DOCSLIB.ORG

Effects of the Open Road Tolling on Safety Performance of Freeway Mainline 2 Toll Plazas 3 4 5 Hong Yang (Corresponding Author) 6 Ph

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Effects of the Open Road Tolling on Safety Performance of Freeway Mainline 2 Toll Plazas 3 4 5 Hong Yang (Corresponding Author) 6 Ph 1 Effects of the Open Road Tolling on Safety Performance of Freeway Mainline 2 Toll Plazas 3 4 5 Hong Yang (Corresponding Author) 6 Ph. D. Candidate, 7 Rutgers Intelligent Transportation Systems (RITS) Laboratory, 8 Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, 9 Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, 10 623 Bowser Rd. Piscataway, NJ 08854 USA, 11 Tel: (732) 445-0576 x119 12 Fax: (732) 445-0577 13 E-mail: [email protected] 14 15 Kaan Ozbay, Ph. D. 16 Professor & Director, 17 Rutgers Intelligent Transportation Systems (RITS) Laboratory, 18 Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, 19 Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, 20 623 Bowser Rd. Piscataway, NJ 08854 USA, 21 Tel: (732) 445-2792 22 Fax: (732) 445-0577 23 E-mail: [email protected] 24 25 Bekir Bartin, Ph. D. 26 Research Associate, 27 Rutgers Intelligent Transportation Systems (RITS) Laboratory, 28 Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, 29 Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, 30 623 Bowser Rd. Piscataway, NJ 08854 USA, 31 Tel: (732) 445-3162 32 Fax: (732) 445-0577 33 E-mail: [email protected] 34 35 36 37 Abstract: 263 38 Word count: 4712 Text + 7 Tables + 4 Figures = 7462 39 Submission Date: August 1, 2011 40 Resubmission Date: November 15, 2011 41 42 43 44 Paper submitted for Presentation and Publication in the 45 Transportation Research Record, Journal of Transportation Research Board after being presented 46 Transportation Research Board’s 91st Annual Meeting, Washington, D.C., 2012 DownloadedTRB 2012 from Annual amonline.trb.org Meeting Paper revised from original submittal. Yang, Ozbay and Bartin 2 1 ABSTRACT 2 Advances of Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) technologies promoted the implementation 3 of open road tolling (ORT) on tolled freeways worldwide. This new tolling solution converts 4 existing barrier tollbooths to express lanes capable of collecting tolls at high-speeds. ORT has 5 demonstrated numerous benefits in reducing traffic congestion and air pollution. However, 6 effects of ORT on safety are still not clear, as most of ORT systems have only been operated for 7 a relatively short period of time. Therefore, this study aims to evaluate the safety impacts of ORT 8 by studying locations where such tolling solution was recently deployed on the Garden State 9 Parkway in New Jersey. Multiple-year crash data at the toll plazas before-after the 10 implementation of the ORT systems were used for analysis. Full Bayes methodology is 11 employed to estimate crash frequency models as a function of traffic and toll plaza 12 configurations. These models were used to estimate the crash frequency assuming that the ORT 13 systems were not installed. Then, these estimations were compared with the observed number of 14 crashes occurred after the deployment of the ORT systems. Individual comparisons show that 15 crash reductions are observed at most of the toll plazas. The overall comparison shows that 16 crashes at locations where ORT systems were deployed are decreased by about 24 percent after 17 deployment of these systems. It can thus be concluded that the use of ORT is a beneficial 18 solution towards improving toll road safety. From an implementation point of view, the analyses 19 results indicate that special attention should be paid to operational elements such as signage, 20 diversion and merge designs of the ORT systems. DownloadedTRB 2012 from Annual amonline.trb.org Meeting Paper revised from original submittal. Yang, Ozbay and Bartin 3 1 INTRODUCTION 2 Open road tolling (ORT) is a new generation of tolling solution that will eventually lead to a 3 conversion of conventional toll plazas to barrier-free electronic toll collections in the future. By 4 design, ORT consisting of high-speed (express) electronic toll collection (ETC) lanes allows 5 vehicles to electronically and automatically pay tolls without slowing down from highway 6 speeds. Typically, there are two types of implementation of ORT (1). The first type is the all- 7 electronic ORT which completely replaces barrier tollbooths by express ETC lanes (2, 3). 