Don’t Let Congestion Pricing Take Hold in the US
Before the pandemic, cities around the country were talking about implementing congestion pricing. Experts believe that charging a fee for parts of streets and highways used the most at the busiest times of day reduces demand. They believe that this tax incentivizes drivers to switch to other modes, other routes, or even travel at different […]
Are Tolls already a Done Deal when Officials ask for Public Comments?
Even before the COVID-19 crisis, funding new roads and bridges has been challenging. Inevitably, the idea of creating tolls to fund new builds or rebuilds comes up for discussion. Sometimes toll roads are ramrodded through with little public input as happened in Florida recently. Residents in San Clemente, California, have been organizing for years against […]
Tolls in America—a New Reality?
Private toll companies and state toll agencies have run up against a funding crisis just like the rest of the country. As mentioned in the last Tolling in America blog, if private toll companies are a part of a PPP or Public-Private Partnership, they might bail (as has been done before) if the money they […]
Is it Really Tough Times for Toll Roads Ahead?
By Shelia Dunn, NMA Communications Director The website Chief Investment Officer posted in June a lament for how tough it is for toll roads right now. Here’s a quote, “The typically stable asset class has been hit as traffic levels have dropped 40 percent to 85 percent globally, S&P analysts say.” So the website tells […]
More Fallout in Pennsylvania over Turnpike’s Elimination of 500 Jobs
By Shelia Dunn, NMA Communications Director The technology revolution grinds on, and more jobs will be eliminated as more companies realize they can automate functions. That’s exactly what happened in Pennsylvania during the COVID-19 Crisis. Due to the pandemic, the state’s turnpike commission stopped accepting cash payments for tolls due to safety and announced this […]
Big Changes for Toll Roads in New Jersey and Pennsylvania
By Shelia Dunn, NMA Communications Director Despite NMA and public opposition plus general condemnation for holding hearings during a pandemic, the New Jersey Turnpike Authority voted unanimously on May 27 to increase tolls on two of the state’s largest toll roads. The increase takes effect on September 13, 2020, and would increase the average Turnpike […]
The Fight over NYC Congestion Pricing Goes on. And on…
By Shelia Dunn, NMA Communications Director Could congestion pricing for New York City be over? Probably not, but it will likely not meet its January 2021 start date and not necessarily due to the COVID-19 crisis. The scheme was already in doubt in February before everything hit the proverbial fan. Metropolitan Transportation Administration Chair Pat […]
Opposition comes Together to Oppose Federal Bailout for Toll Operators: NYC Congestion Pricing now Iffy
By Shelia Dunn, NMA Communications Director The Newspaper. Com reported this month that traffic is down two-thirds on US toll roads. This downturn in traffic indeed threatens the revenue model of the foreign companies that operate them. So much so, that earlier in the month, the International Bridge, Tunnel, and Turnpike Authority asked the federal […]
New Jersey takes Advantage of the COVID-19 Crisis by raising Tolls: NMA Tolling in America Blog for April 13, 2020
By Shelia Dunn, NMA Communications Director The Tolling in America Blog is a biweekly feature of the NMA blog. We want to bring the issues of tolling and infrastructure funding to our supporters. Please feel free to comment below the post. New Jersey takes Advantage of the COVID-19 Crisis by raising Tolls Written with assistance […]
Driving in America: An Out-of-State Speeding Ticket –Has this Happened to You?
The NMA Office receives numerous calls throughout the year from members asking how to defeat a speeding ticket they happened to receive driving in another state. Unfortunately, these are rather difficult to fight because many small towns and counties target out-of-state drivers. After all, authorities know they won’t come back to fight the ticket. Ticketing […]