The International Bridge, Tunnel and Turnpike Association (IBTTA) is the worldwide alliance of toll operators and associated industries that provides a forum for sharing knowledge and ideas to promote and enhance toll-financed transportation services.
News Roundup
November 10, 2004
| State News |
California A federal Department of Transportation grant will help pay for preliminary engineering studies for a planned 14-mile high-occupancy toll lane for Interstate 680 between Sunol and Milpitas. Officials at the Alameda County Congestion Management Agency learned this week of the $714,000 grant. The agency's executive director, Dennis Fay, said it is a key component to getting the "HOT" lane up and running, if all goes well, by spring 2008. Other components, Fay said, are last month's signing of Assembly Bill 2032, which authorizes Alameda and Santa Clara counties to pursue such pay lanes; and Alameda County Measure B half-cent-tax transportation funding. "These three things together are what basically is the green light for the project, to speak in traffic terms," said Fay, who was told of the grant by three different area legislators — U.S. Reps. Richard Pombo, R-Tracy; and Democrats Pete Stark, of Fremont, and Mike Honda, of Campbell. All three have supported the HOT lane concept as one solution to freeway congestion. Contra Costa Times (subscription) - Contra Costa County, CA, USA – http://www.contracostatimes.com/mld/cctimes/news/transportation/10045465.htm?1c The chance to save a buck to cross the Bay Area's state-owned bridges persuaded tens of thousands of motorists to sign up for FasTrak, Caltrans' electronic toll collection system, in the last four months. But come Monday, the discount ends. About 70,000 motorists have signed up for FasTrak since July 1, when the toll on seven state-owned bridges rose from $2 to $3. Buy into FasTrak and cross the bridges for $2, drivers were told. But at the end of this weekend, the discount disappears along with the jack-o'-lanterns, goblins and daylight- saving time. Everyone will pay $3 — whether they're stopping at the toll booths and handing over cash or rolling past the booths and having the FasTrak system electronically snatch their three bucks from a prepaid account. The discount was implemented by the Metropolitan Transportation Commission, which earlier this year took over operation of the Bay Area FasTrak system. The goal was to spark interest in the electronic toll collection system, which lagged behind the Golden Gate Bridge's program and similar systems across the country in terms of the percentage of drivers paying tolls electronically. San Francisco Chronicle - San Francisco, CA, USA – http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2004/ Highway tolls are making a comeback. With commutes getting longer and lawmakers reluctant to raise gas taxes, more states are turning to tolls not only to pay for new roads but also to maintain existing ones. And Congress could soon make it easier by relaxing a decades-old law that restricts tolling on interstates. "Even states that have never had tolls are looking at toll roads and states that do have them want to expand them," said Jack Finn, national toll services director for The HNTB Companies, which advises states on transportation planning. "This latest movement is the biggest concentrated interest in toll roads since the 1950s." Desert Sun, Palm Springs, California - http://www.thedesertsun.com/news/stories2004/ Florida Work is still a few years away, but that didn't stop about 100 people who live along Florida's Turnpike in South Broward from attending a meeting last week to learn about expansion plans for the highway. The turnpike will be widened from six lanes to eight from Griffin Road south to the Homestead Extension near Pro Player Stadium. Work is expected to start in 2007. The project will coincide with renovation of the Hollywood turnpike interchange, which calls for smoother access onto the highway and less congestion at the turnpike exit. Noise studies are underway that eventually will determine whether barriers will be erected to block noise from the turnpike to nearby homes. Miami Herald (subscription) - Miami, FL, USA - http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/ Gary Phillips sat next to a box of fried chicken along the Sanibel Causeway, resting in the shade and enjoying his midday meal. A Pennsylvania resident on vacation in Orlando, Phillips brought his girlfriend to Sanibel to partake in the island's famous shelling. Lee County's decision to double the causeway toll won't keep him from collecting shells on the island in the future, he said Monday. "It really doesn't bother me. I don't mind paying it, but I guess I should have come yesterday," Phillips joked. "I don't think it's going to bother tourists, but I could see where it would be a problem for locals." The toll to cross the Sanibel Causeway doubled as of Monday, from $3 to $6. Lee County officials say the drastic increase is needed to pay for improvements and stabilization work on the three spans of the ailing structure. Both county government and the city of Sanibel have filed lawsuits against each other over the funding, repair and maintenance of the 44-year-old causeway. Bonita Daily News - Naples, FL, USA - http://www.naplesnews.com/npdn/bonitanews/article/0,2071,NPDN_14894_3297882,00.html Fitch Ratings assigns an 'AA-' rating to the approximately $270.3 million State of Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) turnpike revenue bonds, series 2004A. Fitch affirms its 'AA-' rating on $2.1 billion in outstanding turnpike revenue and revenue refunding bonds. The Rating Outlook is Stable. Business Wire (press release) - San Francisco, CA, USA - http://home.businesswire.com/portal/site/google/ There is talk of turning part of J. Turner Butler Boulevard into a toll road. The First Coast Metropolitan Planning Organization endorsed a plan to add two limited-access "express lanes" to JTB. Drivers wanting to avoid traffic by using these lanes to go between Interstate 95 and the beach would pay a fee of perhaps $1 or more. The money would go to pay road construction costs. This recommendation is just the first step in a long process of deciding how to pay for new road construction. News4Jax.com - Jacksonville, FL, USA - http://www.news4jax.com/news/3891540/detail.html Firing the patriarch of the signature highway rising over the Lee Roy Selmon Expressway may be the first tremor in a groundswell of change. The state is considering disbanding the board in charge of the project and giving control to the state. Incoming Florida Senate President Tom Lee said Tuesday that the state has spent the past month poring over the finances of the beleaguered project, seeking a way to salvage it. Lee, R-Brandon, said the solutions being weighed include taking the project over