Charging, Tolling & RUC

US financial research organisation Fitch Ratings has released its spring US Transportation Trends report which indicates that growth will remain healthy for all three US major transportation sectors (airports, ports and toll roads) this year. Commenting on toll roads, Fitch notes that low fuel prices have boosted growth in traffic (6.6 per cent) and revenue (8.3 per cent) since the second half of 2015. The south-east and south-west US have and will continue to lead in traffic performance. The higher rate

Q-Free has appointed Håkon Volldal as its new chief executive officer; he will take up his new position on 1 August. Volldal is currently executive vice president and head of business area for TOMRA Collection Solutions, where he has held several senior positions since 2004. “I am impressed with Q-Free’s history, solutions and ability to adapt to changing market needs over time. I really look forward to joining the Q-Free organisation and I trust I can use my experience to contribute to profitable gr

Schreiner PrinTrust's RFID windshield tags provide automated, contactless vehicle identification for access control to parking garages and electronic billing of parking space as well as for other automatic vehicle identification (AVI) applications such as tolling and fleet management. The tags come in two variants and are optimised for different frequency ranges: the Global Secure tag provides dynamically encrypted communication and an authentication feature capable of identifying original tags, while the P

The Swedish Transport Administration (Trafikverket) has extended its contract with Q-Free for service and maintenance of the Stockholm congestion charging system. The new contract, valued at around US$1.6 million (NOK13 million), is an extension of the contract awarded in 2013 and continues the maintenance for one year from 2017. Congestion charges were introduced in Stockholm in 2006, first as a trial followed by a referendum, then permanently from 2007. “This is a confirmation of the long-standing r

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