JAPAN:Where they really toll

But actually the last couple of years have been slow growth years for NDK, a reflection of the sluggish state of the Japanese economy. Trips on the 6,395km (3,901mi) network of national toll motorways were almost unchanged at an average daily 3.95m trips 1998 vs 1997. (By comparison the US in total has 7929km [4,927mi] tolled according to FHWA. Noone computes total toll trips.)

Revenues of NDK rose 2.7% in 1998, the result apparently of an index increase in toll rates and slightly longer trips. The big national tollster spends almost half its revenue ($8b) on servicing the $230b outstanding bonds and other borrowings used to finance construction of the system. In its accounts NDK does not depreciate its motorways on the grounds that their cost is mostly land acquisition, and land does not need to be rebuilt. The agency has 8,900 employees and total operating and administrative costs of $3.4b/yr. The outfit is a national government “non-profit” but it produces massive “provisions for reserves” and “recoupments” - almost $8b/yr - that look very like transfers to the government.

Expenditure on expansion of the Japanese tollway system is greater than than ever. Last year saw $28b new borrowings by NDK to support construction which is under way on another 2,023km (1,234mi) of toll road. Japanese roadway is not built quickly however. The last five years saw 991km added or just under 200km/yr (121mi), though 281km were opened in 1998. Costs are averaging $40m/km ($70m/mi) for new road. They tend to be heavily concentrated on difficult routes involving much tunneling and bridging. Plans, studies and permitting is in hand for another 3102km (1890mi) of toll roads for a 11,502km (7,027mi) national system. Some of this will initially be built to high design speed with a single roadway of 2-lanes with provision for the second roadway to be built later. At new interchanges the NDK aims to get 47.5% of construction cost from nearby developers.

Japan has 70m motor vehicles for a pop of 125m. Until 1955 rail carried more ton-mi of freight than road but roads now carry 5 times the ton-mi and probably ten times the value. Coastal shipping however remains close to roads in ton-mi carried. In passenger movement as measured by passenger-mi, road surpassed rail for the first time in the early 1970s, and now accounts for twice rail.

Japan has virtually no untolled motorway so this forms the backbone of the national road network. NDK’s toll system is a ticket system in which a magstripe ticket is issued on entry, and presented on exit. Prepaid or stored value cards are available and a self-swipe credit card can be used, as well as cash. There is no electronic tolling at all in Japan yet, though its introduction is close.

Tokyo

There are a small handful of regional and special purpose tollsters in addition to NDK. The largest is the Tokyo area Metropolitan Expressway Public Corporation (MEPC) which operates 256km (156mi) of urban toll motorway that supports 1.15m trips/day.

Tolls last year were $2.4b. MEPC is a non-profit owned by the national government and 6 local governments in the Tokyo area. It operates extensive parking buildings and rents space under its elevateds. These non-toll revenues generate $350m/yr.

The basic cash toll on Tokyo area roads is $6 (Y700)/car, but coupons allow lower per trip costs. The average trip length is just under 20km (12mi) on the Tokyo system, which suggests a toll rate in the region 20c to 30c/km (30 to 50c/mi).

46km (28mi) of extra toll road are under construction in the Tokyo metro area and another 24km (16mi) await permits. Much of the new MEPC construction is underground and the rest is elevated. Design speeds for the majority of Tokyo metro expressways is only 60km/hr (37mph) and ramps 25 to 40km/hr. Lanes are 3.25m (10’8") wide with small (750mm) offsets from curbs and no breakdown shoulder, so speeds are moderate. Newer routes are being built with 3.5m (11’6) lanes and 1.25m (4’1") offset but no real breakdown shoulder. The designers of the metropolitan system have been heavily pushed to minimize land acquisition so as well as narrower cross-section, and tight curves they go in for split levels and spirals in their interchange design. Instead of a simple 90 degree ramp they’ll often do a 270 degree spiral to reduce the overall footprint of the IC. Most are 2x2-lanes. Trip purpose on the metro exwys is about equally split between freight distribution, business travel, and commuting.

Major construction is underway on 24km (16mi) extensions of the second or central circular (C2) route, designed to relieve the inner circular route (C1). About half of this is underground, a mix of driven and cut & cover construction. The third Tokyo belt highway, about half complete, is under the control of NDK. A fourth beltway will complete the network of about 10 radials and 4 circumferentials.

Tokyo has a major new bridge-tunnel, the Aqua-line that extends 15km (9mi) across Tokyo Bay, comprising 9.5km (5.5mi) of 2x2-lane tunnel and 4.4km (3mi) of bridge together with an artificial transition island in the middle. It cost some $12b. The toll is $28 for a car and $96 for a heavy truck. In the two years since it opened traffic has been well below the projected 25k veh/day. Highway connections at either end are presently poor and the crossing was projected to carry 50k veh/day when major connecting toll roads are complete.

The greater Osaka area has its own regional toll authority the Hanshin Expressway Public Corp with a system only a bit smaller than Tokyo’s. And there are several major bridge tollsters. (Contact in US Hideo Yoshimi 212 997 0400. All calculations based on 115Y=$1.)