or abandoning it. On Monday, Tampa-Hillsborough County Expressway Authority board members fired Pat McCue, the agency's executive director since 1996. He was the father of the new elevated, reversible highway under construction in the expressway's median. McCue's termination followed months of controversy. Two sunken support piers, construction delays and flawed designs have eroded public confidence and will cost millions of dollars to fix. Lee said he has been working with the Florida Department of Transportation and Gov. Jeb Bush's office on options to recoup more than $153 million the state loaned the expressway authority to build the new elevated stretch. Tampa Tribune. Tampa, Fl, USA - http://news.tbo.com/news/MGBL4QIYS0E.html The local expressway authority has turned to a former high-speed rail official to get its elevated roadway project back on track. Board members voted unanimously Monday to appoint Ralph C. Mervine interim executive director of the Tampa-Hillsborough Expressway Authority. Mervine, 53, is a state transportation insider with a reputation as a troubleshooter. ``I handle big construction projects that may have issues,'' he said. ``I lead teams of technical experts to achieve a successful project. That is what I enjoy.'' He replaces Pat McCue, who was forced out two weeks ago because of recurring problems plaguing the project. Mervine moves over from Arcadis Engineering. He was a vice president and established the firm's Florida-based transportation design department. Arcadis was the lead consultant for Global Rail Consortium, a 29-company effort that wanted to build the then-voter-mandated high-speed rail system connecting Tampa, Orlando and Miami. Before that, he was director of operations for the Florida Department of Transportation's District 1, based in Bartow. He also worked with the Tampa-based district during his 12 years with FDOT. Mervine lists the past two former state secretaries of transportation as references on his resume.The expressway authority hopes to tap into his standing with the agency.Jose Abreu, current FDOT secretary, has given the authority until the end of the month to prove to state officials, including Gov. Jeb Bush and legislative leaders, that it has the financial and engineering strength to finish the project. Incoming Florida Senate President Tom Lee said officials are considering abolishing the authority and turning the project over to the state Turnpike Enterprise to finish if they aren't satisfied with the authority's response. Mervine doesn't see that happening. ``From what I can see, we are on track to answer those questions,'' he said. ``I was pleased to see the board has already moved so many things forward to get construction restarted.'' Mervine headed the team that designed the widening of Interstate 4 in Hillsborough County and moved to FDOT's District 1 to supervise the road's widening in Polk County. He advanced construction there, finishing in 14 months when the schedule had called for three years. ``We are going to get our hands around the current situation and move forward,'' he said. Satisfying the state isn't the only challenge Mervine is facing. The authority is at odds with its general engineering contractor, URS Corp., over who should pay for repairing the elevated lane foundations. The authority's independent experts and state engineers have concluded the foundations are fundamentally flawed and many must be fixed. URS designed and gave the final engineering approval for the foundations. The authority now says URS overestimated the soil's ability to hold the 6-foot-wide steel and concrete foundations. URS is disputing the scope of the problem and the amount of repairs that must be made. Engineers with the authority and state want a repair schedule focusing on the most suspect foundations and fixing them first. They have targeted about 37 foundations. URS has agreed to begin designing those repairs and pay for the work, but it is drawing the line at paying for any repairs until it finishes a series of 12 stress tests on foundations. The tests will begin soon and are expected to be completed in December. Authority members fear waiting for the tests will further delay the project, which officials have estimated is costing $100,000 per day. Although no one expects all foundations will have to be repaired, estimates to do so run $68.5 million. Tampa Tribune. Tampa, Fl, USA Editorial - Just when I thought the Dolphin Expressway and Florida's Turnpike exchange couldn't get any worse with construction trucks, barricades, and signs and arrows, more closures were announced last week that appeared to only make the nightmare worse. Many flashbacks of the never-ending construction on the Long Island Expressway in my hometown came to mind — and I am serious when I say it never ends. Then, when I calmed down, I called the Miami-Dade Expressway Authority and asked spokesman Alex Armas what the heck was going on. He kindly invited me to MDX's office to meet the traffic engineers and staff who have been working on the State Road 836 extension project to get all my questions answered. So I did. Wednesday I met with Alfred Lurigados and Valentine Onuigbo, program managers with MDX, and Tere Garcia, a general engineering consultant with Dade Transportation Consultants. When I arrived, I was pleasantly surprised to see they had set up a conference room with charts, diagrams and aerial photographs to show me exactly what they are up to. And after a few hours of them patiently explaining the project, I must admit I was excited. Not an ''I just won the lottery'' excited, but elated to known that in about two-and-a-half years, driving on the Dolphin might not be such a pain. Miami Herald, Miami, Fl, USA - http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/news In a move designed to cut driving hazards along Florida's longest toll road, miles of guardrail are being added to Florida's Turnpike. The aim is to reduce the number of crossover median accidents that lead to head-on collisions. So far this year, crossover accidents have killed 41 people. Every mile of turnpike should have guardrails by the end of next summer. That's three years sooner than originally planned. The work has already begun in Osceola County, where crossover collisions have killed 15 drivers and passengers this year. The turnpike is adding guardrails along 160 miles of the toll road. WESH.com - Winter Park, FL, USA – http://www.wesh.com/news/3908245/detail.html IBTTA’s 2005 First Vice Chairman, Jim Ely, Executive Director of Florida’s Turnpike Enterprise was listed among “The 174 Most Influential Floridians” in a special issue of “Florida Trend” , the number one magazine of Florida businesses. November 2004:http://www.floridatrend.com/issue/default.asp?a=5377&s=2 Illinois A fatal crash at a tollbooth on the Tri-State Tollway over the