INFRASTRUCTURE, TRANSPORTATION & UTILITIES INTERVIEW
Committed The Glassboro-Camden Line is moving forward with cooperation among regional authorities
Stephen Dougherty Executive Director – South Jersey Transportation Authority (SJTA) What is the status of the Glassboro-Camden Line? The Glassboro-Camden Line is an exciting project for the SJTA. In September 2020, we implemented our first toll increase in 12 years. Once that went into effect, we started several different projects locally on the roadway and here in South Jersey. One of the biggest was the commitment to help advance the Glassboro-Camden Line, which we think is exciting in the context of the Atlantic City Expressway. We’ve earmarked a significant financial pledge of up to $200 million in partnership with the Delaware River Port Authority. Earlier this year, both Authority boards approved an MOU to work together to move that project forward. It’s interesting for us to be able to partner with a fellow agency here in South Jersey with a similar mindset and mission to improve our region and be able to get people moving in a more efficient way. What is the main challenge in promoting an efficient and safe transportation system? One of our biggest projects from a capital standpoint is All-Electronic Tolling. We are working closely with the New Jersey Turnpike to bring this technology to New Jersey. We expect to put out an RFP (request for proposal) that will convert our cash system to a purely all-electronic tolling system. It will eliminate toll barriers where drivers stop and pay cash. As of today, about 82% of our customers use E-ZPass as a payment method. Customers without E-ZPass will receive a bill in the mail to the address in which their car is registered. The system will take a picture of their license plate and they will be charged the toll along with an administration fee to cover the cost of that process. It’s a customer-first approach. Another benefit is that once the system is up for a few years and we have data on where people are getting on and off, we can start to rationalize the toll structure and make it more distance-based, based on
segments of the roadway that people actually use. From a safety standpoint, you will not have to worry about folks stopping on the entrance and exit ramps. Patrons will not need to stop to pay cash, which is the main barrier we have today. From an environmental standpoint, this stopping increases the emission of greenhouse gases. Any toll road that is being built throughout the country and the world is going to an all-electronic system and no one is collecting cash anymore. This will allow us to get caught up not just with the region, but all around the world. We feel like we have to offer a better product or service to our customers all the time so that we can continue to grow the Expressway and improve the experience for all those involved. Specifically, we believe that all-electronic tolling is a major step in that direction from a convenience and safety standpoint. www.capitalanalyticsassociates.com
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