Communicating with Customers About Tolling Changes

Communicating with Customers
About Tolling Changes:
The Bay Area FasTrak® Experience
Carol Kuester
Director, Electronic Payments
Overview
Three examples of changes in tolling to achieve policy objectives:
∗ Time of day pricing and carpool tolls on San Francisco Bay Bridge
∗ All electronic tolling on Golden Gate Bridge
∗ Regional express lane network
In each case, changing driver behavior is key.
Complicated messages are more difficult to deliver.
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Bridges
• Antioch
• Benicia-Martinez
• Carquinez
• Dumbarton
• Richmond-San Rafael
• San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge
• San Mateo-Hayward
• Golden Gate Bridge
Express Lanes
• I-680 Express Lane
• SR-237 Express Lane
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Bay Area Partnerships
This image cannot currently be displayed.
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California Interoperable FasTrak® Tag
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Regional Toll Collection
Policy Change
Purpose
Commute into San Francisco (WB)
Influence congestion patterns by changing
driver behavior
July 1, 2010 Policy Change
• All Bay Area bridges increased tolls
• Congestion pricing introduced on the
San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge
• Implemented carpool toll requirements
Source: http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/ipd/images/revenue/webinar_033011/033011_image001.jpg
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Bay Bridge Congestion Pricing
Bay Bridge Auto Toll
• Weekday Peak: $6
• Weekday Off Peak: $4
• Weekends: $5
• Other state owned bridges: $5
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Shift in Driver Behavior
-Travel PeriodWeekday AM Peak Direction Traffic Volume
Westbound Direction
Shift in Traffic Volume
• Increase in pre-carpool
hour travel
• Decrease over the entire
carpool period
• Increase in post-carpool
hour travel
Carpool Period
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Shift in Travel Mode
-TransitBART Weekday Hourly Transbay Ridership
Westbound Direction
BART Transbay Ridership
AM Peak: +2,100 pax (5%)
PM Peak: +1,600 pax (13%)
AM Peak
PM Peak
All Day:
+5,300 pax (7%)
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New Carpool Rules
Prior carpool rules
• Carpool definition generally 3+
• Free in commute periods
New carpool fare
• State owned bridges $2.50
• Golden Gate Bridge $3.00
New rules to qualify as carpool
• Requires FasTrak use
• Travel in designated carpool lanes only
Source: http://www.sfgate.com/news/article/New-bridge-tolls-shake-upcasual-carpool-market-3255827.php#photo-2405069
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Shift in Toll Payment Method
-Electronic Toll CollectionNew FasTrak Accounts Opened Weekly
March through September 2010
Peak = 11,800
Steady state = 5,000
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Express Lane Network
Phase I
Two express lanes operating today
• I-680 southbound
• SR-237
More facilities coming
• I-580
• Regional network including
• HOV conversion
• Bridge approaches
Three agencies delivering lanes
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Growing the Express Lane Network
Multiple Express Lane Operators in
Regional Network
• 550 miles planned
• Business rules &policies
• Infrastructure
• Public facing points of contact
Regional Messaging to Users
• What is it?, How do I use it?, How
much does it cost?
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All Electronic Tolling (AET)
-Golden Gate Bridge-
Cash collection removed from the Golden Gate Bridge toll plaza in March 2013
• Toll collection methods
— License plate image used to bill the
registered vehicle owner
— FasTrak tag
• Introduced new payment options
— Image based license plate accounts
— Cash payment kiosks at retail locations
• Other Bay Area bridges will be studied
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AET Marketing Campaign
Pre-Launch Marketing
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New website
Instructional video
Press releases
Radio ads
Social media campaign
Tourism/Visitor outreach
Community outreach
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AET Challenges
On-going education for casual users
• Visitors/Tourists
― Rental car agreements
Managing multiple brands
• Delivering different business rules
seamlessly
• Balancing independence with regional
consistency
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Looking Forward
Continue strategies to relieve congestion
• Conversion of staffed bridge toll lanes to
dedicated FasTrak lanes
• Evaluate AET expansion
• Expand Express Lane network
Communicate with drivers throughout
• Targeted outreach to carpoolers for
Express Lanes
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FasTrak® Keeps the
Bay Area Moving
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