weekend has heightened safety concerns among toll workers who worry about motorists speeding through I-PASS lanes, a problem some fear could worsen during next year's reconstruction of seven toll plazas. Illinois State Police have not determined the cause of Saturday's accident, although Trooper Doug Whitmore said the semitractor-trailer driver told authorities that he had "blacked out" before his vehicle struck a tollbooth on Interstate Highway 294 near Hickory Hills. His truck landed on a car, killing a pregnant Westmont woman and her son. There had been speculation about the truck's maneuvering before the toll plaza, but his statement and the lack of skid marks have led investigators to rule out a last-minute attempt to get into an I-PASS lane as the cause. "It's totally not an issue," Whitmore said. Chicago Tribune (subscription) - Chicago, IL, USA - http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/nearwest Maine After two years of construction work, a new turnpike interchange between Lewiston and Gardiner will open Friday afternoon. Maine Turnpike Exit 86 is now scheduled to open where Interstate 95 meets Route 9 in Sabattus at 2 p.m. on Friday after a ribbon-cutting ceremony scheduled earlier that day. Construction for the $6.4 million project began in 2002 after about a decade of planning and research. Work had to be suspended for six months to allow the interchange ramps to settle in the area's soft soil. In May of 2004, workers finished the grading, paving, lighting, signing and a guardrail installation. Kennebec Journal - Augusta, ME, USA - http://kennebecjournal.mainetoday.com/news/local/1137248.shtml Maryland The Washington County Commissioners say they won't support a state proposal to put toll booths on Interstate 81 near the West Virginia and Pennsylvania state lines. State officials say tolls would generate money to widen the highway and make other safety improvements. Without tolls, the State Highway Administration says the improvements might have to wait more than 20 years. But the commissioners believe tolls would hurt economic development in the county. The commissioners also want a proposed truck weigh station kept out of the county. WBAL Channel.com - Baltimore, MD, USA - http://www.thewbalchannel.com/news/3886991/detail.html Massachusetts The Big Dig is riddled with leaks that are dumping millions of gallons of water into the $14.6 billion tunnel system, according to an engineer hired to investigate the cause of a massive leak in September. Locating and fixing the hundreds of leaks could take up to 10 years, said Jack K. Lemley, a consultant hired by the Massachusetts Turnpike Authority to investigate the problem. The last major leg of the Big Dig project opened less than a year ago. ``There is no public safety issue,'' Turnpike Authority Chairman Matthew Amorello said Wednesday, adding that the tunnels remain structurally sound. He said a certain amount of leakage is inevitable, and the drainage system is keeping water off the roadways. Lemley told The Boston Globe that repairing September's leak alone would require two months and lane closures. Amorello said that taxpayers and motorists who pay tolls will not foot the bill for whatever repairs are needed. Guardian – UK - http://www.guardian.co.uk/worldlatest/story/0,1280,-4607511,00.html Boston's Big Dig, a new system of freeway tunnels beneath the city and its harbor, has started springing leaks, and Massachusetts officials say San Francisco's Bechtel Corp. may bear part of the blame — and part of the cost. Bechtel leads a joint venture managing construction of the $14.6 billion project, which has been plagued by cost overruns and charges of sloppy work. On Sept. 15, water poured into one of the tunnels from a leaking wall, shutting down lanes of Interstate 93 and backing up traffic 10 miles. Engineers investigating the incident said Wednesday that they found Bechtel field reports from the late 1990s noting faults in the construction of the wall. Bechtel's joint venture did not fix the problem or notify the state, said Bob Bliss, spokesman for the Massachusetts Turnpike Authority. "There were field reports signed off by Bechtel people that indicated they were aware of it, yes," Bliss said. "What was unexpected was that the breach occurred and the investigation turned out that the circumstances that led to this breach were known and they were not investigated or fixed." Engineers hired by the turnpike authority also found other leaks that may be dumping millions of gallons of water into the Big Dig's drainage system. Fixing them could take 10 years, stretching out a project that has already lasted for nearly two decades. San Francisco Chronicle - San Francisco, CA, USA –http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article. New Jersey Rush-hour and weekend discounts for E-ZPass users on the New Jersey Turnpike could end by 2006. The Turnpike Authority wants to eliminate the long-standing 15 percent discounts to help pay for $400 million in bonds that will fund work on the turnpike and Garden State Parkway. "We have two roadways that are over 50 years old," said Turnpike Authority Executive Director Michael Lapolla, who also oversees the parkway. "Maintaining them at current standards and in a safe manner requires major ongoing capital reconstruction. "This just allows us to do these projects and pay our bills," he said. Under the changes, E-ZPass drivers would pay the same toll as cash-paying drivers from 7 to 9 a.m. and 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. The discount would be removed entirely on weekends. As a result, it would cost $1 more to travel the length of the turnpike during those hours. Commercial drivers, who never had a discount, would not be affected. The Record - Hackensack, NJ, USA - http://www.bergen.com/page.php?qstr= New York Staten Island residents last night blasted a proposal that would raise fares on express buses to Manhattan and tolls on the Verrazano Bridge. "If these hikes are imposed, Staten Islanders will be hit the hardest," City Councilman Michael McMahon (D-Staten Island) said of a plan by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority to increase commuter fares and tolls at major crossings. "Staten Island is left out of the loop." Many speakers, including Rep. Vito Fossella (R-Staten Island), complained that although the Verrazano Bridge collects an estimated $250 million a year in tolls, most of the money goes toward the operations of the Long Island Rail Road and Metro-North Commuter Railroad. The complaints came at the first of five hearings scheduled this week by the MTA on the proposed increases. Nearly 200 people attended the session at the Michael Petrides School. Newsday, New York, NY, USA – http://www.newsday.com/mynews/ny-nyfare094035699nov09,0,6539607.story Ohio Renovations to two service plazas