Dr. John Walewski

Center for Transportation Research, University of Texas at Austin

RFID Applications for Tolling and Congestion Management

efficiency and interoperability

• $200 Billion per year

• Decreased fuel efficiency & air quality

• Increased costs of consumer goods

• Time, time, precious time

• Supply chain impacts:

– Diminishes productivity

– Increases transportation costs

Traffic Congestion

Source: “USDOT Congestion Initiative”, Federal Highway Administration, 07/2007

Congestion Sources

“USDOT Congestion Initiative”, Federal Highway Administration, 07/2007

Capacity

Constrained

40%

Traffic Incidents

25%

Work Zones

10%

Bad Weather

15%

Poor Signal

Timing

5%

Special Events

5%

TxDOT Mission, Vision, and, Policy:

“safe, effective, and efficient movement of

people and freight”.

Dallas Toll Roads

Houston Toll Roads

Central Texas Toll Roads

Trans-Texas Corridor – ORT Concept

Candidate Toll Projects by District/TTCTxDOT District Total Number of Projects Project Total Cost ($ est.)

Atlanta 1 340,460,000

Austin 8 2,046,000,000

Beaumont 1 173,570,000

Bryan 2 549,912,000

Corpus Christi 7 2,027,000,000

Dallas 16 18,723,878,000

El Paso 12 2,184,024,771

Fort Worth 10 3,924,527,000

Houston 4 8,013,000,000

Laredo 3 564,600,000

Pharr 9 2,024,000,000

San Antonio 7 5,760,000,000

Tyler 2 288,496,520

Yoakum 1 324,000,000

TTC 4 9,010,000,000

Total 87 $ 55,953,468,291

Source: “Initiating the Toll Partnering Process”, SB792, 06/2007

Candidate Toll Projects

“Initiating the Toll Partnering Process”, SB792, 06/2007

Electronic Tolling Systems

• Purpose: Drive through without stopping or scrambling for cash

• System Components:1. Transponder

– Programmable

– Power source

2. Lane antenna

3. Lane controller

4. Host computer system

Transponder Types

• Type I: No processing capabilities– information is read only

– hard-wired id number

• Type II: Updateable area to encode information– time and point of entry

• Type III: Microprocessor enabled - smart” tags Communicate to roadside or overhead sensors

– account balance

– driver and vehicle information

– location

Transponder Types (cont)

• Passive: No internal power supply– Incoming radio frequency signals detected by antennae

– Signal powers up tag

– Limited data storage

• Semi-Passive: Battery power– Respond faster

– Stronger signal

– More data storage

• Active: Connected to vehicle power source– Store more information

– Receive and store information sent by roadside units

– Much greater range

Electronic Toll Collection

Other Benefits:

• Eliminates costs

• Limits revenue leakage

• Reduces safety concerns

• Interoperability

Issues

• Supply chain and freight impacts

• Big Brother and privacy concerns

• Infrastructure capacity

• Interoperability

• Technology

Supply Chain Impacts Freight Growth

• Freight shaped by globalization of

production and logistics

• System performance challenges tougher

as capacity lags demand

• Public sector infrastructure challenges

impact the economy

Truck Transportation Supply Chain

Changes with RFID Applications

• New mileage-based or ton-mileage fees

• More toll roads / truck-only lanes

• Tighter emissions limits

• New (e.g. carbon) taxes, and user fees

• Further workforce regulations

• Higher productivity equipment

Proposed Privacy Legislation

• Notice and consent to collect personal information

• Information relevant to services provided

• Protect individuals' rights to move without being tracked

• Security of electronic transactions

• Protect personal information

Future Applications and Research

Cordon Pricing

Additional Future Applications

• Automated crash notification system• Enterprise call box – OnStar on steroids

• Electronic vehicle registration

• Vehicle-to-vehicle communication

• Vehicle to roadside communication

• Odometer tolling

• Vehicle positioning systems• Satellite tolling

• Cell phone tolling

• More in-vehicle features• RFID

• GPS

Automated Crash Notification Systems

• 433 MHz RFID tag with vibration sensor

• Attached to guardrails, signs, etc.

• Detects crashes into tagged roadside objects

• vibration sensor activates the tag

• Proprietary protocol transmits ID

Vehicle Infrastructure Initiative (VII)

• Public/Private partnership

• vehicle-vehicle and vehicle-infrastructure

communications – wireless network

• Dedicated Short Range Communication

• coordinated deployments of communication

technologies

• On all major U.S. roadways

Vehicle Infrastructure Initiative (VII)

• Warning drivers of unsafe conditions, imminent

collisions, weather, congestion

• Proof-of-concept – Detroit 2006 and 2007

• Privacy issues

• On-board computers and data

Source: OnStar Corp.

Odometer Tolling

• Oregon pilot program– Distance based charge 1.2 a mile

– RFID equipped pump subtract gas tax adds mileage charge

– Track rush hour driving in congestion zone

– GIS monitors out of state travel

John Walewski, Ph.D.Austin IAC Program Manager

Center for Transportation Research

University of Texas at Austin

512-786-9345

walewski@mail.utexas.edu