| Driving Revenue
| Technology Profile
by J J Eden
January/February 2020 Traffic Technology International
www.TrafficTechnologyToday.com
073
In almost any discussion
about the tolling industry,
one question persists:
with advances in technology, what does the
future of tolling look like? This topic is the
subject of endless debates among experts.
Throughout the history of toll roads
around the world, the model has remained
largely unchanged. Whenever a
transportation agency identifies the need
for a large infrastructure project, be it a
controlled-access highway, bridge or
tunnel, and traditional funding sources
are not enough, governments will often
turn to user fees (tolling) to deliver the
project in a timely manner. In most cases
bonds are secured by future toll revenues
and are issued to support construction of
the project and once the facility is opened
to traffic, tolls are collected to repay the
debt. The model is pretty straightforward,
and it works. But for all the benefits of
tolling such as accelerating project delivery,
introducing a true user-based fee, and
providing a sustainable source of revenue
for road maintenance, due to constraints,
like the cost of collecting a toll, this model
has been mostly limited to major urban
areas with large infrastructure projects.
As states and municipalities grapple with
the reality that traditional funding sources,
such as the ‘gas tax’ are dwindling, they are
increasingly looking towards alternative
methods to fund much needed and overdue
infrastructure repair and upgrades. Some
alternatives include concepts like road user
charging, sometimes referred to as vehicle
miles travelled, and congestion pricing, as
we are seeing in some larger cities like
London, Stockholm, and soon, New York
City. Although, for alternatives such as these
to be successful, there must be technology
in place to capture user information and
systems capable of managing large
numbers of accounts, while processing
large amounts of data, seamlessly. If this
sounds familiar, it is. The toll technology
revolution that began several decades ago
with the introduction of electronic toll
collection has positioned the tolling
industry to be at the forefront of the
impending revolution on how
infrastructure is funded into the future
on a much broader scale.
I am not saying that tolling, in the more
traditional sense, is going away any time
soon. In fact, I believe the opposite is true.
As the cost of tolling continues to decrease,
I think more states and municipalities will
look to leverage tolling as a means to
deliver critical infrastructure projects, and
even continue to expand its use as a means
of congestion management, but I do
believe the industry is standing at a
precipice. There is a tremendous
opportunity right now to be the leader in
the discussion on finding a sustainable
solution to fund ongoing infrastructure
needs, both at the federal and state levels.
But the industry must be open to change,
to expanding its vision; to partnering with
new industries and emerging technology
leaders. If not, someone else will ultimately
fill the void and today’s industry will be
relegated to the sidelines. What’s that
saying? Lead, follow, or get out of the way.
Join me, because now is the time to lead.
JJ Eden is executive director of North Carolina Turnpike
The tolling industry’s
time to lead is now
“I think more states and
municipalities will look
to leverage tolling as a
means to deliver critical
infrastructure projects”
21-24 APR 2020 AMSTERDAM
INTERCOMP Stand: 12.507
load scales, with digital signal
processing, solar battery
power maintenance, wireless
communication to a variety
of indicators, and a low scale
height. Integrating strain gauge
technology into a scale less than
1in (25mm) high, deploying the
scales can be done easily by a
single person, while driving
up on to the low-profile scales
is easier for the vehicle operator.
These portable scales can
be transported in the back of
a vehicle, deployed in less than
15 minutes, and weigh several
vehicles per minute. This
enables portable weigh stations
to be set up in various locations
for enforcement or screening
efforts, with high efficiency of
operations with quick vehicle
throughput minimizing traffic
disruptions.
Scale certification
Recognizing the need for
regional and international
certifications, Intercomp
continues to process products
for NTEP in North America
and OIML European and
International certifications.
Where certification to
performance standards is
required, Intercomp has a
variety of portable or in-ground
scales and sensors to rapidly
process vehicle weights.
| Free reader
inquiry service
Intercomp
To learn more about this advertiser, please
visit:www.magupdate.co.uk/ptti
/www.TrafficTechnologyToday.com
/ptti