along the Ohio Turnpike are on schedule and should be completed by next spring. Currently, the parking lots are being paved and roofing is nearly completed. Construction workers will be working on the interior of the plazas within four weeks. The Wyandot and Blue Heron Service Plazas located at mile marker 76.9 of the turnpike in Woodville Township should be reopened by May 2005, said Lauren Dehrman, spokesperson for the Ohio Turnpike Commission. Currently, the project is more than 50 percent complete. The plazas, which were originally razed last March, will include restaurants, a trucker's lounge with showers and washer/dryer facilities, gift shops and vending machines. Because the plazas do not receive as much traffic as other facilities along the turnpike, Dehrman said the Wyandot and Blue Heron will be slightly smaller and will likely not include a sit-down restaurant The general layout of the facilities will also be changed to make the plazas more user-friendly. Mosser Construction was awarded the major contract for the plazas for $20 million. The entire project should cost $25 million. Closing the facilities has had an impact on county revenue, because a large portion of sales tax is generated through the plazas, said Bill Farrell, Sandusky County auditor. While he estimated that the county loses approximately $185,000 a calendar year from the plaza closings, Farrell said it is difficult to come up with an exact number because of the way the county receives its share of the sales tax. Port Clinton News Herald - Port Clinton, OH, USA - http://www.portclintonnewsherald.com/news/stories/20041030/localnews/1508355.html Pennsylvania Maintenance workers and toll collectors on the Pennsylvania Turnpike remained on the job Friday night despite a warning by their union that they could strike anytime, without notice. The 1,800 workers, represented by the Teamsters Union, have been working without a contract since Sept. 30. The last contract negotiations were held Monday but ended in an impasse after five hours, and that is when the union told Turnpike officials they could strike at any time, without warning. Health care appears to be a major hang-up in the negotiations. Should the maintenance workers and toll collectors strike, Joseph Brimmeier, the commission's executive director, said the 531-mile highway would remain open with 450 management personnel serving as toll collectors. Pittsburgh Tribune-Review - Pittsburgh, PA, USA - http://pittsburghlive.com/x/tribune-review/trib/regional/s_267572.html Editorial - A strike by Pennsylvania Turnpike rank-and-file certainly won't exact a significant intellectual toll on the managers who would temporarily perform their duties. After negotiations broke down last week like an ancient 18-wheeler, the turnpike commission announced the 531-mile highway will remain open if toll collectors and maintenance workers walk off the job. Commission officials cautioned, however, that there would be some operational changes.The ticketing system would be suspended, and managers staffing the toll booths would collect flat tolls of $2 for each passenger vehicle and $15 for a commercial vehicle. This would be bad news for those making quick one- or two-exit jaunts on the turnpike. Pittsburgh Tribune-Review - Pittsburgh, PA, USA - http://pittsburghlive.com/x/tribune-review/opinion/columnists/heyl/s_267530.html No need to be concerned about a strike on the Pennsylvania Turnpike — at least not until next week. That is when management and Teamsters union officials representing 2,000 hourly workers are to return to the bargaining table in Harrisburg and resume negotiations for a new contract. Talks were supposed to take place at noon Tuesday but were postponed to an unknown date next week because of schedule conflicts. Meanwhile, the rank-and-file workers have agreed to stay on the job under provisions of the old contract that expired Sept. 30, 2003. The Teamsters, representing toll collectors, maintenance workers and other support personnel, had threatened to strike without notice after talks broke off Oct. 25. Meanwhile, turnpike officials disclosed a back-up plan to staff facilities with management working 12-hour shifts seven days a week and charging flat tolls of $2 for cars and $15 for big trucks regardless of distance traveled. At the union's request, a state mediator is bringing the two sides back to the table after the impasse had been declared. Pittsburgh Post Gazette - Pittsburgh, PA, USA – http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/04310/407162.stm The Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission plans to demolish and replace the Hulton Bridge that carries Hulton Road over the turnpike starting next summer. The work is to be completed in fall 2006. The $5 million job is being done in preparation for a massive commission project to replace the 100-foot-tall Allegheny River Bridge in mid-summer 2007. That bridge carries the turnpike over the Allegheny River and is slightly less than a mile away from the Hulton Bridge. The turnpike is scheduled to be widened from four to six lanes in this area — including over the Allegheny River — to safely accommodate increasing traffic volumes, said turnpike spokesman Joe Agnello. Pittsburgh Tribune-Review - Pittsburgh, PA, USA - http://pittsburghlive.com/x/tribune-review/trib/newssummary/s_270337.html After more than a year without a contract, can turnpike workers finally reach an agreement? They have been working under a strike threat for weeks. Now, the union representing Pennsylvania turnpike workers are back at the bargaining table Tuesday. The turnpike commission and the union representing workers will try to hammer out a new contract. If the toll collectors strike, all vehicles will pay a flat fee, no matter how far they go. Passenger vehicles will pay a flat $2 fee. Commercial vehicles will pay a flat $15 fee. WPXI.com - Pittsburgh, PA, USA - http://www.wpxi.com/traffic/3902200/detail.html Holiday travelers shouldn't see traffic snarls this month in construction zones on two local sections of the Pennsylvania Turnpike. But it's not because the workers are standing down, as they did last year. It's because they're done. The $84 million reconstruction project that began in 2002 near the Donegal interchange, from milepost 85 to milepost 94, is essentially finished, turnpike officials said Wednesday. Pittsburgh Tribune-Review - Pittsburgh, PA, USA – http://pittsburghlive.com/x/tribune-review/trib/regional/s_271624.html Norfolk Southern (NS) Railway and the Delaware Department of Transportation (DelDOT) reopened the Shellpot rail bridge in Wilmington after completing a $13.9 million, 17-month rehabilitation project. Spanning the Christina River, the structure is the nation’s first toll rail bridge. During the next 20 years, NS will pay DelDOT a fee for each car that