8 Without the presence of tollbooths, this type of ORT design enables automatic debiting via in- 9 vehicle transponders (e.g., E-ZPass tags) or other automatic vehicle identification (AVI) 10 technologies. The second is the interim type of ORT implementation, which is being deployed by 11 many toll authorities. It installs express ETC lanes by retrofitting existing tollbooths to permit 12 high-speed non-stop toll collection for ETC users and other registered users only (1, 4). Cash or 13 coin users are still diverted to use remaining barrier booths off the express ETC lanes. 14 In the United States, many highway authorities in states like New Jersey, Florida and 15 Illinois have implemented the ORT concept in recent years (e.g., 5-7). Demonstration projects 16 have shown that the implementation of ORT is an effective means of relieving congestion. For 17 example, Klodzinski et al. (1) evaluated the addition of ORT to a mainline toll plaza in Florida 18 and found that installation of express ETC lanes reduced delays by 49.8 percent for cash users 19 and by 55.3 percent for automatic coin machine (ACM) users. According to Levinson and 20 Odlyzko (8), express ETC lanes of ORT can increase throughput, from 350 to 400 vehicles per 21 hour per lane with manual collection up to 2200 vehicles per hour per lane. The use of ORT has 22 also been shown to significantly reduce emissions. For instance, Lin and Yu (9) quantified 23 various ORT deployment scenarios on Illinois toll highways and suggested that the near roadside 24 carbon monoxide concentration levels and diesel particulate matter emissions can be reduced by 25 up to 37 percent and 58 percent, respectively. 26 While ORT can sharply reduce transaction-related delays and pollution at toll plazas, 27 safety impacts of retrofitting existing toll plazas and installing express ETC lanes, however, is 28 still not so clear. ORT systems can be deemed safer since high-speed tolls avoid the safety 29 deficiency of barrier toll plazas as they eliminate many stop-and-go traffic, dangerous 30 interactions and distractions (10). On the other hand, diverging and merging of vehicles that use 31 express ETC lanes at higher speeds might increase traffic conflicts (e.g., 11, 12). Cash and coin 32 users must exit to use the barrier tollbooths and then merge with high-speed users on express 33 lanes. These maneuvers may raise more safety issues. Unlike those easily measurable benefits 34 such as capacity improvement and reduction of costs in toll collection (e.g., 13-16), it is difficult 35 to evaluate safety performance of the new tolling solution shortly after its implementation 36 because of the random and rare occurrence of motor vehicle crashes. Quantifying safety 37 performance of ORT requires long-term crash data collected at toll plazas with and without the 38 deployment of ORT. 39 This study aims to evaluate the impact of implementing ORT on crash rates at toll plazas 40 by using extensive data collected at multiple mainline toll plazas with and without the 41 deployment of express ETC lanes on Garden State Parkway in New Jersey. The crash data 42 available in this study cover the period from January 2001 to December 2009. Therefore, safety 43 performance of toll plazas with and without express ETC lanes can be analyzed and compared 44 using these multiple-year crash data (17). DownloadedTRB 2012 from Annual amonline.trb.org Meeting Paper revised from original submittal. Yang, Ozbay and Bartin 4 1 OPEN ROAD TOLLING IN NEW JERSEY 2 Gardens State Parkway (GSP) is a 172.4-mile limited-access toll parkway with 359 exits and 3 entrances. Over 380 million vehicles travel the GSP which stretches the length of New Jersey 4 (NJ) from the New York (NY) state line at Montvale to Cape May at the southern tip of the state. 5 Tolls are collected at 50 locations, including 11 mainline toll plazas and 39 on entrance and exit 6 ramps (18). It is among America’s busiest highways, serving users from NJ and NY’s most 7 marketable communities (19, 20). 8 The GSP operator (GSP was operated by the NJ Highway Authority (NJHA) until 2003 9 and later by the NJ Turnpike Authority (NJTA)) always focused on using new toll collection 10 technologies to improve tolling efficiency and reduce congestion. After the first toll collected 11 manually in 1954, automatic coin machines (ACM) were introduced in early 1950s and had 12 spread to most toll plazas and ramps on the Parkway by 1959 (21). When a toll increased beyond 13 the quarter, tokens were introduced in the early 1980s. They continued to be available until 14 January 2002 and ceased to be accepted in payment in January 2009 (21). Regular (low-speed) 15 ETC system was implemented in 1999. The entire ETC system was completed in August 2000 16 (20). The ETC system has been widely adopted by travelers with an ETC penetration rate beyond 17 70 percent on GSP (22). 