J J Eden leaving NCDOT/Turnpike Authority for private sector

Jim "JJ" Eden, chief operations officer is leaving the North Carolina Turnpike Authority for a big job in the private sector, we understand. His departure is not related to recent organizational changes in which the Turnpike Authority was merged into the state DOT, but because he got offers the state could not match.  

He was pulled, not pushed.

The state was keen to keep Eden.

North Carolina has one of the most ambitious new state toll programs in the country (Texas has more projects but they are dispersed among regional toll authorities and TxDOT). North Carolina's toll technology plans are among the most technically challenging.

The state is also playing a leading role in achieving improved interstate interoperability with Eden the founder and chairman of the Alliance for Toll interoperability (ATI).

The search for a successor has already started. Eden is staying until the end of September and will help the secretary find a replacement.

North  Carolina has a major all-electronic tollroad - the Triangle Expressway - under construction along the west side of Raleigh. There about six more toll roads and bridges in the planning, permitting and development pipeline.

In addition a detailed plan is being drawn up for improvements to I-95 with tolling the near certain mode of finance its full length.  

To the north, Virginia and to the south, South Carolina are studying tolls on I-95 also - making interstate collaboration vital.

59 years old Eden has been with NCTA since its founding four years ago.

Before he got into tolling he was in mainframe computers at Control Data. His first job in tolling was with Syntonic, one of two companies that mergd to form the industry giant TransCore.

With a background in early computing he may have written the first maintenance online management system (MOMS).

Other positions he has held were deputy chief engineer at the Pennsylvania Turnpike, director transportation programs and services at Washington Group International, director ETC at ACS/Lockheed Martin IMS, and VP business development and marketing at TransCore.

Representing the Pennsylvania Turnpike he was one of the founders of the E-ZPass Inter Agency Group and for a while its secretary.

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TOLLROADSnews 2010-07-08