crosses the bridge. Progressive Railroading – October 2004 Texas Transportation planners are preparing for a dramatic change in the way people move in and out of Arlington should a proposed Dallas Cowboys stadium open in 2009. At least one issue is resolved. The Federal Highway Administration has approved toll lanes on Interstate 30 from Dallas to Arlington, and awarded the Regional Transportation Council $472,000 to plan and design them, regional planners announced Tuesday. The lanes, which will be available to motorists with a TollTag, will be built on a portion of I-30 that was previously set aside for carpool lanes. Toll prices will change during the day as congestion changes — a strategy known as "value pricing." The busier the toll lanes, the higher the price. Fort Worth Star Telegram (subscription) - Fort Worth, TX, USA - http://www.dfw.com/mld/startelegram/news/local/states/texas/arlington/10144769.htm There was a heated public hearing Wednesday night in Central Austin on the hot-button topic, toll roads. The Central Texas Regional Mobility Authority is using the month of November to listen to what citizens have to say on proposed toll road policy how much to charge to payment options like toll tags. But dozens of people who signed up to speak at Northcross Mall Wednesday night say forget policy, they don't want tolls on existing roads — period. KXAN-TV - Austin, TX, USA - http://www.kxan.com/Global/story.asp?S=2550729&nav=0s3dT0Al Virginia More lanes, interchanges and automated toll booths. Those changes are in the works in an effort to keep traffic flowing smoothly on the West Virginia Turnpike, which turns 50 on Sunday. To ease congestion, an eight-mile stretch of the 88-mile toll road from the North Beckley interchange to the Interstate 64 interchange will be expanded from two lanes in each direction to three. WHSV - Harrisonburg, VA, USA - http://www.whsv.com/news/headlines/1164161.html Washington It's a local lawmaker's dream: freight trucks lumbering along a 100-mile, three-lane toll road from Chehalis to east-west Interstate 90, bypassing the congested Seattle area. A new study commissioned by the Legislature suggests the roadway - a goal of state Sen. Dan Swecker - might work. The proposal is a far cry from Swecker's 2002 vision - a 710-foot-wide "commerce corridor" for cars, trucks, trains, power lines and natural gas pipelines from Southwest Washington to the Canadian border. The $500,000 draft study by the state Transportation Department says the utility corridor "is too long, has too many components and is too complex." Many groups north of Seattle strongly opposed the corridor's northern half, saying it would hurt rural communities and the environment. Instead, the study suggested a road to move freight trucks on the 100-mile stretch between I-90 and Chehalis, a section that has five times as much truck traffic as Interstate 5 between Seattle and Canada. The toll road along the base of the Cascade mountains would be financed by and reserved for truckers. Seattle Post Intelligencer - Seattle, WA, USA - http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/aplocal_story.asp?category=6420&slug=WA%20Truck%20Road A draft study by the Washington State Transportation Department suggests a 100-mile truck toll road between I-90 and Chehalis might be practical. A toll road along the base of the Cascade mountains would be financed by and reserved for truckers, the report suggested. According to an Associated Press yesterday, a private entity would build the route and collect tolls. The public might have to help buy rights of way. If just half of the 22,000 trucks that roll down I-5 south from Seattle each day used the toll route — at 60 cents per mile, or $60 for a one-way run — its $5 billion cost could be justified, the study suggests. The proposed corridor would be three lanes wide - one in each direction and some type of passing lane - and for long-haul freight only. Only a limited number of exits would be built. Today's Trucking News – USA - http://www.todaystrucking.com/displayarticle.cfm?ID=3544 West Virginia The second 50 years of the West Virginia Turnpike, unfortunately, will not pave the way for hovercraft. The next half-century also won't account for a Starbucks coffee location along every mile of the Turnpike. But there will still be plenty of changes along the 88-mile toll road, including an increasing number of lanes, the proliferation of automated toll centers, new interchanges and evolving travel plazas. Believe it or not, the Turnpike turns 50 this Sunday. State officials plan to celebrate at an open house at Tamarack, the arts and crafts center just off the highway near Beckley. Former governors, former Turnpike general managers and employees, former board members and the general public can help celebrate that day. The day also will mark the premiere party for a video documentary about the Turnpike. The video will include footage of the Turnpike being built and other key moments from its 50-year history. Meanwhile, state leaders are already planning for the next 50 years of the highway. Charleston Daily Mail - Charleston, WV, USA - http://www.dailymail.com/news/News/2004110531/ |
| Federal News |
TRB is cohosting the second in a series of 'Talking Operations' webcasts on Thursday, November 18, 2004, from 12:45 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. EST. The webcast is entitled ‘Making the Case for Traffic Incident Management, How to Sell Your Program.’ ‘Talking Operations’ is a series of monthly seminars conducted via the telephone and Internet that are designed to educate stakeholders on current trends, tools, and noteworthy practices in Transportation Management and Operations, and Intelligent Transportation Systems. The seminars are part of a larger outreach initiative by the National Transportation Operations Coalition (NTOC) to provide technical assistance, training, and information to assist transportation practitioners, decision makers, and the general public with meeting today's transportation challenges. These seminars are designed to provide a convenient way for practitioners to broaden their knowledge base, develop new skills to help them do their jobs better, and make more informed decisions, all without the expense of travel. Participation in the Talking Operations seminars is limited to the first 100 registrants; therefore it is advised that multiple participants from a single agency or organization make arrangements to participate from one location (e.g., conference room or meeting facility) to allow maximum participation. For more information or to register to participate in the webcast visit the Talking Operations Website or contact Jennifer Seplow (SAIC), 703-676-0851. From FHWA - Dear transportation professional: For the latest updates on the 44 value pricing projects in the Value Pricing Pilot Program, please visit our web site at: http://knowledge.fhwa.dot.gov/cops/hcx.nsf/home?openform&Group=Value%20Pricing&tab=REFERENCE Then click on the first item on the list to get the progress report for July-September 2004. |
