Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Some skeptical that tollway authority testing tracking technologies only for toll purposes
Illinois News Network ^ | September 11, 2018 | Greg Bishop

Posted on 10/05/2018 10:56:14 AM PDT by Tolerance Sucks Rocks

A freelance automotive journalist worries a testing site operated by the Illinois Tollway Authority could be for more than just testing automated tollway technology.

Paul Brian said he’s noticed a site with various sensors on northbound I-294 for years with a sign that reads “for testing purposes only.”

Illinois Tollway Authority officials said the site is used for testing various sensors, but only for tollway purposes. The site, established in 2015, had an initial price tag of $2.7 million.

“The Illinois Tollway has used the test site to study a range of systems – some of which were adopted and some of which have not come to fruition,” Illinois Tollway Authority spokesman Dan Rozek said. “We believe the site has been a resounding success based on how many technologies we have actually tested.”

He listed a variety of technologies having been or are being tested. Among them, the tollway tested cameras to “read license plates for the purpose of assessing tolls for vehicles without transponders.”

“We’ll finish rolling out this new camera system soon,” Rozek said. “I should note this is tolling technology, not law enforcement technology.”

Other technologies include antennas and other sensors Rozek said are only for assessing tolls.

Brian said he isn't convinced. He said he worries about stricter driving regulations being used to fill state and local coffers. In other places, advanced tracking technology and camera monitoring is already in place. For example, Britain has cameras that monitor a drivers' average speed over specific distances with a system that calculates average speed based on the time it took to travel between two points and then determines if the driver was speeding. Singapore plans to use GPS to track vehicles by 2020 to determine how much drivers must pay in road-use taxes.

“Frankly I don’t believe them,” Brian said. “I can’t help but think that having the basic arithmetic ability of saying a vehicle traveling a certain amount of distance over a certain amount of speed and if you exceed that it’s an easy tap in plot for the computer to issue a ticket for you.”

With the amount of debt state and local governments are in, Brian said he thinks using the technology for automatic point-to-point speeding tickets is “way too tempting an apple for the regulators in Springfield to pass up as a revenue stream.”

“We’ve got a state that is just awash in red ink that [policy makers] are looking for any means they can garner to raise revenue,” Brian said.

Rozek said the tollway is also testing technologies to accept payments from other transponders from other states, testing transponder sticker tags on windshields to understand how accurately they record tolls on the system, and how to incorporate cellphone-based apps to help collect tolls.

“Additionally, on an ongoing basis we test the computer code for the in-pavement loop technology we use to determine the number of axles of the vehicles passing through toll plazas, which in turn determines the appropriate toll rate to be assessed to each vehicle,” Rozek said.

“I know that they’re saying that’s not their motivation, but experience leads me to believe that I don’t believe them,” Brian said.

Civil libertarian group Electronic Frontier Foundation keeps tabs on such technology. Senior staff attorney Lee Tien said rental car companies have issued speeding fees to customers driving too fast using such tracking technology. But for law enforcement “it would not surprise me if someone were doing it now and if it were not that it would happen later,” he said.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety said Illinois already has point-to-point speed sensing technology it uses in certain construction zones.

Other automated technology used to track driving habits of motorists has also become a political issue in the upcoming November election.

Gov. Bruce Rauner has ads claiming his chief Democratic opponent, J.B. Pritzker, has proposed a vehicle-miles-traveled tax. Pritzker said that's not true, though he has said he’s open to investigating a pilot program in Oregon that would do just that.

Tien said such technology is in the pipeline elsewhere and is politically controversial. He said the concerns are twofold for some who are “really upset about the possibility that they think [if it] is politically feasible that we’ll still have the gas tax but also have to pay the vehicle-miles-traveled tax, which to them they see as more taxation and also potentially more privacy invasion.”

Tien said with the gas tax, consumers don’t pay much attention when they pay the bill.

“The gas tax, it’s something you don't fill out a return for, you don’t separately pay, it’s part of the cost of your gasoline and people just don't think about it,” Tien said.

That awareness changes if drivers were to all of a sudden start getting billed for every mile they drive.

“When you implement something like the vehicles-miles-traveled [tax], it’s very, very upfront,” Tien said. “For every mile I drive that thing is ticking and I’m paying for it.”

Tien said if policy makers want to tax per mile, a less intrusive way is to physically check odometers, not install transmitters sending sensitive and private data back to the government.


