TOLLROADSnews

Congestion charges good: PANYNJ

Port Authority officials think there is promise in variable toll rates as a traffic management tool. They began with differentiated toll rates by time of day March 25, 2001. Assessment has been complicated by the ructions of 9/11/01 and the lack of normal traffic patterns, but a paper prepared by assistant director Mark Muriello and planning manager Danny Jiji says that its "value pricing" has enhanced PANYNJ toll... MORE

A thousand km new pike in Texas

Texas DOT is looking at huge toll proposals for its "IH-35 High Priority Trans Texas Corridor" (35TTC). It involves 1,000km (600mi) of highway on new alignment north-south across the state from Denison at US-59 on the Oklahoma border to the Rio Grande River an the Meixcan border crossings at McAllen/Reynosa... MORE

UMN finds only best GPS will toll

Tests by engineers at the University of Minnesota suggest that only a presently expensive form of satellite based GPS called NDGPS is accurate enough for tolling. Only the highest quality in-vehicle receivers costing $3,000 apiece and improved digital maps will do the job... MORE

All Austrian motorways to toll trucks Jan 1, 2004

All 2,000km (1,200mi) of Austria's motorways are being wired for DSRC (shortrange electronic tolling), the immediate application of which is a nationwide toll system for trucks of over 3.5t (7700pd). Four hundred overhead gantries of equipment are going in for fire-up in the new year. It will be the first  national motorway system with full DSRC coverage. Only the old tollroads and toll tunnels retain conventional toll plazas. All the new tolling is with... MORE

Houston TX: toll increases for new pikes

Harris County Toll Road Authority (HCTRA) is raising tolls for cars 25c, Nov 1, potentially boosting revenues about 30%. At present 2-axle vehicles at mainline toll plazas in Houston TX pay $1.00 cash and 75c by transponder (EZ TAG). At ramp plazas tolls are currently 25c, 30c, 35, 50c, and 75c with the lower

DaimlerChrysler's big lie on ET

In its promotion of satellite based GPS/GSM style electronic tolling DaimlerChrysler has spread some serious misinformation about the limitations of short-range electronic tolling (ET). This misinformation has twisted the public debate and poisoned decisionmaking in Europe... The false implication is that DSRC doesn't work well at full highway speed. Or in the multi-lane open road environment. It works fine. MORE

German autobahns to toll 2003-11-02

The startup of Germany's ambitious system for tolling trucks on the 12,000km (7.5k mi) nationwide autobahn (motorway) system is now due for November 2. That is a two month delay. It follows complaints that not enough of the On-Board Units (OBUs) are available and many concerns about possible "chaos." The fears were stirred partly by rivals and opponents, but mostly by trucking companies and their trade... MORE

Business favors more tolls in Texas

A Governor's Business Council in Texas has produced a report which says that tolls have an important part to play in dealing with the state's road needs. (p47) The report "Texas' Roadways – Texas Future" is a substantial piece of research on scenarios for 25 years and policy options, having employed as consultants ...MORE

Anchorage Alaska gets toll authority

The state governor has signed a bill in Alaska forming a Knik Arm Bridge and Toll Authority (KABTA). The state is committing to $500k/year through 2009 to support... KABTA's job is to build and operate a $1.9 billion bridge an approach roads. MORE

Fluor proposal for Washington Beltway tolls

Fluor corporation's plan for Washington's Capital Beltway is proving irresistible to elected officials. It promises to provide 12-lanes and some key interchange rebuilds for $630m the costs being recouped from four toll express or HOT lanes in the center. Tolls would vary by time of day between $1.00 and $4.25...MORE