| International News |
Australia The mayors of four NSW coastal councils are willing to consider a toll-funded Pacific Highway between Sydney and Brisbane if it would deliver a $5.5 billion upgrade ahead of the State Government's 20-year timetable. They said that while they would rather not have any toll, it ought to be seriously considered if it could cut the number of deaths on a stretch of road that claimed 55 lives last year. The Minister for Roads, Carl Scully, and the Premier, Bob Carr, have said they are willing to look at a toll road, after the private sector suggested it as a way to improve the road more quickly. The Mayor of Hastings Shire, Rob Drew, said his community did not "want to see a toll, but we can't write it off". "If this is a possibility of reducing the amount of time to making the highway safer, obviously we'd look at it." The Mayor of neighbouring Kempsey Shire, Janet Hayes, said: "If we just sit back and wait for the state and federal governments to come to the party there will be a lot of dysfunctional families as a result of deaths on the highway. Sydney Morning Herald (subscription) - Sydney, New South Wales, Australia – http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2004/10/29/1099028210641.html?oneclick=true More tollways could be built in Victoria in addition to the CityLink and Mitcham-Frankston roads, according to the contract signed by the Bracks Government for the construction of Melbourne's newest toll road. A clause allowing the construction of other tollways was included in the Mitcham-Frankston deal so not to "bind" future governments, the Government said yesterday. But Transport Minister Peter Batchelor, speaking after the release of the tollway contract details, said the Government "does not envisage any other toll roads". While the contract says new tollways could be built during the 35-year life of the Mitcham-Frankston tollway, it does not restrict the Government from building new freeways, improving toll-free roads, or boosting public transport. Within days the Mitcham-Frankston tollway builder ConnectEast must give an $87.57 million "construction bond" to the Government. This will be held while the road is built over the next four years. The Age (subscription) - Melbourne, Victoria, Australia - http://www.theage.com.au/news/National/More-toll-roads-possible/2004/11/03/1099362219794.html?oneclick=true The New South Wales Opposition is calling on the State Government to provide monthly statistics on the number of drivers caught by speed cameras, along with the state's worst accident sites, to prove the cameras are more than just revenue raisers. The Opposition's police spokesman, Peter Debnam, says figures have been released showing the Government gets about $2 million a week in fines from speed cameras, with some locations in Sydney generating more than $6 million a year in fines. Mr Debnam says while some cameras have been effective in reducing accidents in dangerous areas, releasing monthly statistics would stop some cameras from being used for revenue collection. ABC Online – Australia – http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200411/s1236948.htm Bangladesh Several persons including physicians, industrialists, and traders in Khulna city and the district have received death threats through land and cell phones from armed cadres of Purbo Banglar Communist Party (PBCP-Janajuddha) for making delay in paying tolls. PBCP operatives are frequently sending death threats to physicians and fish traders in case of failure to pay tolls, sources said. Three wholesalers on PBCP (Janajuddha) hit-list have already paid tolls to save their lives, intelligence sources said. Six eminent physicians of the city threatened with death for toll include a female gynaecologist. She and two other physicians have already decided to leave Khulna for security reasons. A renowned homeopath has stopped his practice after PBCP operatives told him to pay two lakh taka or ready for death. Two shrimp exporters and four wholesalers of rice said they are gradually winding up their business to save themselves. Two white fish traders are now moving with private security guards. Increasing death threats and silent toll collection will ultimately force businessmen to wind up, Khulna Chamber of Commerce and Industry president said. Admitting death threats by outlaws, Akbar Ali, Khulna Metropolitan Police deputy commissioner of south zone said people who receive such threats do not want to cooperate with police to trap and nab the outlaws. The Daily Star – Bangladesh - http://www.thedailystar.net/2004/11/06/d41106011713.htm England The Mayor of London told BBC London on Monday that the £5-a-day toll will increase by at least £1. He said: "I don't like putting up taxes and fares. I have always said that during this term it will go up to at least £6. " He later added no final decision would be made until Londoners had been consulted. The new fare could be in place by early December. He added: "You put it up the minimum you need to, to do what you have got to do. It won't be less than a pound." The congestion charge will be put on hold between Christmas and New Year to help boost business. The toll will be suspended on the three working days between 25 December and 3 January. BBC News - London, England, UK - http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/london/3973157.stm Business leaders from the West Midlands today issued a warning to the Government to stop stalling over its motorway proposals. Birmingham's Chamber of Commerce fears plans to build the M6 Expressway, a toll road to run from Staffordshire to Cheshire alongside the existing M6, will be used as a 'red herring' to deflect attention away from other transport issues in the region. It has urged Ministers to take action as soon as possible, saying the proposed opening date for the M6 Expressway of 2016 will be too late and the region's motorway system will already be gridlocked. The Chamber has also urged the Government to outline the extent to which it plans to include charges for road users, saying they could have a huge impact on small businesses if they were introduced nationwide. The warnings come on the day Transport Secretary Alistair Darling visits the city to attend the Birmingham Post's third Get Moving forum. ic Birmingham.co.uk - Birmingham, UK - http://icbirmingham.icnetwork.co.uk/ More than 5,000 people have responded to the official consultation on controversial plans for a new toll motorway. The Department for Transport has also received around 3,000 signatures on petitions about the M6 Expressway, which will run from the