Skip to main content

As east coast battles blizzard, IBTTA praises toll authorities

In advance of what turned out to be blizzard conditions along the US East Coast over the weekend, tolling authorities throughout the region shifted into high gear to prepare for the extreme, winter weather developments. “Toll facility operations sweat the details, plan well ahead, have the necessary tools and equipment needed for severe weather events and know how to use them,” said Patrick D. Jones, executive director and CEO of the International Bridge, Tunnel and Turnpike Association (IBTTA). “Our t
January 25, 2016 Read time: 2 mins
In advance of what turned out to be blizzard conditions along the US East Coast over the weekend, tolling authorities throughout the region shifted into high gear to prepare for the extreme, winter weather developments.

“Toll facility operations sweat the details, plan well ahead, have the necessary tools and equipment needed for severe weather events and know how to use them,” said Patrick D. Jones, executive director and CEO of the 3804 International Bridge, Tunnel and Turnpike Association (IBTTA).  “Our tolling authority members throughout the country, particularly this weekend along the East Coast corridor, are taking this winter weather advisory very seriously. Tolling authorities take a consistent, serious and professional approach to emergency preparedness and response. Roadway and maintenance crews have been training and preparing for this type of situation for years. Toll road customers can expect a strong emphasis on traffic safety and road clearance. Please pay attention to any roadway advisories and guidance.”

According to IBTTA’s 2015 Report on Tolling in the United States, the fatality rate on toll roads throughout the country is about one-third (0.50) the rate of all US roads (1.47 per 100 million vehicle miles travelled.)  One major reason for the improved safety on toll roads is because they are typically operated centrally on a 24-hour basis from modern operations centres linked to dedicated maintenance, emergency response and police personnel. In fact, more than US$14 billion in capital investment was made over three years by the top 40 US toll facilities.

In May 2015, IBTTA brought together experts for a panel discussion and presentation on the “Interagency Emergency Operation Support” for roadway operations, maintenance, and manager personnel interested in collaboration amongst agencies, dealing with emergencies, and learning lessons from industry experience.

The %$Linker: 2 External <?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-16"?><dictionary /> 0 0 0 oLinkExternal webinar and presentation Visit the presentation page false http://ibtta.org/interagency-emergency-operations-support false false%> focused on lessons learned during a major snow emergency in November 2014 in Buffalo, New York and how collaboration between tolling authorities on snow removal assisted in helping drivers stay safe and roadways remain clear.

Related Content

  • October 4, 2012
    Presentations from 2012 Connected Vehicle Safety Workshop now available online
    PowerPoint presentations from September’s Connected Vehicle public meeting in Chicago are now available for viewing on the internet. The meeting, which was organised by the Intelligent Transportation Systems Joint Program Office (ITS JPO), focused on vehicle-to-vehicle safety, the current safety pilot model deployment, development of a robust vehicle-to-infrastructure environment, connected vehicle deployment strategies, and preparation for NHTSA's 2013 decision. In addition, participants had an opportunit
  • June 27, 2019
    Via offers on-demand shared transit for Massachusetts seniors
    Via has launched an on-demand shared transit system for people over the age of 60 in the City of Newton, Massachusetts. Via says the service replaces a taxi voucher system which required passengers to make reservations at least 72 hours in advance. The company will also offer trips to a range of medical facilities outside the city’s boundaries. Using the Via app, riders can hail a vehicle from their smartphone. The company’s algorithms allow riders to share the vehicle and directs users to a nearby pick-
  • November 5, 2012
    Webinar - how the European Electronic Tolling Service Directive will impact fleet telematics
    Telematics Update is hosting a free webinar that will explore how the EETS Directive could provide inter-operable tolling services and seamless mobility across Europe’s boarders. The interactive event will be held on Wednesday 6 November 2012 at 10-11 CEST and is open to the entire fleet telematics community. Due to the different devices and data collection methods used throughout Europe for road user charging (RUC), driving across boarders can be problematic. Truck drivers at present have up to ten differe
  • January 21, 2015
    Big data analytics for congestion management programs
    Iteris is presenting its Big Data Analytics for Congestion Management Programs webinar on Wednesday, 28 January 28at 11 am PST. Traditionally, transportation system performance and congestion monitoring has been limited to using floating car surveys and traffic count data. Data from these conventional methods covered a limited number of observations. With technological advancements, massive traffic data from infrastructure sensors and vehicle probes have become increasingly available. This new and rich d