Automated License Plate Tolling Use the ability, or inability, to perform automated tolling via license plate video tolling as a means of collecting tolls; and
Automated License Plate Tolling Use. Due to the fact that transponders will be required for all HOV users and encouraged for SOV users, video license plate tolling will be utilized as a secondary means of tolling for those SOV users without transponders. This will be especially effective for casual, spur-of-the- moment SOV users that wish to use the managed lane during times of congestion. It is anticipated that license plate tolling users will have a higher toll rate or surcharge. Enforcement: The potential occupancy enforcement options for the Preferred Alternative primarily include manual enforcement at the tolling points. Specifically, since HOV users will be required to have a transponder and will be known to the system (either by switching their switchable transponder or pre- registering) a transaction status beacon can be used to signal to law enforcement if they are a declared HOV user. The officer would then need to visually confirm the occupancy of vehicles to ensure that they are in fact HOV users. The other enforcement benefit is that any users without a transponder can automatically receive a license plate tolling bill, substantially increasing enforcement effectiveness. The Selected Alternative was selected because of its ability to accommodate a large percentage of the anticipated users, with the only exception being free travel for casual HOV users that do not have a switchable transponder or did not pre-register themselves as an HOV. However, since this is primarily a commuter facility and HOV use is typically more premeditated than “spur-of-the-moment” SOV use of the managed lane, it is not expected that casual HOV use of the managed lane will be significant. The primary focus is on assuring transit priority and promoting “deliberate” carpooling.
Automated License Plate Tolling Use. Since transponders will not be required for HOV users, video license plate tolling may not be utilized as a secondary means of tolling. This is due to the fact that the system will not be able to determine the occupancy status of vehicles without transponders. Enforcement: The potential enforcement options for Alternative 2 primarily include manual enforcement at the tolling points. Specifically, since HOV users will not be read by the system, a transaction status beacon can be used to signal to law enforcement that a particular vehicle was assessed a toll. The officer would then need to confirm that vehicles that are not assessed a toll contain the correct number of occupants. Automated enforcement could not be used since no reliable technology exists to discern occupancy within a vehicle. This significantly increases the violation potential on the lanes. Unlike the Preferred Alternative, casual HOV can be accommodated in Alternative 2. However, SOV users without transponders cannot be accommodated. Since this prevents spur-of-the-moment use by SOV during times of congestion, which is expected to be higher than casual HOV use, it is likely that less potential users will be able to utilize the managed lane when compared to the Preferred Alternative. Most importantly, video license plate tolling may not be used under this alternative, which will limit enforcement to manual enforcement only and will result in higher violation rates. The uncertainty as to the impact on collection of toll revenues due to this higher violation rate would present a significant challenge to the financial viability of the facility.
Automated License Plate Tolling Use. Due to the fact that transponders would not be required for any users and HOV vehicles would be flagged in the system, video license plate tolling would be required. All vehicles would be recorded and only those that are not flagged in the system as HOV will be assessed a toll. However, because of the additional processing that will be required to identify the registered user of each vehicle based on the license plate information, transponders will still be encouraged. Enforcement: The potential enforcement options for Alternative 4 primarily include manual enforcement at the declaration areas. Since HOV users are flagged only by use of the declaration lane, the enforcement must be a manual observation as vehicles enter the declaration lanes. It will not be possible to use the transaction status beacon because the images cannot be processed real- time The officer would then need to confirm the vehicles using the HOV declaration lane contain the correct number of occupants. If not, they would receive a HOV violation (regardless of whether they were going to use the managed lane) and if they chose to use the managed lanes their license plate would be flagged to charge a toll. The primary challenges with implementing this alternative are the creation of the HOV self-declaration areas and the conformance by the users. The use of the HOV declaration lane does not mean the users will necessarily use the managed lane. They would also serve as “queue jump” for all HOV users. The manual enforcement of HOV occupancy would be extremely difficult at the non-ramp declaration points. Also this approach would require creation of new software to process the HOV images separately from any managed lane images, insert HOV status, compare them to actual transactions in the managed lanes based on time parameters and then change the toll rate to zero. Further there would need to be a process for voiding the HOV designation for any vehicles that were apprehended violating the vehicle occupancy requirements. As previously mentioned, the mainline entry points at US 36, I-25, and I-270 would need to be modified to create a HOV self-declaration area. It may be difficult and costly to provide these areas. Of greater concern, they would be located outside the current Project boundary. In addition, the following on-ramps would need to be widened to create a separate HOV lane with some being outside the current Project boundary: Broadway(1) Interlocken Parkway East Flati...