West Midlands to Manchester. Ministers want to bring in the private sector to fund the new motorway, following the success of the M6 Toll, as an alternative to widening the existing M6 motorway. But the scheme is opposed by environmental campaigners and sections of the business community. A total of 5,260 have been received so far. The figures were revealed by Transport Minister David Jamieson in response to questioning from David Kidney (Lab Stafford), one of the leaders of the campaign against the motorway. Yesterday Mr Kidney called on residents who might be affected by the plans to make their views known. ic Birmingham.co.uk - Birmingham, UK - http://icbirmingham.icnetwork.co.uk/ A LONG delay in the opening of a new toll motorway between Manchester and Birmingham will cost "billions", transport bosses have warned. The Freight Transport Association's North West Freight Council claims the proposed M6 Expressway is not likely to open until 2016. FTA regional policy manager Stephen Kelly said: "Unfortunately, the Expressway looks unlikely to be the answer to industry's problems any time soon. "Even if the proposal were successful in meeting all the economic and statutory requirements, the Expressway would not be completedand open for traffic until 2016 at the earliest. "Such an enormous delay to improvements on such a vital trade route will result in billions of pounds and billions of man-hours being wasted by motorists and lorry drivers alike stuck in daily traffic congestion." The FTA represents haulage companies as well as those involved in transport by rail, sea and air. Transport Secretary Alistair Darling revealed in June the government's plans to introduce a 50-mile pay-to-use motorway parallel to the main carriageway. Manchester Evening News - Manchester, England, UK - http://www.manchesteronline.co.uk/news/s/135/135880_warning_on_toll_road_delay.html The number of vehicles using Britain’s only toll motorway dipped last month, it was revealed today. Operator Midland Expressway Limited (MEL) said people traditionally made fewer journeys at this time of year and pointed to a rise in applications for electronic tags as evidence of the M6 Toll’s continued success. Tom Fanning, managing director of MEL, said there had also been a continued rise in the amount of haulage travelling along the 27-mile route. Discounted rates for heavy goods vehicles were introduced in August this year in a bid to encourage them on to the road. This runs until December 31. The Scotsman - Edinburgh, Scotland, UK - http://news.scotsman.com/latest.cfm?id=3730834 GAS-GUZZLING cars that take up the most space on roads ought to be charged more than smaller, more fuel-efficient ones under a national road-pricing scheme, says a report commissioned by the government. Researchers at Leeds University also believe higher tariffs should be imposed on parents taking their children to school and on motorists using busy holiday routes during summer weekends. The findings emerged as an influential committee of MPs called on the government to charge higher levels of vehicle excise duty (VED) — road tax — on the most polluting cars, including 4x4 vehicles. In a separate report published today, the Commons transport committee urges ministers to do more to support the development and manufacture of cleaner and safer cars, including offering more grants to encourage drivers to switch to low-emission vehicles The Times - London, England, UK – http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2087-1348548,00.html A scheme to charge lorry drivers for using the roads will be in place within four years, Transport Secretary Alistair Darling said on Tuesday. And he hinted that it could be extended to cars and vans. In July, the Government published a study into the feasibility of road pricing in the UK, which concluded that the system was feasible, but that "people need to be confident that road pricing is designed to deliver transport and other benefits, rather than as a means of raising more revenue". It is anticipated that vehicles would be fitted with position fixing technology, which would then monitor how many miles and at what times a vehicle travels. Drivers would then be charged depending on the journeys they made, with road and fuel duty cut. Heavy drivers would most likely face an increase in current motoring costs, whereas light users would see their costs drop. The Government study suggested that the equipment necessary to deliver a full position-based charging scheme will not be available "in a mass market, low cost form, until at least 2014." Speaking to the Freight Transport Association's annual dinner, the Transport Secretary said Britain could not solve all its transport problems by building new roads, as the financial and environmental cost would be too great. Therefore, it had to make the most of what it already had. Politics.co.uk - London, United Kingdom – http://www.politics.co.uk/public-services/darling-road-pricing-in-four-years-$3720977.htm Midlands Expressway Ltd's (MEL) figures showed a total of about 50,000 fewer vehicles paid to drive on the M6 Toll in October than did the previous month. The average daily total was 50,242 last month, down from 52,041 in September, and a high of 55,362 in August. MEL said fewer trips were usually made at this time of year and that more lorries were using the 27-mile route. BBC Birmingham – UK - http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/west_midlands/3996025.stm France THE network of French toll-roads leading to Alpine ski resorts and the Mediterranean coast will go on the block today, as British bank HSBC begins marketing shares in Societe des Autoroutes Paris Rhin-Rhone. The company is raising up to €1.35bn (£940m) through the sale of new shares equal to up to 32.5% of the enlarged capital in an initial public offer valuing the group at €4.15bn. Some 70% to 30% of the shares will be available to international institutional investors through a placing, though this will be cut back if French retail demand proves strong. This is London - London, England, UK - http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/news/business/articles/timid84450?source= India Thirteen months after construction began on the 27.7-km long Delhi-Gurgaon Expressway, the Haryana government has told National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) that it would ‘‘not allow’’ the setting up of a toll plaza near Haldiram’s Resort, the point where the Rs 555-crore Expressway is proposed to end. Chief Minister Om Prakash Chautala is learnt to have expressed his reservations. ‘‘The matter came up during the Chief Minister’s visit to Gurgaon on October 29. The CM felt that setting up so many toll plazas would make it very expensive for commuters,’’ said Gurgaon Deputy Commissioner Anurag Aggarwal. ‘‘Since there is already a toll plaza