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Press Release

Austin Hosts A Thousand Transportation Leaders From 18 Countries on the Future of Mobility

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Monday, September 15, 2014
CONTACT: Kristofer Eisenla, LUNA+EISENLA media
[email protected] | 202-670-5747 (mobile)


International Bridge, Tunnel and Turnpike Association’s Annual Meeting Showcases One of the Nation’s Fastest Growing Metropolitan Areas

WASHINGTON, DC – As one of the nation’s fastest growing cities, Austin is playing host to one thousand transportation officials and experts from across the U.S. and 18 countries around the globe for the tolling industry’s largest annual meeting.  The  International Bridge, Tunnel and Turnpike Association (IBTTA), the worldwide association representing toll facility owners and operators and the businesses that serve them, has brought together these leaders for the association’s 82nd Annual Meeting September 14-17 at the Austin Hilton in Austin, Texas. 

Texas Governor Rick Perry (R-TX) and Victor Mendez, Deputy Secretary of the U.S. Department of Transportation, are both scheduled to address the meeting tomorrow morning, Tuesday, September 16th. 

Hosted by the Central Texas Regional Mobility Authority and the Texas Department of Transportation, transportation leaders will share and discuss best practices, innovative policies, new technologies, funding options and business models transforming mobility for drivers worldwide.  Four tracks; transportation financing and funding; policy and politics; technology and innovation; as well as customers and communication, will give attendees a comprehensive look at changes sweeping the tolling industry.

“While record growth across the Austin metropolitan area has led to increased traffic congestion on our roadways, our local transportation agencies are reacting by leading the country with innovative technology to ensure ease for Texas drivers,” said Mike Heiligenstein, 2014 IBTTA President and Executive Director of the Central Texas Regional Mobility Authority. “Against a backdrop of multi-modal transportation innovation happening in Austin, mobility experts are gathering to share best practices and new technologies to enhance the driving experience for our customers. During their stay, they will see how Austin and Texas are shaping the future of highway transportation.” 

Additional speakers at IBTTA’s 82nd Annual Meeting will include: Doug Stephens, one of the world’s foremost retail and consumer futurists; Senator Robert Nichols, Chairman of the Texas State Senate Committee on Transportation, along with Jim Tymon, American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials and international transportation officials. 

“One thousand transportation experts from 18 countries are gathering in Austin to showcase the latest in advanced technologies happening in the tolling industry,” said Patrick D. Jones, Executive Director and CEO of IBTTA.  “Today, in many parts of the world, a modern transportation system includes the use of toll-funded projects. In the last decade, tolling has experienced huge growth and technological expansion and is now on the verge of even more dramatic changes that will enhance mobility options for people in urban areas around the world.  The Austin area is a great example of these innovations in toll financed transportation.”

During the opening of the association's 82nd Annual Meeting this morning, IBTTA released a new video highlighting the proven and reliable power of toll-financed transportation. The video features the growing acceptance of tolling in the U.S. over the past year, and can be viewed online here. 

In 2013, IBTTA launched Moving America Forward, a public awareness campaign that highlights the benefits of tolling to elected officials at all levels, policymakers, the media, and the general public. For additional information on IBTTA’s Moving America Forward campaign, including fact sheets, background documents and other materials about tolling and the industry, please click here.

Press interested in attending or writing about this meeting should contact Kristofer Eisenla, at [email protected] or 202-670-5747.

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About IBTTA
The International Bridge, Tunnel and Turnpike Association (IBTTA) is the worldwide association for the owners and operators of toll facilities and the businesses that serve them. Founded in 1932, IBTTA has members in more than 20 countries on six continents. Through advocacy, thought leadership and education, members are implementing state-of-the-art, innovative user-based transportation financing solutions to address the critical infrastructure challenges of the 21st century. For more information, visit www.ibtta.org or join us on Twitter @IBTTA or #TollRoads.