AUTOMATIC VEHICLE IDENTIFICATION FOR NON-STOP TOLL COLLECTION - THE VIRGINIA EXPERIENCE. SECOND INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON ROAD TRAFFIC MONITORING

This paper summarizes progress on a major US project to automate toll collection on the dulles toll road in Virginia, using automatic vehicle identification (avi) technology. The dulles road avi-based fastoll equipment will be part of an integrated system which will also include conventional cash toll collection. The overall scope of the project is to develop, design, specify, procure, install, commission and evaluate an automated system for non-stop toll collection within the dulles corridor. This paper describes the results of feasibility and design concept development studies, and outlines the technical design as defined so far. The project has been divided into eight overlapping phases, each of which consists of a number of tasks. The feasibility phase, begun December 1987, is completed. This stage included a review of all available technologies, determination of system requirements including traffic analysis, and a technical assessment of alternative designs. An economic feasibility evaluation was also undertaken. Selection of preferred options and delineation of characteristics of the desired system were also completed during this phase. (TRRL)