HOUSTON, Sept. 13, 2016 /PRNewswire-HISPANIC PR WIRE/ — The Harris County Toll Road Authority (HCTRA) accepted top honors in the technology category from the International Bridge, Tunnel and Turnpike Association (IBTTA) during the 84th Annual Meeting and Exhibition in Denver, CO.
HCTRA’s innovative Rapid Alert System (RAS) technology was developed to enhance toll enforcement efforts by identifying and alerting law enforcement to prohibited vehicles on Harris County’s toll road system.
The uniqueness of the RAS system is that it identifies prohibited vehicles on the road and generates a real-time electronic alert which includes an image of the vehicle, location, direction of travel and the amount of money owed in toll violations and fees. The alert is electronically routed to HCTRA’s custom developed computer-aided dispatch software called the Incident Management System (IMS). The IMS system also automatically sends the RAS alerts including a color violation image to the deputies’ laptop computers in their patrol vehicles based on the deputies’ proximity to the prohibited vehicle. They can also click on the image to enlarge the photo for better viewing.
Toll road deputies can now strategically position themselves and use the IMS system on their laptops to configure custom toll violation alerts based on tolling locations and direction of travel. This program is also augmented by ten (10) mobile license plate recognition (LPR) cameras mounted on patrol vehicles.
“This innovative program has been a great tool to our organization and enhances the high level of service we strive to provide all of our toll road drivers. I am proud of the team members who spearheaded this project,” said Gary Trietsch, Executive Director.
HCTRA has been at the forefront of innovative approaches in the tolling industry. In 2005 it garnered the IBTTA Operations award for building the nation’s first-of-its kind all electronic toll facility and in 2009 it garnered the IBTTA Operations award for its Wrong Way Detection System which continues to save lives.
For more information, please visit www.hctra.org.
About HCTRA
The Harris County Toll Road Authority was created in 1983 to construct, maintain, and operate toll roads in the rapidly growing Houston Metropolitan area. The Agency operates 127 miles including the Sam Houston Tollway, Tomball Tollway, Hardy Toll Road, Westpark Tollway, Katy Managed Lanes and the Ship Channel Bridge. HCTRA does not receive local, state or federal tax money, and is an Enterprise Fund of Harris County. The agency relies on revenue from users to fund operations, maintenance, debt service and future projects. Texas state law requires drivers to pay a toll at the time of the transaction or be responsible for the resulting violation, which may include fees and fines.
