National Trailblazer in Tolling Technology Hosts This Year’s AET Summit

IBTTA’s eighth annual Summit on All-Electronic Tolling, Managed Lanes, and Interoperability convenes July 20-22 in San Diego, a community that has been a national trailblazer in the introduction of state-of-the-art tolling technology.

In the late 1990s, the San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG) opened an eight-mile express lane along Interstate Highway 15, the first in the United States where pricing was adjusted through the day to balance traffic volumes between free and tolled roadways. It turned out that nothing succeeds like success: based on their initial experience with the road, taxpayers voted to expand it in 2004. The last segment of the 20-mile Express Lanes opened in 2012, and now the entire corridor (including the general purpose lanes) accommodates a daily average of 300,000 trips. SANDAG has plans to deliver a network of Express Lanes throughout the region, providing 130 miles of improved service and choice.

Fast forward about 15 years, to an all-electronic tolling (AET) summit that features a flurry of technology innovations that continue to transform the industry. Conference presentations will cover:

• -Tried and true methods to improve the customer experience and make tolling as seamless and convenient as possible;
• -The meteoric rise of managed lanes, like the 20-mile segment along Interstate 15 (I-15), that ease rush hour congestion and deliver a safer, more predictable ride;
• -The rapid emergence of smart phone apps that can supplement tolling technology, offering customers a single access point for tolls, transit, roadside assistance, and a menu of other services; and
• -Connected and autonomous vehicle technologies that will soon be available in standard automobiles, bringing about the next round of transformative change in highway driving.

Click here for IBTTA’s SmartMove success story on SANDAG’s I-15 express lane project.

Click here for information on IBTTA’s 2014 Summit on All-Electronic Tolling, Managed Lanes, and Interoperability, July 20-22, 2014 in San Diego.