Skip to main content

New survey shows technology revolutionising tolling

Advances in electronic tolling are transforming highway transportation by providing greater mobility, smoother traffic flow, and improved safety for drivers and their passengers, according to new survey data released by the International Bridge, Tunnel and Turnpike Association (IBTTA). The new survey, Toll Technology Transforms Mobility for Customers, conducted during the third quarter of 2016, collected technology-related data from 36 tolling facilities in 18 states, representing all regions of the cou
September 14, 2016 Read time: 3 mins
Advances in electronic tolling are transforming highway transportation by providing greater mobility, smoother traffic flow, and improved safety for drivers and their passengers, according to new survey data released by the 3804 International Bridge, Tunnel and Turnpike Association (IBTTA).

The new survey, Toll Technology Transforms Mobility for Customers, conducted during the third quarter of 2016, collected technology-related data from 36 tolling facilities in 18 states, representing all regions of the country.

One of the major findings was that, with the implementation of new technologies, cash use continues to decline. As a share of total revenue, from 2010 to 2015 cash use decreased from 29 to 18 per cent.

In addition, between 2010 and 2015, there has been an increase of 19.3 million electronic transponders on America's roads. There were 32.7 million toll accounts in 2015, up sharply from 19.9 million toll accounts in 2010, an increase of more than 64 per cent.

The 36 toll facilities participating in IBTTA’s 2016 National Toll Technology Survey experienced a combined increase of US$4.7 billion in revenues between 2010 and 2015.

According to Earl ‘Buddy J. Croft, III, executive director of the 6162 Rhode Island Turnpike and Bridge Authority, and IBTTA president, as all-electronic tolling (AET) expands, people and goods travel more efficiently, helping to spur more robust economic growth. He said more tolling agencies are turning to AET as a proven congestion-buster that delivers a safer, more predictable ride for users who need to reach their destination on time.

Patrick D. Jones, executive director and CEO of IBTTA said that technology is transforming today's driving experience as more states move away from cash tolls and embrace cashless solutions. Colorado and Washington, with the exception of the Tacoma Narrows Bridge (SR16), already have state-wide AET and Massachusetts plans to deploy AET state-wide this October.

As demonstrated in the report, the ongoing rise in the use of electronic and video tolling—and the decrease in the use of cash on toll facilities—signify an increasingly high-tech future for tolling and transportation throughout the country.

"This data offers us a stunning illustration of how technology has rapidly altered the transportation landscape in the last several years, and forecasts the increasing role it is certain to play well into the future," said Jones.

"As more tolling innovations make their way through the technology pipeline, and as the industry works toward achieving interoperability nationwide, drivers are looking at a user-focused future enhanced by ever-evolving technologies that continually improve convenience and safety on America’s highways, bridges and tunnels," Jones concluded.

Related Content

  • Survey reveals most dangerous driver behaviour in construction zones
    April 26, 2012
    According to a 495 Express Lanes survey of law enforcement officers serving in Northern Virginia, texting while driving is the most dangerous behavior in construction zones, ahead of speeding, aggressive driving and not obeying changing traffic patterns. Yesterday, in conjunction with National Work Zone Awareness Week in the US, partners on one of the largest highway construction projects in the region released these findings in a new distracted driving report.
  • ITS asset management matters
    April 26, 2013
    Maintenance of on-road ITS kit needs to become more sophisticated; while new technologies can deliver better road maintenance. David Crawford investigates both sides of the issue "Good information is key to effective ITS asset maintenance,” says Ian Routledge of the Ian Routledge Consultancy (IRC), whose Imtrac (Information Management for TRAffic Control) system is poised for European expansion. Developed as an ‘intelligent filing cabinet’ for storing information about on-road equipment, the online database
  • Latin America projected to invest in metro systems
    April 22, 2014
    Latin American countries are expected to invest some US$40 billion in metro projects by 2025, according to a report from the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB). "In total, they will build or expand more than US$40bn in 20 projects," stated the report entitled Latin America and the Caribbean in 2025. The report, Latin America and the Caribbean 2015, indicates that some of the projects include construction of line 3 and line 6 in Chilean capital Santiago's subway, expansion of Brazil's São Paulo met
  • Xerox to upgrade New Jersey E-ZPass system
    March 10, 2016
    The New Jersey E-ZPass Group has awarded Xerox an eight-year contract to provide a state-of-the-art customer service centre, violations processing and financial back-office services for its E-ZPass System. Once fully operational, drivers will be able to contact support representatives via phone, e-mail, fax, a mobile application, web and online chat functions. Additionally, all customer correspondence will be presented in a single, dynamic dashboard, allowing agents to view past customer information and