new toll system

The Illinois Tollway has issued a Request for Information (RFI) as the first step to procuring a new toll system. Kristi Lafleur, executive director told us on the telephone today that the Tollway hopes to get more flexibility and more capability from a new toll system.

Washington State DOT is moving to procure toll systems to be implemented starting in 2012 for two new projects in the Seattle area - the WA99 Alaskan Way Tunnel (2 toll points) and I-405 Express Toll Lanes (18 toll points.) The systems will at some point be extended to the Tacoma Narrows Bridge WA16, and the WA520 Floating Bridge Replacement. Both of these two currently have toll systems - but troubled ones, not working adequately, WSDOT says.

The bizarre toll system procurement at the Port Authority New York New Jersey (PANYNJ) took another turn yesterday evening with letters emailed to Telvent and ACS telling them their protests had been rejected. There is an opportunity to appeal the protest rejection but given the speed and decisive nation of the rejections this is unlikely. (CORRECTION)

Richmond Metropolitan Authority (RMA) have chosen TRMI of Accord NY to do a major modernization of their toll system. The final terms of a contract are still under discussion. TRMI stands for The Revenue Markets Inc.

The other proposer was TransCore. The present toll system has equipment from InTranS in the cash lanes and open road electronic toll (ORT) lanes fitted out by TransCore.

TRMI will do another mainline plaza with ORT on the Downtown Expressway as well as work on single lane toll systems for cash and electronic tolling.

Electronic Transaction Consultants (ETC) have won a big contract to replace the toll systems of the Port Authority New York New Jersey (PANYNJ). The Dallas area toll systems group were authorized as an "Awardee" for the contract by the PANYNJ board of directors at their meeting today.

West Virginia Turnpike staff and contractors are busy with new toll systems. They're doing their first toll system rebuild on the Turnpike itself since their original electronic system was installed for the introduction of E-ZPass  in 1999. And they're acting as a toll collection contractor for West Virginia DOT on two other toll projects - Mon Fayette Expressway (WV43) and US35. (NOTE CORRECTION AT END)

Harris County Toll Road Authority (HCTRA) which operates six tollroads in the Houston metro area is doing a big toll system upgrade. This is the first complete system upgrade they've done since they first introduced electronic tolling in 1993. Many incremental improvements have been made by inhouse staff and ETC Corp which has been the longtime system integrator to HCTRA.

Port Authority New York New Jersey (PANYNJ) will completely replace their existing toll system with one allowing easy conversion to all-electonic toll (AET) collection. The new system will support existing cash collection so the move to all-electronic or cashless tolling can be made separately from the switchover from old to new systems.

West Virginia Turnpike will be posting an RFP for a new toll system to their website Thursday. In a preview the Turnpike's general manager Greg Barr told us they badly need a new system, both to maintain and improve service to motorists. The present toll system was installed by TransCore 1999-2000 when E-ZPass electronic tolling was begun.

TransCore have the contract to modernize the Bay Area Toll Authority (BATA) toll systems for their seven toll bridges.