Case 4: Biddles Corner - AT600 Express Tolling
Location: Biddles Corner Toll Plaza
Client: Delaware Department of Transportation (DelDoT)
Application: Idris AT600 Early Express Lane Application
ITP: Peek Traffic Corporation
Background: In 1996, the Delaware Department of Toll Roads was looking for a classification system that could function at a high level of accuracy in high speed express ETC lanes. The first site was Biddles Corner, north of Dover on the SR1 (State Road 1) toll road. SR1 extends the length of Delaware and DelDoT needed to expand the capacity of the Biddles plaza to support the traffic growth. Increasing the number of lanes would have been difficult and expensive because of constrained right of way. The decision was taken to install two express, free flow running lanes and 2 shoulders through the centre of the plaza.
Project Detail: SR1 is not only a major thoroughfare north and south through the state carrying considerable commercial traffic, but it is also located in a major agricultural area. Accordingly, many types of trailers are utilized including goosenecks. Further, Delaware experiences a full range of weather patterns ranging from snow and ice to blowing rain and fog. Standard lane technology consisting of treadles and light curtains were considered to be inappropriate for the express application and the Idris® technology was chosen. Biddles Corner became one of the earliest multi express lane applications in the USA using the multilane, axle classification capabilities of Idris. Working with Idris Technology Partner (ITP), Peek Traffic Corporation, the Idris technology was thoroughly tested, integration completed and the plaza opened in October 1999.
Outcome: Since 1999 the system has been classifying vehicles to a recorded accuracy of better than 99.7% and the results from Biddles were so conclusive that Idris was chosen as the standard for express lane operations in Delaware. In 2000 DelDoT won a tolling innovation award for their toll system at Biddles Corner and the implementation of Idris.
Conclusion: Five years further on, the technology is still producing the same level of accuracy. It has since been deployed into the Dover Plaza, on SR1, in the spring of 2004. Biddles Corner received a system upgrade May in 2005. This was to resolve hardware redundancy and brought the plaza up to date with newer versions of the Idris algorithms. Though accuracy levels have never been an issue to DelDoT, it is expected that, the upgrade will show an increase in performance and accuracy levels achieved.
The Idris Technology is protected by one or more of the following patents:![]()
EP0879457, USA 6345228, 6483443 and 6337640
Registered Patents also include but not limited to European Countries, Brazil, Mexico, Canada & Australia.
Idris® is a registered trademark of Diamond Consulting Services Ltd.
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