Sep142009
“Open road tolling” on I-95
Filed under General by david brooks at 9:19 pm
I can count on one hand the number of times I’ve driven I-95 through the tiny New Hampshire coast - fortunately, since our short stretch of this infamous East Coast-spanning highway is notorious for backups at the toll plazas. That problem explains why the state and feds are spending many millions to create “open-road tolling” lanes, through which you can zip at highway speeds and still pay the toll; you don’t even have to slow down as much as you do for an E-Z Pass lane.
The state just awarded the design contact to Spanish firm Telvent (press release here; here’s an earlier announcement from DOT about the project).
I don’t know much about this subject, but a little Internet reading indicates that these are usually done via overhead sensors - either RFID readers, which involving E-Z Pass (as NH will) or license-plate cameras.
Telvent says its system will “implement a powerful remote operations and maintenance system to facilitate, through integrated video imaging, real-time sensor data and transaction information, event alerts, notifications and historic playback features.” Cue the Big Brother fears …
September 15th, 2009 at 6:00 am
As a heavy ezpass user I can say… it is WONDERFUL.
Even now age of current technology matters… one can go faster through new NH tolls than through old Mass tolls. (Yeah, speed limit is 10, but one can get through at 25-30… 3rd gear… saves gas.)
Biggest problem now is they put EZPASS only lanes sandwiched between Exact Change and all money… so you get people from EC lanes going 90 degrees accross no-stop lanes because they don't have the e.c.
That lane-changing problem will be even bigger in the future if it is not better organized when legit speed lanes are created.
Big brother exists whether or not one stops for tolls. They still take your photo. Don't like it? Don't take the toll road.
September 15th, 2009 at 8:40 am
Just get rid of the tolls and traffic will move.
If they won't get rid of the tolls start changing EZ Pass users the full amount, no discounts!!!
Have them pay full price, convenience costs money. If you want to go through fast, pay full price or even more!!!
September 15th, 2009 at 9:45 am
I wish they would just get rid of the tolls and raise gas tax a little to pay for construction and maintenance. Seems like a much better solution to trying to use technology to solve a political problem. EZ-pass is convenient but one more intrusion of Big-Brother and is costly to implement.
September 15th, 2009 at 9:49 am
On the other hand, tolls place more of the cost on those who actually use the service - which has a certain fairness aspect.
It's like charging people to ride the bus or subway.
September 15th, 2009 at 12:23 pm
True but a gas tax is a reasonable approximation since one only uses gas while driving. Toll collection has very high overhead costs and even with EZ-pass creates bottlenecks.