Autoblog

Oh, Snap! Watch what happens when this bus slides through toll barrier

Zach Bowman — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 14:58:00 EST

It's common knowledge that buses fight dirty. Enter into fisticuffs with public transportation and you're likely to find yourself on the raw end of a well-aimed 2x4 plank. Just ask the pedestrian in the video after the jump. We're short on context with this one, but from the looks of things, the bus attempts to come to a stop for a traffic checkpoint or tollbooth, only to slide on black ice and bowl straight through the traffic control arm.

It all sounds innocuous enough, but click past the break to check out the unintended result for yourself.

Continue reading Oh, Snap! Watch what happens when this bus slides through toll barrier

Oh, Snap! Watch what happens when this bus slides through toll barrier originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 23 Jan 2012 14:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: Motorists file class action suit against Florida toll road for... taking hostages?

Jeff Glucker — Wed, 23 Feb 2011 13:32:00 EST

Filed under: Government/Legal, Safety

Florida motorists are officially fed up with the actions of the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) and Faneuil Inc. The latter is a private firm hired by the FDOT to manage its tollbooth operations. A class-action lawsuit filed against both parties alleges that toll booth operators have been holding cash-paying motorists hostage.

Paying with cash causes an increase in operating costs for Faneuil because workers are needed to handle the money and provide change. In an apparent attempt to dissuade drivers from paying with cash, tollbooth operators are required to fill out Bill Detection Report. The driver's license plate number, vehicle make and model and driver's license information are all written down. The barrier isn't lifted until this information is provided, and many motorists feel this policy is out of control. For its part, Faneeil would prefer that drivers switch to the automated SunPass system, which would help reduce operating costs.

The lawsuit alleges that civil rights are being violated and claims this is a form of false imprisonment. Neither the FDOT or Faneuil have commented on the lawsuit.

[Source: TheNewspaper.com | Image: Getty]

Report: Motorists file class action suit against Florida toll road for... taking hostages? originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 23 Feb 2011 13:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Study: Americans prefer tolls over fuel taxes... how about you?

Sam Abuelsamid — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 15:29:00 EST

Filed under: Government/Legal, Earnings/Financials

One fact seems indisputable: Americans have come to hate taxes and any suggestion by a politician to raise them is tantamount to political suicide. The problem is that public infrastructure requires funding - and lots of it. Critics of this disparity would argue that a lack of political will to raise fuel taxes has left roads, bridges and tunnels across America crumbling in recent decades.

A new survey conducted by HNTB Corporation suggests that Americans would prefer to pay tolls or let their roads crumble rather than pay higher fuel taxes. While this may well be a valid survey, it's important to note that HNTB is an infrastructure firm that supplies toll collecting equipment, among other things.

In any case, the study's findings note that "when given a choice between new roads funded by an increased gas tax, by new tolls or no new roads at all, Americans prefer tolls (41 percent) or no new roads at all (41 percent) over increased gas taxes (18 percent)." Further, "A strong majority of Americans (84 percent) feel tolls should be considered project-by-project or as a primary source of transportation revenue. Only a small minority (16 percent) say tolls should never be used."

In the old days, toll booths were a pain because every car had to stop and pay. The advent of affordable radio frequency transponder systems like EZ-Pass now allows commuters to drive toll roads and pay automatically without stopping - or even thinking about how much money using such systems costs them. Of course, this type of toll collecting raises other issues including invasion of privacy concerns, since the operators know where specific cars are at certain points in time. There's also the possibility of account hacking or errors where someone could end up charging their driving to other accounts.

What do you think about tolls? Check out the full press release after the jump for more of the study's findings, then drop your fellow readers a line in Comments.

[Source: HNTB Corporation | Image: Wikimedia Commons]

Continue reading Study: Americans prefer tolls over fuel taxes... how about you?

Study: Americans prefer tolls over fuel taxes... how about you? originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 26 Jul 2010 15:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Chicago inching closer to freeway congestion charges?

Jonathon Ramsey — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 08:30:00 EST

Filed under: Government/Legal

Chicago ranks number three on the list of cities with the worst traffic. Following a study by the Municipal Planning Council and the Illinois Tollway, one suggested way to remedy the issue is the introduction of congestion pricing on Chicago-area toll roads. This isn't the flat-fee congestion charge from London, but rather the supply-and-demand based flexible pricing already adopted on toll roads in California and Minneapolis: at peak times, the toll goes up, during off-hours the toll drops.

Portions of three highways have been mentioned as good candidates: the Stevenson Expressway, Jane Adams Tollway, and the Kennedy Expressway. The city is a long way from enacting the idea but it has been debating it for years, and in addition to the quality-of-life and pollution-level benefits, the city has its eye on the more than $23 million in aid that increased tolls could provide to Chicago's financial situation.

Critics of the idea contend that such "Lexus lanes" will only be a boon for the rich. The authorities respond that surveys have showed widespread approval in all of the states where variable pricing has been put in place. We don't know how much that would rely on the study's claim that tollway drivers would "be assured of free-flowing traffic, even in rush hour," which is a bold claim to make. Yet with 22 states said to be studying the same idea, it appears as though the sheer momentum could eventually overcome opposition.

[Source: Chicago Tribune | Image: Getty]

Chicago inching closer to freeway congestion charges? originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 21 Jul 2010 08:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ohio Turnpike begins accepting credit & debit cards at toll booths

Noah Joseph — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 09:01:00 EST

Filed under: Etc.

Cruising the Ohio Turnpike is about to get a whole lot easier. Anyone who's ever traveled the highway is probably plenty familiar with the annoyance of having to scrounge for change and small bills to pay at each toll booth. But after holding out for years, the Ohio Turnpike Commission is taking a big step forward. Not only will they now institute the E-Z Pass system already implemented across much of the northeast, but many toll booths will now begin accepting debit and credit cards even if you're not part of the E-Z Pass program.

The implementation of the credit and debit card readers will begin at select, low-traffic toll booths by the end of the year, eventually to be installed at a larger array along the 241-mile highway. Neighboring Indiana will follow suit as well, where the E-Z Pass system is already in effect.

[Source: Cleveland.com via Kicking Tires | Image courtesy of WikiMedia Commons]

Ohio Turnpike begins accepting credit & debit cards at toll booths originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 10 Jun 2009 09:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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