18 In 2001, the state government issued an order to promote a 10-year congestion relief plan 19 for GSP (13). Under the plan, elimination of mainline barriers in one direction and use of express 20 ETC lanes of ORT in the other were recommended. By 2010, all mainline barriers except Toms 21 River were converted to one-way tolling (express ETC lanes were added to both directions at the 22 Toms River toll plaza). Between 2004 and 2006, the open road tolling program was implemented. 23 Express ETC lanes of ORT have been installed at a number of toll plazas listed in TABLE 1.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Conduent Electronic Toll Collection Systems
    Conduent Transportation Roadway Charging & Management Conduent Tolling Solutions Improve mobility and revenue with our end-to-end program management It’s a fact that roadway managers and agencies are faced with the ever- changing challenge of improving the daily mobility of people, freight, and other commerce. That’s why we have an array of tolling solutions to increase and manage your traffic flow. We can help you design, implement, and operate the best combination for your agency. Modern open-road tolling systems help travelers and commercial goods move more efficiently with less congestion. This helps the economy expand and provides a crucial method of funding our growing transportation infrastructure needs. Numerous studies have shown that all-electronic tolling reduces traffic congestion, improves overall mobility and fosters safer and more predictable travel times. Electronic Toll Collection Back Office System:Our back office system makes it easy for account owners to interact with customer support through the full array of communication channels such as voice, email, text, or chatbot; and resolve questions. Our services and operations are so tightly integrated that we’re able to take advantage of the data collected in operations and constantly improve customer service. Electronic Toll Collection Roadside System: It’s in your best interest – as well as ours – to increase operational efficiencies wherever possible. We install all required overhead and roadside hardware and related software needed to deliver a fully functional, accurate and reliable tolling system. Vehicle Passenger Detection System: Make sure your managed lanes are being used properly, so that they are increasing throughput of people on the roadway.
    [Show full text]
  • Tolling Policy and Implementation Issues Policy Issue Paper
    Tolling Policy and Implementation Issues Policy Issue Paper Description of Policy Issue As a result of diminishing traditional transportation funding sources such as motor fuel taxes and barriers associated with increasing them, many states have begun examining tolling revenue as an alternative funding source for transportation projects. The Commission has asked the following questions about tolling as a revenue source: What portions of Wisconsin roadways could be tolled? What implementation issues and user concerns would need to be addressed? To answer these questions, this paper will identify statutory, policy and operational challenges to be resolved in Wisconsin in order to implement tolling; analyze automated tolling options and the pros and cons of each; and discuss administrative costs and implementation issues associated with recent tolling projects in Colorado and Texas. Tolling is defined as the collection of a fixed fee from motorists for highway use as a tool to generate transportation revenue. Pricing is the use of tolls that vary by level of vehicle demand and is used primarily to manage congestion. A distinctly different concept is vehicle-miles- traveled (VMT) fees, which are distance-based fees levied on a vehicle user on a per-mile basis. To date, VMT fees as a method of revenue exist merely in proposal form while toll roads are increasingly common across the United States. This paper focuses only on tolling programs. Tolling takes three general forms in the United States: bridge/tunnel tolls, highway corridor tolls, and congestion pricing. Bridge tolls include both interstate and non-interstate bridges/tunnels, and some connect Canada and the United States.
