Case 6: First of Type for New Jersey Turnpike Authority
Client: New Jersey Turnpike Authority (NJTA)
Location: Garden State Parkway, State of New Jersey
Idris Technology Partner (ITP): ACS State & Local Solutions (ACS)
Application: Idris AT700 Tolling part of ACS' Vector Express Tolling Solution
Project: Three plazas designed for Open Road Tolling (ORT)
Raritan Plaza: 5 running lanes and 2 shoulders traveling in one direction.
Asbury Plaza: a single direction plaza of 3 running lanes and 2 shoulders.
Toms River Plaza: a bidirectional plaza with 2 lanes and 2 shoulders in each direction.
Background: ACS had already been contracted by NJTA to implement ORT at other toll plazas in New Jersey. The Vector Express Solution at Exit 1 and Exit 18 on the New Jersey Turnpike and Pascak Valley on the Garden State Parkway had already been implemented with great success. With this proven credibility NJTA added a scope of works to the existing Professional Services contract, for ACS to implement the Vector Express Solution to Raritan, Asbury and Tom's River toll plazas.
Unique Features: What is unique about this project is that NJTA, together with ACS and their associated providers, have successfully completed a “first of type” ORT environment at the Raritan plaza consisting of five running lanes with axle classification and two shoulder lanes.
Challenges: The most challenging aspect of the project was the coordination between the construction consortium time scales and ACS' implementation time frame. As is so often the case, the construction stages were allocated the majority of the available time, leaving less than one month for the implementation of the tolling system. ACS' testing schedule had to be compressed down to just 15 days, less than five days at each plaza.
The project design included the conversion of existing manual and ETC lanes to ORT lanes. As Vector Express and the Idris technology were already operational in a number of other lanes and sites, the technical challenges facing ACS were already understood and part of their skill set. However, overcoming the limitations of the AVI technology's capabilities to handle multiple readers across all the lanes was a real achievement.
Project Detail: ACS' Technology Centre, achieved the integration, implementation, testing and opening of three new plazas in a period of less than a month. The whole project from construction to reality took less than 12 months, a feat made possible due to the innovative decisions of ACS to use technologies designed and developed to handle multilane environments.
Each plaza uses the ACS Vector Express Tolling Solution, a purpose designed multilane ORT solution which is supported by the Idris AVC (Automatic Vehicle Classification) and AVI (Automatic Vehicle Identification) correlation technology.
The AVC is carried out by Idris, a loopbased classification and detection system, with proven multilane ORT capabilities, including the ability to correctly place lanestraddling vehicles. Due to the unique ability of Idris to determine the location of vehicles crossing the detection array it is also able to carry out the vehicle to tag correlation. All the lane information then passes on to a fully redundant solution, one lane controller, backed up by a redundant lane controller with failover capabilities. ACS and the developers of the Idris technology, Diamond Consulting Services (DCS), believe in the provision of a robust, multifunctional system capable of meeting all the demands of the tolling operator. Included amongst these functions is the ability of one lane controller to handle all the lanes, deal with the correct assignment of tags, straddling vehicles etc. to ensure a complete picture of the toll lanes and plaza.
Without this type of mutlitasking solution the client would need to provide yet another level of technology to perform these functions. ACS is able provide this complete solution including lane discrimination, through their integrated system. They monitor the position of the vehicles knowing exactly when and where the vehicle is at all times.
The ACS team along with assistance from DCS' Systems Engineer, Wendy Shafer, achieved the rigorous schedule of testing and ironing out any imperfections prior to the plazas opening. Not only did the team achieve the openings on time but some of the ACS engineers managed to make time for the Idris training program and established themselves as ICE's (Idris Certified Engineer).
The official opening dates for the plazas were, 4 5th May for Asbury, 5th 6th May at Raritan and Tom's River was 9th10th May 2005 which shows the fine time line the ACS team had for fault finding should any errors have arisen. Even on this tight schedule they managed to establish operational and stable systems at all plazas upon opening. The plazas were almost achieving contract specifications at the start up stage. The lanes were running with around a 99% accuracy level where the contract specifies an accuracy of 99.5%, with a little fine tuning the system will achieve this level.
Conclusion: Reflecting the satisfaction of the NJTA with the results, Michael Huerta, Managing Director of ACS Transportation Systems and Services said “The success of this implementation is a clear example of the private and public sector working as a partnership. Everyone from the component providers and ACS to NJTA worked together accepting responsibility where necessary to ensure the project moved forward as a whole. The end result, is a true ORT solution.”
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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