Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission Wins 2019 Toll Excellence Award for Technology Helping Traffic Flow and Travel Times

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Tuesday, July 23, 2019

CONTACT: Bill Cramer, Communications Director

[email protected] or 202-210-2962 (mobile)
 

PTC Selected for Technology Award for the Development of Web Based Application to Monitor Roadways for Early Detection and Response to Emergencies

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The International Bridge, Tunnel and Turnpike Association (IBTTA) today announced the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission has been awarded the 2019 Toll Excellence Award for Technology for the development of a suite of web based application, “Catch it Early, Act, Analyze and Review” allowing duty officers to respond proactively to situations as they arise in order to maintain traffic flow and more effectively monitor driver’s travel times across the Pennsylvania Turnpike.

The 2019 Toll Excellence Awards will formally be presented during IBTTA's 87th Annual Meeting and Exhibition, September 15-17, 2019 in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. One recipient will be honored with the prestigious President’s Award for Excellence during the awards ceremony.

“The Pennsylvania Turnpike Commissions’ embrace of new technologies means faster response times, increased traffic flow and safer trips for drivers utilizing the 552 miles of roadway throughout the Pennsylvania Turnpike,” said Patrick Jones, Executive Director and CEO of IBTTA. “The Pennsylvania Turnpike has taken on a tough transportation challenge and worked with partners to find a practical solution. We’re incredibly proud of the work they’ve done to represent our industry. On behalf of the transportation community, we congratulate the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission on this well-deserve recognition.”

“Our key guiding principles at the PA Turnpike include safety, innovation and customer service, and this suite of apps is remarkable because it envelopes them all,” said PA Turnpike CEO Mark Compton. “I am extremely pleased how our team collaborated on these solutions — which will help improve situational awareness and enhance safety for our contracted responders, maintenance employees and customers. We certainly appreciate this acknowledgement of our work from IBTTA and our industry partners.”

The International Bridge, Tunnel and Turnpike Association (IBTTA) is the worldwide association for the owners and operators of toll facilities and the businesses that serve tolling. Founded in 1932, IBTTA has members in 23 countries on six continents. Through advocacy, thought leadership and education, members are implementing state-of-the-art, innovative user-based transportation financing solutions to address the critical infrastructure challenges of the 21st Century. For more information, please visit www.ibtta.org or join us on Twitter @IBTTA or #TollRoads.

Each year, IBTTA presents the Toll Excellence Awards to highlight the very best projects, innovations and solutions from the international tolling industry. The awards encourage the industry to share and celebrate new ideas and emerging practices in six categories: Administration and Finance; Customer Service and Marketing Outreach; Social Responsibility; Technology; Toll Operations, Engineering and Maintenance; and Private Sector Innovation. You can view the full list of 2019 winners by visiting this link.

For more information about the awards, please contact Bill Cramer, Communications Director, IBTTA, [email protected]; 202.210.2962.

Background on the 2019 Toll Excellence Award for Technology

Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission’s Geographic Information System (GIS) Web Application - https://arcg.is/1uP98z

Catch it Early is the mantra for a new geographic information system (GIS) web application created by the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission. The application helps duty officers respond proactively to traffic flow and travel times across the Pennsylvania Turnpike.  Historically, the Computer Aided Dispatch System (CADs) database was used to track fire stations and Emergency Medical Service (EMS) providers that service various sections of the Pennsylvania Turnpike.  The PTC's GeoAnalytics team in conjunction with the Traffic, Engineering and Operations (TEO) department, developed a suite of tools to increase the visual awareness of traffic operations.  The PTC partnered with Waze, AccuWeather, INRIX and Verizon, to gain access to real-time data-feeds.  GIS applications and dashboards were developed to display real-time data feeds, video, photos, radar, wind, travel speeds, weather, traffic conditions and the PTC safety and truck locations. These data layers help users and duty officers quickly identify major traffic incidents.  With this suite of tools, The PTC is able to "Catch it Early, Act, Analyze and Review" (CAAR). The applications and dashboards allow the TEO to quickly detect, view, and evaluate affected areas and identify relevant emergency service providers for any given section of monitored roadway.

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About the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission
The Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission operates and maintains 552 miles of toll roads in the commonwealth. It oversees 68 fare-collection facilities, 17 service plazas and 27 maintenance facilities. With more than 2,000 employees, it generated $1.2 billion in annual toll revenue from 201.2 million vehicles in fiscal year 2018. Known as “America’s First Superhighway,” it opened Oct. 1, 1940. To learn more, visit www.paturnpike.com.

About IBTTA

The International Bridge, Tunnel and Turnpike Association (IBTTA) is the worldwide association for the owners and operators of toll facilities and the businesses that serve tolling. Founded in 1932, IBTTA has members in 23 countries on six continents. Through advocacy, thought leadership and education, members are implementing state-of-the-art, innovative user-based transportation financing solutions to address the critical infrastructure challenges of the 21st Century. For more information, please visit www.ibtta.org or join us on Twitter @IBTTA or #TollRoads.