E-470 Goes Cashless
Objectives
July 4th, 2009, the E-470 tollway in Colorado celebrated an Independence Day of symbolic importance – an independence from cash and a transition to all-electronic tolling (AET). A 47-mile tollway around the eastern perimeter of the Denver metro area, E-470 has been in operation since 1991 using a combination of EXpress Toll (RFID transponder) lanes and cash lanes. With an impressive 70% EXpress Toll penetration rate, the E-470 management team began looking for ways to further enhance traveler convenience and satisfaction, while also improving traffic flow and safety on its roadway. The result of this effort was the elimination of cash toll collection on the tollway, which is known to create traffic bottlenecks as well as merging movements using the cash payment lanes. The management of E-470 turned to Idris and PIPS Technology for its solution, which they termed License Plate Toll (LPT). Drivers not possessing an EXpress Toll transponder enjoy the same time savings and safety of open road tolling (ORT) by driving through toll collection points at normal highway speed and use their license plate as a means of identification.
Launching the new LPT
In order to validate the system and educate customers on the new LPT option, the transition to AET took place in phases:
1) E-470 introduced the LPT option in addition to EXpress Toll and cash payments.
2) The elimination of cash payments moving E-470 to the elite ranks of other AET authorities.
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E-470 LPT System
- 20% Reduction in Toll Revenue Leakage
- Improved operating cost
- Vehicle License Plate Identification Technology
- Based on PIPS' SpikeHD ALPR System
- Generates Monthly Bills for Tolls Incurred
- Offers Same Pay Options For Express Tollers
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“The transition to a cashless tolling system has been very smooth and convenient for our customers.”
“The E-470 LPT system is an excellent example of where the future of tolling is headed. This project was an example of how a toll authority, working with toll industry vendors, can create a unique, repeatable, solution to move the industry forward.”
Strategy
The major integration work for this project was introducing the PIPS cameras into the E-470 lanes and testing the software and back-up strategy. In normal operation the cameras are triggered by the lane controller from information supplied by the Idris system and the resulting images are dealt with in real-time. If the lane controller fails or is taken out of service for maintenance or upgrade, the cameras go into an automatic trigger mode. In this mode the cameras self trigger on the recognition of a license plate in the camera’s field of view and store the data locally on the camera. Once the lane controller is back online it downloads the stored images from the cameras, and the RFID tag reads from the RFID tag readers which have also been storing AVI data while the lane controller was down.
The data from both systems are then time correlated to provide complete tolling records. This backup system to the lane controller has proven very effective in the rare cases when a lane controller has failed. Although the time-scale for a change from a mixed environment of manual ACM and high speed ETC lanes to AET at first sight appeared to be very optimistic, it was in fact very achievable. The base technologies in place at E-470 didn’t require any major changes. Their main classification and detection system (Idris) already had front trigger capabilities. The engineering skills of the team ensured the integration for the cameras happened in good time and was in place to meet the various operational deadlines.
Communication with the public played an important role through the transitional period. Roadway signs were altered accordingly, identifying the changes to lanes as phases were introduced. An early communications campaign ensured the public was well- informed and regularly updated on progress. The Community and Public Relations Team for the E-470 spent a year informing the public, communicating the tolling changes and commenting on the benefits of these actions . |
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Results
The combined efforts of the E-470 team allowed for a smooth transition to a cashless environment. Dave Kristick’s comment summed up the feelings of everyone involved with the AET project, “The cooperation of the departments was the most proving experience in my time here at E-470. It gave us cause to work together in the same direction with the same guidance and motivations to make this project successful.”
The work carried out by E-470 has generated a new AET solution with the results speaking for themselves. In the words of Ed DeLozier “I think every employee at E-470 should be extremely proud of their accomplishments. What they did over the past two years is nothing less than phenomenal. We worked together as one unit, and we’re still working closely together today. That’s the kind of organization the employees make it. I’m very proud of every individual in this organization and the facility we provide to our clients.”
For further information, please visit: www.pipstechnology.com
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