Texas, Oklahoma move to interoperable tolling

Electronic toll systems in Texas and Oklahoma could be interoperable as soon as 2014, according to toll authorities from both states.

Moves to link tolling systems in Texas and Oklahoma will enable drivers with Texas tolling accounts or Oklahoma turnpike accounts to travel on the other state’s toll roads using their current toll tags. The tolls would be automatically billed to the out-of-state driver’s account. “Oklahoma Governor Mary Fallin said it would be good to have interoperability with other states, including Texas,” says Jack Damrill, public information officer, Oklahoma Turnpike Authority. “She has expressed interest and encouraged our participation in those initiatives.”

North Texas Tollway Authority (2082 NTTA), the Texas tollway authority covering counties bordering Oklahoma, is making a similar push. In February, its Board of Directors officially voted to start negotiations with Oklahoma.

The number of interstate toll users is not large compared with the total number of users. Michael Rey, media relations manager, North Texas Tollway Authority, says about two per cent of traffic on NTTA roadways is classified as out-of-state traffic, and half of that traffic is from Oklahoma and Louisiana. Both states still see interoperability as advantageous, however.

“We have common users and they will see a benefit from having one tag on multiple systems,” Damrill notes.

Most significant advantage

Ease of use for customers is seen as the most significant advantage. First, interoperability will allow the out-of-state drivers to use the open road tolling services without stopping to pay tolls. In addition, drivers will only need one tag and one tolling account, and will receive a single invoice, streamlining the entire process.

From the state’s perspective, revenue is recognised much faster with transponder-based tolling. Allowing more drivers to use the technology also improves the tollway authority’s productivity by avoiding manual review and verification of millions of images processed through OCR, and improving accuracy significantly on the out-of-state invoicing.

“The key next step is a signed inter-local agreement with Texas,” Damrill explains. “Once the signed agreement is in place, the next implementation steps can be developed, but currently, we are working with Texas to come to final agreement.”

Although tollway authorities from both states have said that their systems could be interoperable by 2014, finalisation of the agreement is not expected until the end of this year. So the question remains how quickly the systems can actually be made interoperable once the agreement is signed.

The next challenges will be completing the business rules for cross-state transactions; reviewing business rules and interface control documents; communicating the new arrangement to tollway users in both states; and working toward the “one account one tag” concept.

Hub of activity

Texas already has extensive experience in interoperability, because the multiple regional tollway authorities in the state – including the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT), NTTA, Harris County Toll Road Authority (HCTRA) and Central Texas Regional Mobility Authority – are connected via the Texas Interoperable Toll Transaction Hub.

The Hub, which is managed by an inter-agency group called Team Texas, connects the electronic tolling systems of all tollway authorities in Texas. Three different tolling tags currently operating within the state –  NTTA’s TollTag, HCTRA’s EZ Tag and TxDOT’s TxTag – can be used on any of the state’s tollway systems.

“Citizens of Texas don’t care who operates the tollways, they just want to be able to drive within our state,” says Rey. “Even though our state is extraordinarily large, there is a history of Texas folks driving across the state, so they find the interoperability enabled by the Hub to be very convenient.”

In terms of interstate interoperability, Texas already has an agreement with neighbouring state Louisiana, established in 2012. However, it does not involve a connection via the Texas Hub. The agreement simply allows NTTA and the state of Louisiana to share drivers’ licence information from, and invoice, out-of-state drivers who use each other’s tolling facilities.
The NTTA already has a process to pursue tolls owed by out-of-state drivers. A third-party provider offers NTTA vehicle information from all 50 states. With the new agreement, however, NTTA will not have to pay the third party for Louisiana licence plate information. The NTTA will now receive that information directly from the Louisiana Department of Transportation at no cost.

Per the agreement, NTTA receives a list of the most recent names and complete addresses of registered vehicle owners from the Louisiana Department of Public Safety. When Louisiana drivers incur tolls on NTTA tollways, they are identified on that list and immediately invoiced.

Clearly, connecting another state’s electronic tolling system to the Texas tolling systems via the Hub would be a much more efficient approach. A final decision still must be made on whether the upcoming interoperability agreement with Oklahoma will include a connection through the Hub, but that is currently the NTTA’s expectation.

If Oklahoma becomes a member of the Texas Interoperable Toll Transaction Hub, the Oklahoma toll system will be seamlessly connected to all the tollway authorities in Texas.

“If we go forward with this, if we can find something that is equally attractive to both Texas and Oklahoma, we will look to run Oklahoma through the Texas Hub,” says Rey. “But it is all very preliminary right now.”

“We are moving forward on executing this and making it happen,” Rey adds. “Given the success of the Hub and Team Texas, I don’t foresee any barriers right now. I think it is doable. The interest is there - it is just a matter of working out the agreement.”

Seamless transition

Both states are expecting a seamless transition due to the fact that all tollway systems in Texas and Oklahoma use similar 139 Transcore tolling technology.

“The transition is easier because each state’s electronic tolling system is supplied by TransCore and can read Sego Tags based on the ATA or Sego protocol in the tag,” Damrill points out.

For example, Oklahoma uses TransCore Encompass 6 Readers, with Sego mode stickers, hard cases and licence plate tags.

According to TransCore, Encompass 6 Readers are the only readers that are interoperable with all transportation-related protocols commonly used in North America. The company’s Encompass 6 Reader is an integrated high-speed, multi-protocol 915 MHz RFID reader system that includes an RF transceiver board and processor in a single assembly.

When asked if any specific technology changes or new technologies will be required to make the systems interoperable, Damrill responded: “We do not believe so at this time, but we won’t know until we get into the details with the Texas tolling authorities.”