express lanes

The Georgia I-85 toll express lanes (GA85XL) now in their eighth week of operation continue to attract more patronage, but tolls while growing, are still low per mile.  We've worked on seven full weeks of data. Average weekday traffic in the variably priced lanes is now 11,210 vs 4,170 in the first week.

Georgia I-85 Express Lanes (GA/I-85XL) traffic is growing strongly in the third week of operations without loss of travel time advantages as compared to the second week. Tuesday toll-paying traffic Oct 18 is reported at 9200 vs 5773 Tues Oct 11 and 3513 Tues Oct 4.

The launch of managed toll lanes this week on I-85 northeast of Atlanta was so mismanaged that the state Governor intervened after three days and very publicly ordered changes.  For three nights TV, radio and the press in Atlanta reported the fiasco of noticeably worse congestion in the general purpose lanes alongside almost empty "Express" or toll managed lanes on the big highway northeast out of Atlanta, the first in a huge proposed network.

Utah DOT is buying ISO 18000 6C sticker tags from Neology for $1.59 apiece, the lowest price we know of that a transponder has been sold in the US. A Utah official told us that FSTech/Sirit bid just a nickel more or $1.64. TransCore bid $3.50.

Atkinson Construction got their notice-to-proceed from Los Angeles Metro in January on detailed design of a toll Express Lanes project on the I-10 and the I-110 - two of the busiest highways in the LA metro area. Actual construction is due to begin mid-year for an opening of 25 miles, 41km of 2x2 toll lanes late 2012.

ACS, A Xerox Company, to Keep Los Angeles Drivers Moving with Electronic Toll Collection for New Express Lanes

Utah DOT is happy with PBS&J's management of their I-15 HOT Lanes project through the Salt Lake City metro area. They've been awarded UDOT's "Consultant of the Year" award. A press statement quotes UDOT's Catherine Cutler as saying the PBS&J team on the job made an "invaluable contribution" to the success of the "Express Lanes" project.

Electronic Transaction Consultants (ETC Corp or ETCC) have been selected to do payment processing and a major part of customer service for the Utah DOT tolling on the I-15 Express Lanes through Salt Lake City.

Utah DOT awarded TransCore the toll systems contract for the I-15 HOT Lanes despite the fact that it was the highest cost of three competing proposers. Summary documents obtained after we first wrote show the the bids for the build part of the project were Telvent-Caseta $8.1m, ETC $10.7m, TransCore $11.3m.

TransCore have made their first sale of eZGo Anywhere transponders as part of a $16.3m contract to support tolls in HOT lanes on I-15 through Salt Lake City Utah.