MTA solicits ideas for congestion pricing model

Now that a congestion pricing system for cars driving into some of the busiest parts of Manhattan is officially part of the state budget, the authority that will be tasked with following through on that promise is putting out a call for tech support.

Not waiting for congestion pricing to officially make it in the state budget, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority – the Triborough Bridge and Tunnel Authority, specifically – put out a request late last week, looking for technology to help them build out the tolling system. The authority says it is looking for potential technologies beyond the RFID and camera-based license plate readers. Among the options floated by the MTA were roadside Bluetooth readers, smartphone applications, and on-board units for vehicle-to-vehicle or vehicle-to-infrastructure communications. Options like these could theoretically cut down on the need for costly physical infrastructure like toll gantries.

Companies interested in the request don’t have much time: the TBTA wants responses by April 12. But the quick-moving process may be a good sign for a traditionally methodical entity like the MTA. Showing a willingness to embrace innovation at the beginning of an undertaking like congestion tolling marks a promising start.

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