Charging, Tolling & RUC

In a contract valued at US$1.8 million, Q-Free Netherlands is to supply Raytheon with automatic licence plate recognition (ALPR) systems for its Massachusetts Department of Transport (MassDot) all electronic toll system project in the US. The contract comprises Q-Free’s Intrada ALPR which automatically reads licence plate numbers from still images, together with Intrada VSR which identifies vehicles even if the licence plate is partially occluded, by matching the image to an earlier surveillance. The con

The International Bridge, Tunnel and Turnpike Association (IBTTA) has applauded Governors Beshear (Kentucky) and Kasich (Ohio) following their announcement that they plan to use tolls to pay for at least part of the US$2.63 billion Brent Spence Bridge replacement. Brent Spence Bridge is a double deck, cantilevered truss bridge that carries Interstates 71 and 75 across the Ohio River between Covington, Kentucky and Cincinnati, Ohio. Originally designed to carry 80,000 vehicles per day, approximately 172,0

According to transport planning consultancy Steer Davies Gleave (SDG), the experiences of European cities like London, Milan and Stockholm show that implementing a congestion charging scheme has a positive effect on road user behaviour leading to a better quality of life for residents. However, it also poses challenges for decision makers, technicians, the private sector and users. In Latin America, where congestion levels are high and continuing to rise in its major cities, there is an opportunity to le

Oregon’s Department of Transportation (ODOT) has preliminarily chosen Sanef, Verizon and telematics company Azuga as vendors in the nation’s first large scale pay-by the mile road usage charge (RUC) program, according to Michelle Godfrey, the program’s public affairs officer. Sanef was selected as the ODOT account manager to provide full turnkey mileage reporting and account management equipment and operations. The company served as the account manager in Oregon’s earlier pilot project. Verizon, alon

Since it launched on 30 November last year, Dart Charge has already helped to speed up journeys by removing the need to stop at a barrier to pay the Dartford Crossing charge. To get the most benefit from the changes, the UK Highways Agency has developed a new way of identifying and managing over-height vehicles and dangerous loads before they enter the tunnel, a job that until now was carried out at the payment barriers. All major tunnels have rules about what substances can be taken through them an

Executive director and CEO of the International Bridge, Tunnel and Turnpike Association (IBTTA), Patrick D. Jones, has made a statement on the State of the Union Address, saying: “In his State of the Union Address tonight, President Obama said that Republicans and Democrats must work together to make critical repairs and improvements to our long-neglected transportation infrastructure. As the economy starts back on the right track, Congress can rescue this vital part of our economic engine from further d

Göteborg, Sweden, city officials are looking at alternative ways to improve air quality in the city after a proposed congestion charge was rejected by citizens in a referendum last September. A study commissioned by the City Executive Office has been examining the impact of a number of different initiatives, including more accessible, free or reduced-price public transport, and speed restrictions. “There is no other single measure that has the same effect on the environment and congestion that the cha

A Miami transportation executive, Javier Rodriguez, executive director of the Miami-Dade Expressway Authority (MDX), has been named 2015 president of the International Bridge, Tunnel and Turnpike Association’s (IBTTA). As a transportation leader, Rodriguez is poised to lead IBTTA during this challenging time. Under Rodriguez's leadership, MDX converted its expressways to an all-electronic system. Before joining MDX in 2007, Rodriguez spent 16 years with the Florida Department of Transportation, including

Thomas Falck, who has been acting as Q-Free’s CEO on a contract basis since January 2014, has been appointed CEO from 1 January 2015. Falck says he has had a hectic first year at Q-Free, and is positive about taking on the role permanently.

American Traffic Solutions (ATS) Fleet Services has added the state of Georgia to its PlatePass centralised ele3ctronic toll payment nationwide coverage. PlatePass is an electronic toll payment and management solution that that enables fleets to take advantage of high-speed, cashless toll lanes with or without an in-vehicle transponder, saving them save time and money. Fleet customers enrolled in the program have saved up to 50 per cent on their toll management costs. “We are excited to now include Ge