The Atlantic City Expressway looks likely to become New Jersey's first all-electronic or cashless tollroad, but contrary to local news reports it's not yet a done deal. The Press of Atlantic City newspaper reported bluntly this week: "Paper and coin will be monetary history on the Atlantic City Expressway by the end of 2010. Expressway operators said Tuesday that's when they expect to implement their plan to make the toll road cash-free."
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The Illinois Tollway board voted today to implement the Governor Blagojevich's Congestion Relief Program, Phase Two which includes difficult "Green Lanes." The plan was announced by the Governor's office last month without any known feasibility study, and the Tollway has now taken on the job of making it work.
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Ohio Turnpike Commission's board has approved public hearings on new toll rates to take effect the fourth quarter of 2009 when electronic tolling is due to begin. The proposal also involves a second round of increases Jan 1, 2012. In late 2009 the Commission will keep current toll rates for cars using transponders, but hike the cash toll rates substantially - for cars by 48%.
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Environmentalists have run up the white flag and agreed to end obstructionist efforts against the Inter County Connector (ICC) tollroad in Montgomery County Maryland, 15 miles (25km) north of the White House. 663 words  read more »

A little history is prompted by this nice picture of "a bridge on the Delaware River" we found on the web by a local photographer. It is confirmed by the Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission as their Washington Crossing Bridge 8 miles (13km) upstream of Trenton. 1089 words  read more »

An elaborate modeling of housing prices and traffic congestion in cities across the US concludes that financing roads with comprehensive congestion priced tolls rather than taxes rather would provide major benefits in reducing housing prices and sub-optimal densities - 'sprawl' - as well as reducing the familiar delays and uncertain travel times. 571 words  read more »

In a bold move to put the Massachusetts Turnpike on a sounder financial footing the board today voted 4 to 1 for big toll increases. They are designed to increase revenues of the metropolitan Boston section (Turnpike Metro) by around 50% or from around $175m/year to $265m, officials said. Some toll rates are doubled.  read more »

Macquarie's diverse tollroad holdings and their quarterly reporting provide a convenient sampling of toll traffic trends to start with. September quarter (Q3) data they've just released show the biggest decline in the commuter-heavy barrier section of the Indiana Toll Road with average daily transactions 81k 2008Q3 (third quarter) vs 105k 2007Q3 or a drop of 23%. 1262 words  read more »

After weeks of leaks, Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick has publicly put his case for abolition of the Massachusetts Turnpike Authority (MTA). Published in the Boston Globe (op-ed page Nov 13) the Governor says previous administrations saddled the Turnpike with unsupportable debt, handed out jobs based on patronage, diverted capital funds for current salaries, and left no viable plan for the future.
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Governor Deval Patrick is proposing to abolish the Massachusetts Turnpike Authority - handing over the Metropolitan section to Massachusetts Port Authority (Mass Port) and to de-toll the rural section of the Turnpike west of the MA128 (I-95) circumferential road toward the western outskirts of the Boston metro area. He'd add tolls at the New York state line at the far western end of the Turnpike where it connects to the New York State Thruway.
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The great global financial fiasco has its fun side. Mrs Fang He, apparently an emigrant Chinese woman filed with the Australian Stock Exchange November 5 that she had become, under the rules of trading, a "substantial holder" of stock in BrisConnections, a recently formed toll concession in Brisbane, Australia's third city. She bought 32.3 million shares ('units' there) or 8.6% of the equity of BrisConnections.
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New tolls in New York City are in play again, this time to raise money to support the MTA's subways and buses. Governor Paterson is due to get the report of a Commission on MTA Financing headed by transit veteran Richard Ravitch December 5, and it considered likely to recommend heavy reliance on new tolls raise extra revenue. (Artwork by Bascove)
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Kris Kolluri, the departing chairman of the New Jersey Turnpike is reported as saying Governor Corzine is hot for a start on the big Turnpike widening project. NJBIZ this afternoon quotes Kolluri as saying: "Governor Corzine told me he wants the Turnpike and Garden State Parkway with shovels in the ground by January. But I said to him, 'Give me time until March and April.' "
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Fitch Ratings after a review of the New Jersey Turnpike have reaffirmed the 'A' rating for the big toller's revenue bonds, and say its overall outlook rating is Stable, a change from the Negative outlook they had before the recent toll increase. 438 words  read more »

Singapore's Land Transport Authority (LTA) which runs an extensive electronic toll system in the island state is offering the option of cardfree tolling for the first time November 5. 1258 words  read more »

Democrat leaders in the Congress James Oberstar and Peter DeFazio write today that the financial markets crisis has heightened their concern over public private partnerships (P3s) and innovative finance, especially what they call "the lack of adequate transparency and public interest protections under these deals."
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Garden State Parkway toll tokens will cease to be accepted in payment of tolls in the new year, signaling the end of an era for an early mode of automatic toll payment. The tokens were last sold Jan 1 2002 but motorists hoarded so many - an estimated 50 million -  they continue to be used in small numbers in the Parkway's automatic coin machines.  Sold in rolls of 30 for $10 vs $10.50 for the same number of cash tolls they have offered a 4.8% discount over coins since 1989. 1297 words  read more »

Dave Aronberg, a Democrat state senator and minority whip seems to be "doing a Carona" - flipping from support of privatization when it isn't controversial to strongly opposing it once a particular project attracts criticism. Aronberg is introducing two bills in the state senate:

- to impose a two year moratorium on signing toll concession/lease agreements on existing facilities
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The Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority (MWAA) said today it had taken over "daily operation, maintenance and control" of the Dulles Toll Road (DTR) effective Nov 1. Virginia DOT will continue to operate and maintain the tollroad as a contractor to MWAA for about 18 months, MWAA said.
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Here's the silver lining to the great financial crisis - prices of oil and oil products are on the way down. With a double benefit to tollers - more customers and more asphalt for the maintenance or capital dollar. Customers are now seeing gasoline prices of $2.00/gallon vs $4.00 just a  few months ago. And with something of a lag asphalt prices are dropping too.
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