    [Show full text]
  • The Feasibility of Open Road Tolling in Florida
    The Feasibility of Open Road Tolling in Florida ________________________________________________________________ November 2001 Prepared by the Center for Urban Transportation Research, University of South Florida, in collaboration with the Florida Department of Transportation, Florida’s Turnpike, the Miami-Dade Expressway Authority, the Orlando-Orange County Expressway Authority, and the Tampa-Hillsborough County Expressway Authority The Feasibility of Open Road Tolling in Florida Table of Contents Executive Summary ..........................................................................................3 Introduction .......................................................................................................8 Open Road Tolling Defined............................................................................9 Background..................................................................................................12 Study Purpose .............................................................................................13 Study Organization ......................................................................................14 Why Examine All Electronic Toll Collection? ...................................................16 Customer Impacts and Marketing....................................................................18 Telephone Survey........................................................................................19 Focus Group Findings .................................................................................24
    [Show full text]
  • Technologies That Enable Congestion Pricing a Primer Quality Assurance Statement
    Technologies That Enable Congestion Pricing A PRIMER Quality Assurance Statement The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) provides high quality information to serve Government, industry, and the public in a manner that promotes public understanding. Standards and policies are used to ensure and maximize the quality, objectivity, utility, and integrity of its information. FHWA periodically reviews quality issues and adjusts its programs and processes to ensure continuous quality improvement. Contents The Primer Series and the Purpose of This Volume 2 Congestion-Pricing Options 4 Functional Processes for Tolling and Congestion Charging 6 Primary Tolling and Pricing-System Components 7 Paper-Based Systems 7 Manual-Toll Facilities 8 Image-Based Tolling/Automatic License Plate Recognition (ALPR) Technology 9 DSRC Free-Flow Toll Using Transponders and Gantries 9 VPS Technologies 11 Cellular Telephone and Pico-Cell Systems 12 Combination Systems 13 Sub-System Technologies 14 Informing and Providing Standardized Signs and Lane Markings 14 Vehicle-Occupancy Detection Technologies 15 Vehicle-Identification and Classification Systems 15 Telecommunications: Roadside and Centralized Control Equipment 16 Automation of Operations 17 Payment Systems for Pre- and Post-Payment of Tolls and Charges 17 Secondary Enforcement 18 System Reliability and Accuracy of DSRC Systems 18 OBU Distribution Facilities 19 ITS Integration 19 Acronym List/Glossary 20 References 23 The Primer Series and the Purpose of This Volume States and local jurisdictions are increasingly dis- About This Primer Series cussing congestion pricing as a strategy for improv- The Congestion Pricing Primer Series is part of FHWA’s outreach efforts ing transportation system performance. In fact, to introduce the various aspects of congestion pricing to decision-makers many transportation experts believe that conges- and transportation professionals in the United States.
    [Show full text]
  • Proven Transportation Leadership: a Backwards Look
    Proven Transportation Leadership: A Backwards Look By Jack Finn, P.E. “A leader,” says former U.S. First Lady Rosalynn Carter, “takes people where they want to go. A great leader takes people where they don’t necessarily want to go, but ought to be.” Could Charon, then, be thought of as a leader? The mythological Greek god and ferryman of Hades took the newly dead from one side of the river Styx to the other—only if they had a silver coin to pay for the ride. Those who could not pay had to wander the banks of the river Styx for one hundred years. In Greek mythology, there were several sections of Hades, includ- ing the Elysian Fields (comparable to Heaven), and Tartarus (com- parable to Hell). Charon started the dead on their journey through Hades. He took them where they wanted to go. Charon—and so many to follow in the tolling industry—saw a need and filled it. He provided a transportation solution, albeit a macabre one. Was Charon an entrepreneur? Yes. A leader? Perhaps, in the literal sense that he led people across the river. Was he a great leader? No. Leadership Issue 103 Great leaders in the tolling industry are made of tougher stuff than Representative Cliff Patterson commissioned a study to investigate Charon. They face complex challenges and provide transportation the feasibility of a superhighway through the Allegheny Mountains solutions to communities around the world. The tolling industry of Pennsylvania to link Harrisburg and Pittsburgh. The following has offered great leadership to the transportation industry overall, year, the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission was established with bringing mobility, technology and financing to where it “ought to Walter A.
    [Show full text]
  • Florida's Turnpike All-Electronic Open Road
    Florida’s Turnpike All-Electronic Open Road Tolling Frequently Asked Questions October 2010 Florida’s Turnpike Enterprise (FTE) will introduce all-electronic open road tolling — a safer, more efficient, seamless method of collecting tolls from customers — on the Turnpike between Milepost 0 in Florida City and Milepost 47 at the Miami-Dade/Broward County line. The projected date for conversion to all-electronic open road tolling on this stretch of the Turnpike is early 2011. Florida’s Turnpike has always been a leader in the worldwide toll industry, and new technologies now allow the opportunity to collect tolls electronically from both SunPass and non-SunPass customers while providing a safe, cost effective and efficient transportation system for residents, businesses and visitors. Q. What is all-electronic open road tolling? A. All-electronic open road tolling is a set of technologies that allow for the payment of tolls electronically, using special equipment located on overhead gantries. Simply put, it refers to a toll road without cash tollbooths, where traffic flows unimpeded at ramp or highway speeds. Tolls are collected through a SunPass transponder or through TOLL-BY-PLATESM — a system that captures images of license plates and bills customers. All- electronic toll collection provides added convenience for drivers who no longer have to slow down or stop to pay a toll. Q. Why is Florida’s Turnpike Enterprise transitioning to all-electronic toll collection? A. Since SunPass was launched in 1999, the Turnpike’s goal has been to eliminate cash toll collection on its roads because electronic tolling is the safest, most convenient and most efficient way to pay tolls.