near Bilaspur on NH-8, the construction of a new toll plaza near Haldiram’s resort would mean three toll plazas at a distance of around 20 km from each other,’’ said Aggarwal. ‘‘In such a scenario, anybody travelling from Delhi to Dharuhera would have to pay toll tax three times for using the same road,’’ he added. Indian Express - New Delhi, India - http://cities.expressindia.com/fullstory.php?newsid=105575 The state government is planning to impose a toll tax for travelling on roads in Sector V of Salt Lake. This was announced today by urban development department minister Mr Ashok Bhattacharya in the presence of chief minister Mr Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee. The minister was speaking at the inauguration of a two-lane flyover at the EM Bypass-Chingrihata crossing. “We know that roads in Sector V are in a bad shape. The KMDA has decided to beautify and develop the roads in the area at a cost of Rs 6 crore, earmarked from the megacity funds. KMDA will also enter into a five-year maintenance contract with the agency building the roads, so that after the construction they can retrieve some of the money through tax imposed on vehicles using the roads,” Mr Bhattacharya said. The Statesman – Calcutta, India - http://www.thestatesman.net/page.arcview.php?clid=6&id=87732&usrsess=1 The Transport Department is currently considering a slew of proposals to change the face of the Capital before the Commonwealth Games. Transport Commissioner Rajiv Talwar — who has returned after a tour of Bogota, Columbia, where he went to study the transport systems — will soon submit a report on the same before the Cabinet. Newsline has a sneak preview of this report. …..A Commonwealth Games road specifically for use of sportspersons, guests and spectators. Congestion charging and area pricing in heavy traffic areas and increased ‘Park and Ride’ facilities are also high on the list. Indian Express - New Delhi, India - http://cities.expressindia.com/fullstory.php?newsid=106193 Ireland If Germany's delayed lorry road-user charging (LRUC) scheme makes its latest deadline to go live by 1 January, officials from the Department of Transport and, especially, Her Majesty's Customs and Excise will be watching closely. Customs and Excise, which will soon merge with Inland Revenue, is in the driving seat for the Government's own LRUC project, which is scheduled for introduction in 2007-8. Hence the interest in the German scheme. The Customs & Excise department is satisfied with the progress of its own scheme. From the point of view of public confidence, though, it would be relieved if the introduction of Germany's LRUC on its 12,000km of motorway goes off well after two postponements. Belfast Telegraph (subscription) - Belfast, Northern Ireland, UK – http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/lifestyle/motoring/story.jsp?story=581693 Israel The Krayot bypass road, one of the most important roads planned for the north of the country, will be built by the government's Public Works Department in cooperation with the private sector instead of by Haifa's municipal transportation company, Yefeh Nof, as originally planned, PWD Director-General Alex Vishnitzer confirmed yesterday. The 20-kilometer toll road is slated to run east of the Haifa suburbs known as the Krayot, thereby enabling travelers on Route 4 to avoid going through them. When the road will be built, however, remains an open question: Vishnitzer said that money has still not been found to finance the construction, and therefore, work will not begin in 2005 as planned. The road is expected to cost some NIS 1 billion. Ha'aretz - Jerusalem, Israel - http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/497337.html Pakistan The Pakistan People’s Party Parliamentarians (PPPP) has moved a resolution in the Senate seeking the end of toll tax exemptions for uniformed personnel. “This house recommends that all sections of commuters, irrespective of class and status, using private vehicles should be required to pay the toll tax on the motorways/highways throughout the country and exemptions given to any be withdrawn immediately,” stated the resolution submitted by Senator Farhatullah Babar at the Senate Secretariat All official vehicles are exempt from payment of the toll tax on the highways and motorways, but private vehicles used by civil servants must pay the toll tax. However, defence personnel, even if travelling in private vehicles can be exempt from the tax if they display their service cards, said the resolution. Daily Times – Pakistan - http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=story_9-11-2004_pg7_42 Russia Russian authorities will introduce a toll for foreign trucks entering and transiting Russia in 2005, Itar-Tass reported on Wednesday, Nov. 3, quoting Russia’s transportation minister Igor Levitin. The minister said that currently his agency is preparing its suggestions on the mechanism of the introduction of the road toll, and will submit them for consideration by the Cabinet of Ministers before the end of the year. MOSNEWS – Russia - http://www.mosnews.com/money/2004/11/03/roadtolls.shtml Russia plans to charge foreign trucks a toll starting in 2005, Mosnews.com reports. Russian Transportation Minister Igor Levitin said his agency is preparing proposals on how to implement the toll, and will submit them for consideration before the end of 2004. Today all states except Russia collect money for the entrance of foreign automobiles and trucks into the country, Levitin told Russian news service Itar-Tass. The European Union charges a toll of $20-$50 depending on the truck's weight capacity. In this situation we have only two choices: to introduce similar tolls or to ask all other countries not to collect money from Russian transporters, the minister told Itar-Tass. I believe that we have to choose the first option. Levitin said currently most Russian roads only accommodate weight loads of up to 10 tons, while many large trucks' weight loads may reach as much as 40 tons. He said revenue from the tolls would be used for new road construction and repair of old roads. Big News Network.com – Australia - http://feeds.bignewsnetwork.com/?sid=185ea27a3cda0971 Scotland DRIVERS crossing the Forth Road Bridge might be offered reduced off-peak tolls from 2006 in an effort to cut the mounting rush-hour congestion. New electronic equipment to be installed at toll booths and in vehicles will clear the way for variable tolling. The technology will enable drivers to pay tolls by credit card, with identification tags fitted to their vehicles allowing them to pass through the tolls without stopping. The current booths will be replaced in the £4.8 million project, but drivers will still be able to pay with cash. The Scotsman - Edinburgh, Scotland, UK - http://news.scotsman.com/edinburgh.cfm?id=1271882004 |
