IBTTA’s International Summit of Rome Brings the World’s Tolling Experts Together

The Co-Chief Meeting Organizers of IBTTA’s International Summit of Rome, October 15-17, 2017 in Rome, Italy are Katie Nees, Practice Leader at HNTB Corporation, Malika Seddi, Director of International Affairs and Customer Services at the Association of motorways and facilities concessionaires in France (ASFA), and Cyndi Ward, Manager of the Dulles Toll Road for the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority. Their comments for Tolling Points focus on the unique issues and challenges that come to the surface when leaders from across the global tolling industry meet.

What factors will make the International Summit of Rome a unique event on IBTTA’s 2017 conference calendar?

CW: This conference is not just about the United States, or just about Europe. It truly focuses on the global tolling movement, bringing the entire world of tolling experts together. From where I sit every day, the issues that we face in tolling, the strategic issues, the planning issues, bringing attention to security on our bridges, none of them are isolated to one toll facility, to one jurisdiction or region. Having all of these professionals together, discussing key topics universally and from an international perspective, all in one conference, will be a tremendous learning experience for everyone there.

MS: Mobility challenges are a worldwide priority. Mobility means access to jobs, education, culture, leisure, and health care. Mobility is also a political necessity, since it is so closely connected to social inclusion. Through that lens, the International Summit of Rome will see expert analysis of the industry’s hottest issues, and participants will get to share their experiences with road safety and maintenance performance, the areas that are our core business.

The whole world is undergoing an industrial revolution, and for our industry, digitalization means a revolution in mobility services. Society is changing, and we can see new ways of consuming mobility services through car-sharing, co-modality, and new mass transit services on motorways. We also face big issues with climate change, which leads us into a focus on renewable energy, clean infrastructure, and connected and autonomous vehicles.

What are the biggest issues and opportunities facing toll concessionaires in the European Union?

MS: Participants in Rome will get a deep dive on what EU concessionaires are doing to develop and maintain a state-of-the-art infrastructure network, continue improving road safety, and promote urban mobility.

We’re working to equip and transform the roadway network with infrastructure that can communicate with vehicles, while adapting the system as a whole to accommodate autonomous vehicles. We’re looking at creative new ways to embrace digital development and mobile payments, while securing that infrastructure against emerging cyber-threats.

And of course, just like our colleagues in other parts of the world, it’s a priority in the European Union to decrease congestion, optimize capacity, develop multimodal hubs, and find an efficient, legislated solution for cross-border enforcement as we move toward full, EU-wide toll interoperability.

CW: What I’ve learned as one of the Chief Meeting Organizers is that the issues and the opportunities for toll concessionaires in the European Union are identical to the issues and opportunities we face in the United States. We all want to build the next generation of mobility. We’re all focused on safety and incident management, and on responding to environmental challenges. All of those issues transcend the universe. So, this is a great opportunity for participants from around the world to gain new perspectives and learn about solutions that have taken root elsewhere.

Where do you see the greatest potential for peer learning, as toll professionals from the European Union and North America gather together to share ideas and best practices?

CW: “In some respects, I do feel that the European Union is very advanced, in their technology and their environmental enhancements. We’re all very focused on safety, cybersecurity, physical security, and this is an opportunity for those of us from North America to learn a few things from our friends and colleagues in the EU.

By the same token, U.S. tolling agencies may have experience to share in incident management and response, an area where I think we do very well, and in cyber and physical security, where we’ve been working closely with our government agencies and learning how to think differently today than in the past.

MS: Road safety is always our top priority, and the area where all our agencies are on the lookout for new ideas and strategies. Europe’s toll motorway network is already four to six times safer than general purpose national roads, but there is still room to do even better, for our customers and our employees.

And, clearly, sustainable financing is a key issue. We can all benefit from sharing what we know about project finance strategies and learning from successful experiences. In Europe, our concession system has allowed us to build and maintain more than 40,000 kilometres of motorway, showing how powerful a tool this model can be for policy-makers working on new mobility plans.

The EU is also encouraging Member States to use infrastructure charging in the most effective and fair manner to promote “user pay” and “polluter pays” principles. By quantifying and internalizing the external costs of road transport, the EU is trying to encourage more efficient use of transport infrastructure and reduce congestion.

IBTTA President Emanuela Stocchi’s theme for this year is International Mobility Connections. How does the Rome Summit program reinforce each of the three elements of that theme?

CW and MS: Throughout her year as president, Emanuela, has worked to bring together the three focal points of her theme, this conference will be the culmination of that effort. It’s not about an individual toll road or bridge. It’s about developing the international facets of the industry, delivering mobility for all, and providing all the connections that make or break the modern tolling experience.

Register today for IBTTA’s International Summit of Rome, October 15-17, 2017 in Rome, Italy

Photo source: Autostrada del Fiori