Boards Select 2024 Chairs and Vice Chairs
The San Joaquin Hills Transportation Corridor Agency (SJHTCA) and Foothill/Eastern Transportation Corridor Agency (F/ETCA) Boards of Directors held leadership elections for the current calendar year to guide the Agencies in continuing the practice of strong fiscal management and pursuit of enhanced mobility in Orange County.
The SJHTCA Board of Directors unanimously elected Santa Ana Councilmember David Penaloza as Chair and Laguna Niguel Councilmember Stephanie Oddo as Vice Chair. The F/ETCA Board of Directors unanimously elected Mission Viejo Councilmember Trish Kelley as Chair and Lake Forest Mayor Scott Voigts as Vice Chair.
Chair Penaloza joined the SJHTCA Board of Directors in 2019 and served as Vice Chair for the SJHTCA in 2023. He was elected to the Santa Ana City Council in 2018 and served as Mayor Pro Tem in 2021. Vice Chair Oddo joined the SJHTCA Board of Directors in 2023. She was elected to the Laguna Niguel City Council in November 2022, having served as Mayor Pro Tem in 2023.
Chair Kelley joined the Boards of Directors for SJHTCA and F/ETCA in 2019. She served as Chair for SJHTCA in 2020-2021 and Vice Chair for F/ETCA in 2023-2024. Chair Kelley was first elected to the Mission Viejo City Council in November 2002 and served as Mayor in 2005, 2008, 2010, 2014, 2021 and 2024. Vice Chair Voigts joined the F/ETCA Board of Directors in 2012 as the representative from City of Lake Forest. He has served on the Lake Forest City Council since 2010 and was recently appointed to serve as Mayor in 2025.
Toll System Assessment Update and Contract Extension
As part of TCA’s Strategic Plan, an assessment of the Agencies’ roadside tolling system was recently performed to develop a plan for upgrading and/or replacing the roadside system. Results showed the system is performing well, with high levels of availability, reliability, and performance, and the report recommended future hardware and software upgrades to maintain performance levels and enhance reliability. To further maintain system performance, the Board of Directors authorized the CEO to execute up to three one-year extension options with TransCore LP, for continued tolling system maintenance services.
241/91 Express Connector Project Update
TCA Capital Programs Officer Stephanie Blanco provided the Boards of Directors with an update on the progress, cost, and schedule for the 241/91 Express Connector Project. When completed, this new tolled facility will provide drivers with a direct connection between the 241 Toll Road and the 91 Express Lanes, helping to improve traffic flow on the 241 Toll Road and in the general-purpose lanes on SR-91. The project is a multi-agency collaboration between TCA, California Department of Transportation (Caltrans), Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA), and Riverside County Transportation Commission (RCTC).
Ms. Blanco highlighted that significant progress has been made over the past year with project partners, noting that the next major milestone will be the execution of the project’s Master and Operational agreements in spring 2025.
To learn more about the planned 241/91 Express Connector, download the project fact sheet (PDF).
Nationwide Phishing Scam Update
CEO Ryan Chamberlain provided an update to the Boards of Directors about the nationwide phishing scam where California tolling agencies, including TCA, have been recently targeted by scammers sending fraudulent text messages to the public attempting to collect outstanding tolls. The texts claims that an individual owes FasTrak® charges, links to a website and asks for online payment. This scam is designed to deceive drivers into entering banking or credit card information into a website. In response, TCA staff has deployed a communications campaign to inform consumers of the scam and the necessary steps to report the fraudulent activity to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center at www.ic3.gov.
TCA, as with most toll operators, does not send text messages to customers demanding payment, and does not send text messages to non-accountholders. If the public receives a text like this, do not click on the links and treat it as a phishing scam.
