North Texas Tollway Authority Interoperability Agreement
The Boards of Directors authorized TCA’s CEO to execute an agreement to implement one-way interoperability with the North Texas Tollway Authority (NTTA). In March, the Boards directed staff to pursue implementation of the one-way interoperability concept and return to the Boards with cooperative agreements for approval. Transportation Corridor Agencies (TCA) staff has worked with NTTA to develop the one-way interoperability concept and determine the specifications under which TCA and NTTA will be interoperable.
As background, the federal transportation reauthorization bill, known as MAP-21 and passed in 2012, included a mandate requiring tolling agencies across the United States to become interoperable with each other. However, due to state legislative restrictions, California tolling agencies cannot fully implement national interoperability until a legislative fix occurs. Given the potential benefits of increased convenience to customers and to keep momentum moving forward towards full national interoperability, TCA Boards of Directors approved one-way interoperability with NTTA. One-way interoperability is in accordance with existing statute and would allow The Toll Roads accountholders to use tolling facilities in Texas and have tolls billed to their Toll Roads account, enhancing mobility and providing added convenience.
Execution of this agreement enables TCA staff to continue making progress towards national interoperability and potentially enable TCA to be the first tolling agency in California to establish tolling interoperability beyond the state’s borders. Moving forward, TCA will continue its leadership role in the National Interoperability (NIOP) Committee and work with Western Region Toll Operators (WRTO) on regional hub alternatives. In addition, the Agencies will work with other California Toll Operators Committee (CTOC) agencies to support legislative work to meet national interoperability requirements.
Irvine Police Department
The Foothill/Eastern Transportation Corridor Agency (F/ETCA) Board of Directors approved a two-year contract extension with the Irvine Police Department (IPD) to allow for occasional use of the Tomato Springs North Toll Plaza to conduct motorcycle officer training and Motor School training. This successful partnership between the F/ETCA and IPD advances TCA’s Strategic Plan goal of reusing the space where toll plazas currently exist but are no longer used for toll collection.
With the transition to All Electronic Tolling collection on The Toll Roads in 2014, cash toll booths were retired, leaving the existing toll plazas largely unused. The existing toll plazas present opportunities to enhance infrastructure that align with the Agencies’ vision and mobility goals and support of future technologies. TCA is currently in the process of exploring additional ways of reusing the toll plazas and plans to issue a request for information (RFI) to solicit ideas for consideration.
Independent Auditor Affirms Fiscal Year 24 Financial Statements
Both Boards of Directors received the audited financial statements for the year ending June 30, 2024. The independent auditing firm Crowe LLP issued an unmodified opinion – the highest level of assurance that the financial statements are fairly stated in all material respects in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles.
The San Joaquin Hills Transportation Corridor Agency and Foothill/Eastern Transportation Corridor Agency have received unmodified audits every year since the TCA’s inception in 1986.
To read the FY24 audited financial statements, visit: Financial Reports | The Toll Roads.
241/91 Express Connector Toll Facility Application
The F/ETCA Board of Directors approved action which moves forward the 241/91 Express Connector Toll Facility Application process. Consistent with the 2019 Term Sheet, a Toll Facility Application for supplemental tolling authority from the California Transportation Commission (CTC) has been prepared for the 241/91 Express Connector (Project). The F/ETCA Board’s action approved the reimbursement costs associated with the CTC’s review of the Toll Facility Application for the Project and continues to take positive steps for the Project to move towards construction, estimated to be in late-2025.
