RIDOT RELEASES DATA FOR FIRST MONTH OF TOLLING

The Rhode Island Department of Transportation (RIDOT) today released key data from the State’s tractor trailer truck only tolling program for the period from June 11, 2018, when tolling started, to July 10, 2018. The data included the number of transactions, number of diversions, and receivables from gantry locations 1 and 2. RIDOT released the data to maintain transparency about the program and to demonstrate the stability of the system.

RIDOT Director Peter Alviti said, «With one full month of operation under our belts, we feel confident that the tractor trailer truck only tolling system is working as expected. The data we are seeing is in line with what we had estimated and all is going well. We are seeing a stable tolling system. We have and will continue to monitor the system closely.»

RIDOT conducted three increasingly intensive traffic studies prior to the start of tolling. As a result, RIDOT estimated that approximately 7,300 vehicles that qualified to be tolled would pass through the first two gantries on weekdays and approximately 2,200 on weekends. This would be a total of approximately 177,000 tolled vehicles estimated for the first month of tolling. The actual number of vehicles tolled during the first month was 188,815.

Studies conducted by the consulting company Louis Berger estimated that 300 tractor trailer trucks would divert from I-95 daily at tolling locations 1 and 2 and travel instead on Route 3. The actual counts have indicated an increase of an average of four tractor trailers trucks per day travelling on Route 3 after tolling started as compared to the number of tractor trailer trucks that regularly use this road. Being such a small number, this may or may not be due to diversion.

Extensive financial studies estimated that receivables from gantry locations 1 and 2 for each 30-day period would be about $598,667.00. For the one-month period from June 11 to July 10, 2018, the receivables totaled $625,989.00 or $27,322.00 more than estimated.

RIDOT recently submitted the Environmental Assessment (EA) for the next ten gantry locations to the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA). RIDOT will accept public comment on this EA until August 11, 2018 and will hold public comment meetings on July 27, 2018.