Skip to main content

Record-breaking year for US toll facilities, says IBTTA

Last year (2015) was a record-breaking year for toll road, bridge and tunnel usage according to a new report from the International Bridge, Tunnel and Turnpike Association (IBTTA). The National Toll Facilities Usage Analysis found that drivers' use of toll roads increased by seven per cent between 2014 and 2015, a record-breaking rate of growth that puts tolling usage on pace to double in less than ten years, says IBTTA. The analysis was compiled by collecting data from 31 toll-operated facilities acros
April 1, 2016 Read time: 2 mins
Last year (2015) was a record-breaking year for toll road, bridge and tunnel usage according to a new report from the 3804 International Bridge, Tunnel and Turnpike Association (IBTTA). The National Toll Facilities Usage Analysis  found that drivers' use of toll roads increased by seven per cent between 2014 and 2015, a record-breaking rate of growth that puts tolling usage on pace to double in less than ten years, says IBTTA.

The analysis was compiled by collecting data from 31 toll-operated facilities across the country in February 2016. That information shows that drivers on the 31 toll facilities surveyed took five billion trips with toll transactions in 2015, an increase of 328 million or seven per cent from 2014 to 2015.

All but one of the 31 toll facilities in the survey reported an increase in traffic volume. About two-thirds of the toll authorities said they had record-breaking years in 2015, recording the largest traffic volume in their history, while approximately one-third of the facilities in the national survey reported double-digit percentage increases.

"From the research, it's clear that not only are more people travelling on our roads and bridges, but that toll road use has increased significantly," said Earl J. “Buddy” Croft III, executive director of the Rhode Island Turnpike and Bridge Authority (RITBA) and president of IBTTA. "Clearly, drivers recognize the benefits of toll roads -- the ease of use provided by electronic payment methods, the trip time-saving benefits and the improved safety that a well maintained toll facility provides."

"One of the more interesting findings is that while the Northeast U.S. has the longest history with toll roads, 10 toll authorities in the South and West showed the largest increase in trips and transactions," said Patrick D. Jones, executive director and CEO of IBTTA.

The IBTTA findings parallel recent 324 US Department of Transportation data of 22 February 2016 that showed Americans drove 3.1 trillion miles last year, making 2015 the most heavily travelled year in US history. In 2014, Americans drove three trillion miles, representing a 3.3 per cent increase in traffic from 2014 to 2015.

Related Content

  • January 12, 2023
    New officers for IBTTA in 2023
    Appointees to executive committee of tolling organisation's board serve a one-year term
  • December 19, 2013
    Maine toll road evaluates AET
    A new ten year plan released by the Maine Turnpike Authority defers decisions on work to upgrade its three largest toll plazas pending completion of a next generation toll collection study that will consider the costs and benefits of going all-electronic, versus open road electronic tolling (ORT) and cash and a timetable. Objections from local residents and the failure of the Turnpike to consider the alternative of all-electronic tolling (AET) led to the delay of a previous ten year plan in 2009 that set
  • May 24, 2017
    IBTTA calls on Congress to repeal regulation on tolling interstate highways
    The White House has released President Trump’s fiscal year 2018 budget, including a US$200 billion investment in infrastructure projects over the next 10 years with a focus on leveraging the power of public private partnerships. The International Bridge, Tunnel and Turnpike Association (IBTTA) has responded, saying the government should repeal the burden of regulation and give states maximum flexibility to use financing tools to meet their local needs. 35 states and territories throughout the country have u
  • December 16, 2016
    IBTTA seeks transportation innovation
    IBTTA’s Patrick Jones contemplates the need for, sources of and constraints on transportation innovation. For years now, visionary thinkers and doers in the highway transportation community have been laser-focused on the role of innovation in addressing the most pressing mobility challenges.