    [Show full text]
  • Best Practices Guide for Improving Automated License Plate Reader Effectiveness Through Uniform License Plate Design and Manufacture
    Best Practices Guide for Improving Automated License Plate Reader Effectiveness through Uniform License Plate Design and Manufacture July, 2012 Revised October 30, 2012 In early 2011, Customs and Border Protection (CBP) asked the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators (AAMVA) if stacked letters are part of a state’s official license plate number. AAMVA advised that a national standard does not exist. Subsequent discussions revealed a broader scope of issues that adversely impact Automated License Plate Reader (ALPR) effectiveness in accurately reading license plate numbers. Further complicating the issue is the fact that many of the business rules governing the creation of license plate numbers vary from state to state. As a result, AAMVA formed the ALPR Working Group to address the non‐standardization of license plate design and manufacture among the states as well as the provinces and territories of Canada (hereinafter referred to as jurisdictions). The Working Group, funded by CBP, conducted its first meeting in June 2011. Working group members included representatives from state motor vehicle agencies, law enforcement, a toll authority and CBP. Several industry representatives served as technical advisors to the working group. Table of Contents Table of Contents .................................................................................................................................. i Executive Summary ............................................................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • Toll Collection Technology and Best Practices (0-5217-P1)
    0-5217-P1 Toll Collection Technology and Best Practices Authors: Dr. Khali Persad Dr. C. Michael Walton Shahriyar Hussain Project 0-5217: Vehicle/License Plate Identification for Toll Collection Applications AUGUST 2006; REVISED JANUARY 2007 Performing Organization: Sponsoring Organization: Center for Transportation Research Texas Department of Transportation The University of Texas at Austin Research and Technology Implementation Office 3208 Red River, Suite 200 P.O. Box 5080 Austin, Texas 78705-2650 Austin, Texas 78763-5080 Project conducted in cooperation with the Federal Highway Administration and the Texas Department of Transportation. Abstract: In this research product, tolling practices and technologies are Keywords: No. of Pages: presented. Likely developments and enhancements are reviewed, along Tolling, tolling practice, with potential tie-ins to other Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) electronic toll collection, 38 deployments. Ultimately, this research project will develop tolling technology. recommendations for vehicle identification/registration systems with the potential to link the tolling function to other desirable transportation system management functions. Table of Contents Introduction................................................................................................................................... 1 Section 1: Tolling Practice............................................................................................................ 1 1.1 Objectives of Tolling .............................................................................................................1
    [Show full text]
  • All-Electronic Tolling: Saving the Environment, Your Wallet, and Your Time
    White Paper #2 — The Future of Tolling All-Electronic Tolling: Saving the Environment, Your Wallet, and Your Time. Compiled by: A-to-Be® | Mobility-Beyond Executive Summary All-Electronic Tolling (AET) is an increasingly popular option in the tolling industry, used 56 percent of tolling facilities in the United States as of 20191. In the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, this shift toward AET is only accelerating. Besides the health benefits of reducing physical contact, AET helps operators save money, keep their toll booth operators healthier, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, reduce the safety risks of stopped cars, and perhaps most importantly to their clients, keep vehicle traffic moving. Despite all of these benefits, AET presents a few challenges to operators, including losing on-site customer service from the toll booth operator, having potentially higher leakage rates, the difficulty of collecting payments by mail, and how to include unbanked drivers or those who do not wish to use a transponder. In this white paper, we will begin by defining AET, followed by a discussion of the benefits and challenges of AET, and will propose ways to overcome these challenges, supported by the example of A-to-Be client Northwest Parkway in Colorado, which converted their system to AET in 2009 with the help of A-to-Be. www.A-to-Be.com A-to-Be White Paper #2— The Future of Tolling— May, 2021 «All-Electronic Tolling: Saving the Environment, Your Wallet, and Your Time» Introduction All-Electronic Tolling (AET) is not exactly new to the tolling industry anymore, but it’s still not universal for a variety of reasons.
