DESIGN AND OPERATIONAL RECOMMENDATIONS FOR TOLL PLAZAS EMPLOYING ELECTRONIC TOLL COLLECTION SYSTEMS

Reconstructing toll plazas to increase capacity or improve operational efficiency is not a new phenomenon. However, implementation of Electronic Toll Collection (ETC) systems at toll plazas is. Accordingly, standards (other than manfacturers' specifications for ETC equipment) for the implementation of ETC equipment at reconstructed toll plazas do not exist. A review of the available technical literature indicates that there does not appear to be any single compendium of information which summarizes the experiences of toll authorities that have implemented ETC systems. Most ETC systems were implemented within the past five years, and only a handful predates 1990. Many systems were installed at existing toll plazas which, because of adjacent development, cannot be physically expanded. Thus, these plazas provide an excellent opportunity to learn how toll authorities have retrofitted toll plazas to incorporate ETC equipment and identify design and operational features that could potentially be applicable at other plazas. A resurgence in the construction of new toll roads, such as State Route 91 in California, and implementation of ETC technology on highways in non urban areas, has created an opportunity to identify useful design and operational features. Lessons learned from those experiences might also be applicable at other facilities. This paper examines the results of a survey of ten domestic and two international toll authorities that utilize ETC systems. The survey was conducted in connection with a design study of the Throgs Neck Bridge toll plaza which was prepared by Frederic R. Harris, Inc., of New York City for the Triborough Bridge and Tunnel Authority (TBTA). The primary purposes of the survey of toll authorities were to identify: 1)salient traffic control features, such as lane use, signage, and pavement markings at the toll plaza, and 2)the experience of the authorities with respect to operational aspects of the ETC system, such as presence of gates, availability of express ETC lanes, and fare evasion, etc. The goal of the survey was to develop from the responding authorities a list of the best practices that could potentially be applied to the Throgs Neck Bridge toll plaza as well as other plazas.