Pre-Classification Provides Accurate Axle Counts

Camino Colombia Toll Road (CCTR) offers a border crossing free of congestion and connects the main traffic arteries in South Texas and North Mexico. The Comino Colombia highway is the first privately owned toll road in Texas, and also provides the only hazardous cargo route in the region.

This unique project is setting trends for the tolling industry. It is the first location to use Idris® Smart loops in a pre-classification mode with reversible lane directions.

The vehicle pre-classification solves one of the tolling industry's challenges in providing accurate vehicle axle counts and classification. The ldris® Smart Loop System predetermines the vehicle class as it approaches the toll pay point. The proper classification and fare amount are displayed automatically for the toll collector. The toll road owners have determined that this system is much faster, more accurate, takes the work load off the attendant, and it ensures that all vehicles are classified based on the owners ed criteria, rather than that of the toll collector.

Carlos Y Benavides Ill, President, comments, “The toll system was completely built, installed, and operational within three months. The management tools are easy to use and every transaction has a complete audit trail.'

“The toll collectors have found the axle classification very reliable and consistent. Any discrepancies quickly surface and can be reviewed by video with the transaction record', says Andy Farias, Collection Manager.

The CCTR Facility, which opened on 18 October 2000, is located in Laredo, Texas, connecting the fourth river crossing, Colombia Solidarity Bridge, over the Rio Gronde. It was funded privately by a large group of families, with the cooperation of the Texas Department of Transportation, to provide four lanes of tolling.

The road has four lanes of limited access highway and is maintained to the strictest standards by Virginia Maintenance Services (VMS).

Road operations ensure unimpeded passage. Complete with a convenient on site truck transfer facility and a US Customs operation, Comino Colombia also provides simple and easy access to the Colombia Solidarity Bridge from three critical arteries: 1H - 35, US - 83, and SH - 44; it also connects to the Nuevo Laredo Highway in Mexico.

United Toll Systems LLC (UTS) designed, developed and supplied the CCTR toll management system, using the latest available tolling technology. The system allows the owner to create a user definable classification system that offers a ion of up to 50 different types of vehicles. UTS has integrated the Idris® Smart loop system into their Intelligent Vehicle Classification System (IVCS).

Peek Traffic Inc. worked closely with UTS to develop the interfaces between the ldris® system and the toll lane controller.

UTS is on Alaborna based toll integration company that provides Toll Management Systems, including hardware and software as well as complete facilities management services.

In Denver, the E-470 Tollway continues to expand the use of Idris® Smart technology to provide a low maintenance solution for all their ramps. The technology has become the standard for vehicle detection on all 22 ramps, which provide access for customers using cash or Express Toll (AVI) for electronic toll collection.

Idris® supplies vehicle counts and seperation for each entry ramp lane, as well as a trigger for the Violation Enforcement System, using two inductive loops in each lane.

Source: Smartways Spring/Summer 2001

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