mdx

2013-03-20: The board of directors of Miami Dade Expressway Authority voted 10 to 3 this Tuesday confirming the seven year old plans to use a move to all-electronic toll collection (AET) to spread toll points over all major segments of their system - full tolling. Under cash collection and roll-through electronic tolling a majority of the links in their system were without tolls.

As many as 75% of trips went untolled.

Lower than expected net revenues at the Miami Dade Expressway Authority and reduced financial flexibility is cited by Fitch Rating as their rationale for a slight downrating in the south Florida toiler's outlook down from Positive to Stable. But the 'A-' rating for $1,067m of toll system bonds is maintained.

Fitch cites some difficulties in toll-by-plate as reducing debt service coverage ratios from an expected 1.41x to 1.3x this year and next.

Miami Dade Expressway Authority (MDX) has formally notified ETCC's performance bond issuer that the toll system contractor has failed to correct contract defaults in the toll system and is now in "material breach" of the contract.

Miami Dade Expressway Authority (MDX) and their contractor Electronic Transaction Consultants (ETC) have exchanged harsh words in a dispute over implementation of a back office for their all-electronic toll conversion project.

The last cash customer went through the old 17-lane mainline toll plaza of the FL924 Gratigny Parkway of the Miami Dade Expressway Authority (MDX) in Opa-Locka in the northwest suburbs of Miami at 11:57pm Sunday, paying the $1.25 cash toll for a car. As midnight approached workers began moving big red construction barrels in toward the central lanes to block off the 'belly-out/belly-in' of the old mainline plaza.

Miami Dade Expressway have Faneuil doing the tail end of manual toll collection, as well as enforcement and contact center work in the move to all-electronic tolling. The recently awarded contracts for $11.1m go for three years to mid-2012.

Miami Dade Expressway Authority's (MDX) procurement of a cashless toll system planned to begin procurement early September will ask for an option to take over customer service from Florida Turnpike Enterprise's SunPass, says Steve Andriuk, director of operations. Our earlier report - without the benefit of a conversation with Andriuk - said handling of transponder transactions would remain with FTE's SunPass.

Miami Dade Expressway Authority (MDX) is expected to begin formal procurement in early September of the toll systems needed to dispense with cash toll collection and go all-electronic. Along with North Texas Tollway Authority (Dallas TX) MDX has set 2012 as the target year for having all-electronic tolling (AET) complete, and cash collection permanently closed down.

Norman Wartman one of the original members of Miami Dade Expressway Authority is back. This guy was a non-stop generator of ideas, a one-man thinktank, an unabashed enthusiast for tollroads, scourge of the rail fantasists, impatient with more timid no-can-do timings-not-right colleagues, and talk about outspoken!