Safety Assessment of Barrier Toll Plazas

In New Jersey, a current subject of discussion is the future of toll road barrier toll plazas, such as those on the Garden State Parkway. Concerns have been expressed by taxpayers, who expect their transportation system to be efficient and safe, that more costs are being created by barrier toll plazas than just a 35-cent toll. A politically sensitive situation results when groups such as Citizens Against Tolls challenge groups supporting retention of toll plazas, such as NJTolls.com. Electronic Toll Collection (ETC) introduction, completed in 2001, is among the recent improvements now followed by discussions of completely removing toll plazas or Open Road Tolling. At issue is whether toll-generated revenue is worth associated social costs, namely pollution, accidents, and delay. Barrier toll plaza-associated accident costs on the Garden State Parkway are the focus of the study. The need for investigation was determined through a previous study review, which also provided a means for results comparison. Non-toll and toll areas were selected and labeled along sections of the Garden State Parkway. An appropriate means of comparison was provided through similar traffic volume and travel conditions among non-toll and toll areas. To provide comparison for ETC effects on accident rate, 1998, 2001, and 2002 accident data was obtained. To answer the aforementioned questions in terms of accident rates changes before and after ETC implementation and between toll and non-toll locations, the data was then analyzed. There was, finally, regression model development to determine the variables that influence Garden State Parkway toll plaza accident rates. Study goals are to provide information on Garden State Parkway non-toll and toll plaza section accident rate differences. Accident rate differences represent the number of accidents that are occurring at existing tolls and would be occurring if tolls were removed and toll sections became typical Parkway sections. These findings form the basis of accident cost estimation.

• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/issn/18245463
• Authors:
  • Ozbay, K
  • Cochran, A M
• Publication Date: 2008-7

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Print
• Features: Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: pp 85-96
• Serial:
  • Advances in Transportation Studies
  • Volume: 15
  • Publisher: University Roma Tre
  • ISSN: 1824-5463
  • Serial URL: http://www.atsinternationaljournal.com/

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Barriers (Roads); Cost effectiveness; Crash rates; Revenues; Safety; Social impacts; Toll collection; Toll plazas
• Identifier Terms: Garden State Parkway
• Geographic Terms: New Jersey
• Subject Areas: Administration and Management; Finance; Highways; Planning and Forecasting; Safety and Human Factors; Terminals and Facilities; I10: Economics and Administration; I72: Traffic and Transport Planning;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01111432
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS, ATRI
• Created Date: Sep 29 2008 11:47AM