Electronic Toll Collection System Enhancement

It is probably the most frequently asked question among the customers who use the seven toll bridges operated by the Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission: "Why does the Commission use gates (traffic-control arms) at its toll plazas?"

There is a three-fold answer: First, the gates are an enforcement tool to prevent toll scofflaws from driving up toll costs for the law-abiding public. Second, the gates provide a safety function at many toll plazas by slowing traffic so toll-collection personnel can walk to and from their assigned booths. Third, the gates are not permanent; the Commission is undertaking efforts to remove the gates at its toll facilities.

Toll gates currently can be found in mixed-mode (combined manual and E-ZPass-equipped) toll lanes and E-ZPass^SM-only lanes. These devices are very effective in combating toll scofflaws; however they force motorists to slow down or stop to pay their tolls. While motorists have expressed frustration over the gates, they have enabled the Commission to attain one of the best toll-collection rates in the region. Moreover, toll agencies without gates have in certain instances incurred some significant losses. One New Jersey resident was cited in 2008 for owing $1,700 in tolls and $36,000 in administration fees to a toll agency that does not use gates. Additionally, a Maryland man was facing a jail term after racking up $4,748 in unpaid tolls and $30,000 in fees and penalties for passing through gate-less toll plazas without paying.

The Commission recognizes that, from time to time, the gates can exacerbate traffic congestion at the agency's toll facilities during peak travel periods. For this reason, the Commission is moving to eliminate the gates through a multi-pronged effort aimed at enhancing the toll-collection system. The results of this action will be seen first by motorists who use the Commission's busiest toll bridges - especially drivers who use E-ZPass^SM.

The first prong of toll-collection enhancements is a new contract the Commission approved in October 2008 for the operation and maintenance of a comprehensive Customer Service Center and Violation Processing Center (CSC/VPC Systems). This contract, which will take full effect by the middle of 2009, is structured to coincide with a phasing out of the gates at the Commission's toll plazas and the installation of Violation Enforcement System (VES) technology - high-resolution cameras and lights - in toll collection lanes. This contract also will help the Commission in a corresponding effort to implement Open Road Tolling (ORT) - electronic toll collection at highway speeds -- at the I-78 and Delaware Water Gap (I-80) Toll Bridges. The contract to design, build, operate, and maintain the new Customer Service Center and Violations Processing Center was awarded to Electronic Transaction Consultants Corporation (ETC) of Richardson, Texas in the amount of $10,601,049.

The second prong is an In-Lane Toll System Design, Build and Maintain Contract that the Commission awarded in January 2009. Under this contract, the Violation Enforcement System (VES) of Optical Character Recognition -- high-speed, high-resolution cameras and lights -- will begin to be installed at Commission toll facilities. The first facility to see this improvement will be the Trenton-Morrisville (Route 1) Toll Bridge. That facility will then be followed by I-78, Delaware Water Gap (I-80), and Easton-Phillipsburg (Route 22) Toll Bridges. Finally, this contract calls for the design, development, integration, installation and testing of ORT at the I-78 Toll Bridge and the Delaware Water Gap (I-80) Toll Bridge. This multi-year contract for VES/ORT Systems and maintenance of the existing ETC system was awarded to ACS State and Local Solutions of Washington, D.C. in the amount of $10,276,986.

The final prong of toll-collection enhancements involves the physical alteration of toll plaza layouts at I-78 and DWG (I-80). When the design work for ORT lanes at I-78 and a concept study and design work for I-80 are completed, construction contracts to physically alter the existing I-78 and I-80 toll plazas, roadway, signage and pavement markings to include ORT collections will need to be prepared, released for bid and awarded.

The Commission currently is working with Electronic Transaction Consultants Corporation (ETC) to transition the Customer Service Center by June 2009 and add the Violation Processing Center by fall 2009.

The Commission hopes to begin having its first VES lanes operational by either late 2009 or early 2010, a juncture that will enable the agency to remove its first wave of toll gates.

The current timeline calls for ORT to be operational at I-78 and I-80 within a year.