Alliance for Toll-Free Interstates Fall 2020 Update
Editor’s Note: The National Motorists Association has been partnering with the Alliance or ATFI for many years and is proud to bring their latest update to the NMA’s Tolling in America Blog. With the ongoing global pandemic caused by COVID-19, toll roads continue to see decreased users and vital traffic, leading to a freefall of […]
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 […]
6 Key Connectivity Requirements of Autonomous Vehicles
Creating a safe and reliable autonomous vehicle or AV would indeed be an immensely achievable landmark for humankind. The AV race is on with Ford, Tesla, Apple, Renault, Uber, and many other automakers competing for technical expertise and becoming the “first” to launch. That last five to ten percent of the journey, though, appears to […]
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 […]
Driving Across the Country in the Time of the COVID-19 Crisis and Civil Unrest
By Bob Morrow, Montana NMA Member In late May, I had to fly from Montana back to the Buffalo, New York area to pick up my dad’s car and drive it back to Montana. Dad is 84 and can’t drive anymore. I grew up near Buffalo, but I’ve been living in Montana for most of […]
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 […]
BMW, General Motors, Ford to Start Testing Blockchain Payments in Cars
Over the past few years, several automakers have begun exploring blockchain technology and its integration. It includes blockchain for autonomous vehicles, as well as integration with the supply chain. Blockchain may even become popular in the automotive industry in the same way that revolutionary technologies such as artificial intelligence, machine learning, high-performance GPS, and sensors are. In […]