hntb

HNTB's list of "eight best practices for implementing all-electronic tolling" by Rick Herrington has provoked quite a discussion at the Alliance for Toll Interoperability's Linked-In blog

see

http://www.linkedin.com/groups/From-your-experience-please-drill-3130335...

our report of the Herrington piece:

The doctrine that tolls should only be used for adding extra capacity on Interstates - espoused by the Democrat Party administration's transport sec Ray LaHood and the Republican leader of the US House transport committee Cong John Mica alike - is not supported by public opinion according to a survey published by HNTB.

An emailed newsletter from HNTB's top two toll experts lists what they regard as "eight best practices" for going to all-electronic tolling. The email is called a Transportation Point Tolls Extra. The piece is authored by Rick Herrington, director toll services and Gregory Le Frois, director toll facilities group.

The HNTB list as edited by us:

US secretary of transportation Ray LaHood (Dem) and US House of Representatives transport committee chair John Mica (Repub)  are both out of touch with public opinion in their hostility to use of tolls to rebuild interstates and relieve congestion - according to surveys by the big Kansas City based engineering firm HNTB.

Maine legislature's oversight agency has issued a report generally positive about the performance of the state's Turnpike Authority (MTA) but it is critical of the relationship with engineering consultants HNTB, and it comments on some extravagance by the Executive Director Paul Violette in sponsorships and travel expenses.

HNTB announces it has recruited Jim Ely, longtime chief executive of Florida Turnpike Enterprise and one of the most prominent figures in the US toll business going back to the early 1990s. He'll be a VP and vice chair of the firm's toll practice, they say. The move has been industry gossip for several weeks.

All-electronic tolling (AET) is being vigorously argued over in Maine as an alternative to an approx-$50 million plaza with open road tolling in the center and cash lanes to the sides (ORT + cash).

From Marshall Jarvis: The Maine Turnpike Authority could, as you suggest, make changes to the York toll plaza within their current footprint. But the situation is not urgent. I believe the MTA has the time needed to produce a good long term solution.
 
Being here in York gives us the advantage of seeing the actual traffic patterns on an almost daily basis.

We wrote a pretty savage attack on HNTB's advice to the Maine Turnpike Authority on the rebuild of their southern toll plaza near York on I-95, and especially HNTB's belittling of the prospects for all-electronic tolling in a several page memo in Q&A format which they wrote for the local council called York Selectmen.

Maine Turnpike should ask HNTB for their money back on consulting fees on the York Toll Plaza replacement. HNTB as general engineering consultants have been providing false and misleading advice to Maine on the state of all-electronic tolling (AET).