    [Show full text]
  • Interstate System Toll Roads in the United States (In Operation As of January 1, 2017) Table T-1, Part 3
    INTERSTATE SYSTEM TOLL ROADS IN THE UNITED STATES (IN OPERATION AS OF JANUARY 1, 2017) TABLE T-1, PART 3 HPMS Financing or State Name of Facility Toll ID Operating Authority California I-15 Value Pricing Project 16 San Diego Assoc of Gov; CA Dept of Trans California I-680 SMART Carpool Lanes 297 Alameda County Congestion Management Agency California I-880 / SR 237 Express Connector 298 Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority California I-110 Express Lanes 313 Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority California I-10 Express Lanes 338 Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority Colorado HOV/Tolled Express Lanes 24 Plenary Roads Denver Colorado I-70 Eastbound Mountain Express Lane 258 High Performance Transportation Enterprise Colorado I-25 North to 120th Ave. 259 High Performance Transportation Enterprise Delaware John F. Kennedy Memorial Highway (Delaware Turnpike) 28 DE Dept of Trans Delaware John F. Kennedy Memorial Highway (Delaware Turnpike) 28 DE Dept of Trans Florida Alligator Alley (Everglades Parkway) 44 FL Dept of Transportation Florida I-95 Express 302 FL Dept of Transportation Florida I-595 Express 340 FL Dept of Transportation I 595 Express, LLC Georgia I-85 Express Lanes 360 State Road and Tollway Authority (SRTA) Illinois Ronald Reagan Memorial Tollway 72 IL State Toll Highway Authority Illinois Ronald Reagan Memorial Tollway 72 IL State Toll Highway Authority Illinois Veterans Memorial Tollway 73 IL State Toll Highway Authority Length 1/ Interstate From To Miles Kilometers Rural/Urban Route SR 56/ Ted Williams Pkwy SR 52 8.00 12.87 Urban 15 SR 84/ Pleasanton SR 237 Milpitas 14.00 22.53 Urban 680 I-880 SR 237 4.00 6.44 Urban 880 Harbor Gateway Transit Center Adams Blvd 11.00 17.70 Urban 110 Alameda St/Union Station I-605 14.00 22.53 Urban 10 20th Ave, downtown Denver US 36 and Kalamath St.
    [Show full text]
  • Comprehensive Tolling Plan for Additional Interstate and Controlled Access State Highways in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts
    Comprehensive Tolling Plan for Additional Interstate and Controlled Access State Highways in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Report to the Legislature December, 2013 Report to the Legislature Comprehensive Tolling Plan Comprehensive Tolling Plan for Additional Interstate and Limited Access State Highways in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ................................................................................................................................... i 1 PURPOSE AND NEED.......................................................................................................................... 1 1.1 Massachusetts Legislative Requirements............................................................................................ 1 1.2 Funding Goals .................................................................................................................................... 1 1.3 MassDOT Policy Goals ........................................................................................................................ 2 1.4 Federal Tolling Policy ......................................................................................................................... 4 1.5 State Laws and Tolling........................................................................................................................ 8 1.6 Study Approach ............................................................................................................................... 10 2 RECENT STUDIES AND TOLL DEVELOPMENTS
    [Show full text]
  • Modernizing the Interstate Highway System Via Toll Finance by Robert W
    Policy Study 423 September 2013 Interstate 2.0: Modernizing the Interstate Highway System via Toll Finance by Robert W. Poole, Jr., Searle Freedom Trust Transportation Fellow Reason Foundation Reason Foundation’s mission is to advance a free society by developing, applying and promoting libertarian principles, including individual liberty, free markets and the rule of law. We use journalism and public policy research to influence the frameworks and actions of policymakers, journalists and opinion leaders. Reason Foundation’s nonpartisan public policy research promotes choice, competition and a dynamic market economy as the foundation for human dignity and progress. Reason produces rigorous, peer-reviewed research and directly engages the policy process, seeking strategies that emphasize cooperation, flexibility, local knowledge and results. Through practical and innovative approaches to complex problems, Reason seeks to change the way people think about issues, and promote policies that allow and encourage individu- als and voluntary institutions to flourish. Reason Foundation is a tax-exempt research and education organization as defined under IRS code 501(c)(3). Reason Foundation is supported by voluntary contributions from individuals, foundations and corporations. The views are those of the author, not necessarily those of Reason Foundation or its trustees. Copyright © 2013 Reason Foundation. All rights reserved. Reason Foundation Interstate 2.0: Modernizing the Interstate Highway System via Toll Finance By Robert W. Poole, Jr. Executive Summary The Interstate highway system is America’s most important surface transportation system. With just 2.5% of the nation’s lane-miles of highway, it handles some 25% of all vehicle miles of travel. It served to open the country to trade and travel, enabling the just-in-time logistics system at the heart of U.S.
    [Show full text]