environmental assessment of a proposal to construct a vehicle tunnel through the core of the city’s downtown area. The council specifically requested “that the scope of any environmental assessment for the tunnel explore the possibility of making the tunnel a toll road.”
Canada OntarioCanada Opens Its First HOT Test
GlobalNews.ca reports on the launch of the Ontario provincial government’s high-occupancy toll (HOT) lanes pilot project. Starting today, the current high-occupancy vehicle (HOV) lanes on a segment of the Queen Elizabeth Way in metro Toronto will be open to as many as 1,000 solo drivers with a permit to participate in the pilot program, Canada’s first HOT test.
Click here to read an Ontario Ministry of Transportation news release announcing the opening.
Canada OntarioSC I-526 Extension Won't Be a Toll Road
The Post and Courier reports, “If Interstate 526 ever is completed it won’t be as a toll road.” Several Charleston city and county officials told a September 14 press conference that they now have a plan to build the interstate extension in phases. “The officials said building the project as a toll road is not an option because that financing mechanism would require starting over the lengthy federal approval process.” The next step for highway extension advocates is to present their plan to the South Carolina Transportation Bank, which controls $420 million set aside for the stalled project.
South CarolinaGovernor Hogan Announces Appointment to MD Transportation Authority Board
The Baltimore Sun reports that Kathy Bays Armstrong, a Howard County financial consultant, is Governor Larry Hogan’s latest appointee to the Maryland Transportation Authority governing board. Armstrong is a certified financial planner and former vice president of investment and wealth management for a bank.
Maryland Transportation Authority (MDTA)Bridgegate Jury Selected
NJ.com reports, “Seven women and five men will decide the fate of Bridget Anne Kelly and Bill Baroni,” in the federal criminal trial related to the George Washington Bridge lane closures fiasco. According to NJ.com, the jurors include “a retired high school guidance counselor, a food blogger, an out-of-work chef, and a database coordinator. Young and old, some were retired. Others between jobs.” The trial’s opening statements are scheduled for Monday, September 19.
Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (PANYNJ)NY Newspaper Looks at MA Turnpike's Proposed Discount for Customers with MA E-ZPass Accounts
Times-Union (Albany, NY) catches up on the Massachusetts Turnpike’s AET conversion and the effect of a proposed discount for E-ZPass customers with a Massachusetts E-ZPass account. P.J. Wilkins, executive director of the E-ZPass Group, tells the newspaper discount offers are not unusual, and, “We don’t have a policy on how states or agencies run their discount plans.” The newspaper notes that “[n]ationwide, nearly 80 percent of motorists using toll roads and bridges have E-ZPass tags.”
AET (All-Electronic Tolling) Massachusetts TurnpikeMetroWest Legislators Object to Proposed MA Turnpike Toll Rates
The MetroWest Daily News reports that “MetroWest legislators slammed proposals to raise local toll rates under the state’s new All Electronic Tolling System on the Mass. Pike, advocating for more equity on roads across the state” during a September 13 public meeting. Senator Karen Spilka (D-Ashland) specifically challenged MassDOT’s contention that the toll rate changes are revenue neutral, arguing that MetroWest residents have long paid disproportionately to use the turnpike while other major state roads are not tolled at all. Spilka told MassDOT officials hosting the meeting, “I believe the state’s roadways exist for the benefit of all our citizens, and for far too long the responsibility to pay for them has not been shared equally.”
AET (All-Electronic Tolling) Massachusetts TurnpikeNET RMA Is Considering Additional Toll 49 Safety Measures
KLTV News reports that the North East Texas Regional Mobility Authority (NET RMA) board is considering making additional safety upgrades to a segment of Toll 49 in Smith County. After the public commented on an initial safety work plan, the NET RMA staff presented the board with a proposal to install either a barrier or a “flush median” between the highway’s traffic lanes.
NET RMA TexasVINCI Acquires a Stake in ETC Systems Developer TollPlus
VINCI, the global toll roads concession and construction company based in Paris, announced that it has taken an unspecified “strategic stake” in TollPlus, the Phoenix-based developer of electronic toll collection systems, through its VINCI Highways subsidiary. In its news release, VINCI said the acquisition is intended to “strengthening its positions in the ETC market, set to grow sharply in the USA, Latin America, Europe and Asia,” and support TollPlus growth. Cofiroute USA, VINCI Highways’ American subsidiary, and TollPlus have developed a relationship working on ETC back-office services projects.
Mergers and AcquisitionsRITBA Begins Mount Hope Bridge Improvement Project
Providence Journal looks at the start of a ten-year, $50 million RITBA project to extend the life of the 87-year-old Mount Hope suspension bridge. The bridge upgrades are part of the authority’s Ten-Year Renewal and Replacement Plan.
Rhode Island Turnpike and Bridge Authority (RITBA)