Charging, Tolling & RUC

Eric G. O’Rear and Wallace E. Tyner look at the benefits of mileage charges and how these might be implemented. Since the early 1900s, taxes on petrol (gasoline) and diesel fuels have been used to finance the construction and maintenance of roadway infrastructure and, in some countries other government spending too. Now, a combination of improved fuel economy, the advent of hybrid and alternative fuelled vehicles and a reluctance in some countries (especially the US) to increase fuel taxes has led to a d

Police officers across Europe are preparing for their latest Speed Marathon, taking place from 0600 on Thursday 21 April to 0600 on Friday 22 April. The 24-hour initiative forms part of TISPOL’s week-long speed enforcement operation, running until Sunday 24 April. The Speed Marathon concept was devised two years ago in the German federal state of North Rhine-Westphalia. Here, members of the public have once again been invited to vote on the locations where they would like speed enforcement measures to ta

The Victorian Government in Australia is to provide the full funding for the Western Distributor Project, a second river crossing which includes the Monash Freeway Upgrade and upgrades to Webb Dock, after the Federal Government rejected a request for a contribution to the funding. Construction of the US$4.2 billion (AU$5.5 billion) Western Distributor will start in 2017, local motorists paying for the rest of it with tolls extended until 2045. The Government and Transurban in Australia have now signed

The by Miami Dade Expressway (MDX) in the US has awarded Q-Free a US$1.9 million contract extension to supply its Intrada ALPR automatic image review system for MDX’s electronic toll collection program. The contract extension authorises system upgrades and technical support through June 2018. We are pleased to provide this unique technical solution and continued related services to support the MDX electronic toll collection program. This award demonstrates Q-Free’s increased visibility and ability to

The Express Lanes in Alexandria, Virginia, has launched a new mobile app that offers customers convenient access to real-time Express Lanes data via mobiles devices. Using the free app, customers can access current toll prices, live traffic camera feeds, live travel advisory signs and important information on how to use the Express Lanes. Drivers who create a new account will be entered for a chance to win one month of free travel on the 495 and 95 Express Lanes. The app is available for download from

After 14 years at the helm of Oregon Department of Transportation’s (ODOT’s) Road Usage Charge program, Jim Whitty has joined professional services firm D’Artagnan Consulting. Whitty has 20 years’ experience advising legislative and executive branch officials and industry leaders on transportation revenue issues and policy development, with special expertise in development of transportation funding and funding alternatives, such as road usage charges, and public-private partnership programs. He led O

Kapsch TrafficCom has named technology veteran Japjeev Kohli as chief technology officer for the North American region effective 1 April 2016. Kohli has been with Kapsch since April 2005 and brings over 20 years of experience as a senior technology leader. He previously held a number of positions at Kapsch, including VP engineering and most recently SVP of delivery and operations for North America. Kohli will be responsible for directing the North American engineering teams as the company expands its of

Kapsch TrafficCom has announced its acquisition of Schneider Electric’s transportation business, provider of real-time IT solutions and best-in-class intelligent transportation systems complementary to those provided by Kapsch. The acquisition expands the Kapsch portfolio and strengthens its market position in intelligent transportation systems, especially in the growth markets of Spain, Latin America, North America and the Middle East. The full integration of Schneider into the Kapsch business is expect

Bestpass, which provides single-source payment and streamlined toll management services to commercial fleets, has expanded its services, to include Bestpass Complete, giving customers a single device for all tolls, and the Freedom Service, effectively expanding toll coverage to include all US toll roads. Bestpass Complete gives customers a single solution for national toll coverage in one device, with optional weigh station bypass compatibility and comprehensive reporting for all major US toll roads. Fl

Last year (2015) was a record-breaking year for toll road, bridge and tunnel usage according to a new report from the International Bridge, Tunnel and Turnpike Association (IBTTA). The National Toll Facilities Usage Analysis found that drivers' use of toll roads increased by seven per cent between 2014 and 2015, a record-breaking rate of growth that puts tolling usage on pace to double in less than ten years, says IBTTA. The analysis was compiled by collecting data from 31 toll-operated facilities acros