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Constitution/Conservatism; Government; News/Current Events; US: Illinois
KEYWORDS: 4thamendment; 5thamendment; 5thamentment; aet; cameras; chicago; eff; gps; i294; illinois; illinoistollway; infrastructure; licenseplates; odometers; privacy; sensors; speeding; spying; surveillance; taxes; technologies; technotyranny; testing; tickets; tollbyplate; tolls; transportation; tristatetollway; vmt
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-22 next last

1 posted on 10/05/2018 10:56:14 AM PDT by Tolerance Sucks Rocks
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: Tolerance Sucks Rocks
Whatever the actual purposes of these tests, the devices are useful for many other purposes such as tracking where you are and your speed and everything else they can detect and they will be so used. All other highways will be infected with them bit by bit, along with the ever more ubiquitous cameras. Anything that can gather information, if it can be done it will be done regardless of regulations or laws.
2 posted on 10/05/2018 11:08:26 AM PDT by arthurus (G)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Tolerance Sucks Rocks

3 posted on 10/05/2018 11:09:54 AM PDT by BenLurkin (The above is not a statement of fact. It is either satire or opinion. Or both.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Tolerance Sucks Rocks

“The gas tax, it’s something you don’t fill out a return for, you don’t separately pay, it’s part of the cost of your gasoline and people just don’t think about it,” Tien said.........Oh,you think we don’t consider it? Hard not to when states are constantly wanting to raise it & we see no benefits from it.


4 posted on 10/05/2018 11:21:50 AM PDT by oldtech
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: BenLurkin; SkyPilot; Roman_War_Criminal; null and void; Travis McGee; Diogenesis

[ a site with various sensors on northbound I-294 for years with a sign that reads “for testing purposes only.” ]

“I’m from the government and I’m here to help.”

Eventually, the statement will be: “You’d like to be able to buy or sell, wouldn’t you? Will that be right hand, or forehead?”

Great pic. Keeper.


5 posted on 10/05/2018 11:21:58 AM PDT by SaveFerris (Luke 17:28 ... as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold ......)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: Tolerance Sucks Rocks

Where do folks think that they get the information on the freeways for the signs that tell you how many minutes to major exits/interchanges? They have to be calculating off of the toll tags to see how long it takes for specific cars to cover the distance, and then posting it to the electronic boards in near real time.


6 posted on 10/05/2018 11:22:11 AM PDT by PAR35
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: PAR35

They are also used for checking for expired tags (1st hand knowledge) and as an aide in searching for stolen vehicles.

If they are saying that they are only used for toll purposes, they are lying.


7 posted on 10/05/2018 11:34:02 AM PDT by Hatteras
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 6 | View Replies]

To: PAR35

“Where do folks think that they get the information on the freeways for the signs that tell you how many minutes to major exits/interchanges? They have to be calculating off of the toll tags to see how long it takes for specific cars to cover the distance, and then posting it to the electronic boards in near real time.”

In Californicator land, that data comes from our fast pass card/chips in a package and maybe other sources like our ever present cell phones.


8 posted on 10/05/2018 11:37:53 AM PDT by Grampa Dave (MASA Make America Safe! Again!! MAGA make America Great Again!!! *USMCA, President Trump Wins Again!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 6 | View Replies]

To: Tolerance Sucks Rocks; COUNTrecount; Nowhere Man; FightThePower!; C. Edmund Wright; jacob allen; ...

At no point in history has any government ever wanted its people to be defenseless for any good reason ~ nully's son

The biggest killer of mankind

Nut-job Conspiracy Theory Ping!

To get onto The Nut-job Conspiracy Theory Ping List you must threaten to report me to the Mods if I don't add you to the list...


9 posted on 10/05/2018 11:38:20 AM PDT by null and void (The big problem is that the republicans don't keep their campaign promises and the democrats do!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Tolerance Sucks Rocks

Tollway technology is already perfected and online. We have it here in NC Raleigh 540 beltway. They only collect tolls on my side of town though. The suburbs.


10 posted on 10/05/2018 11:38:47 AM PDT by Harpotoo (Being a socialist is a lot easier than having to WORK like the rest of US:-))
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Tolerance Sucks Rocks

Why “test” if the technology already exists? Florida has had this for years. Dumb ol’ FLariduh


11 posted on 10/05/2018 11:55:04 AM PDT by subterfuge (RIP T.P.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: PAR35

I suspect that’s actually done using ordinary traffic cameras.


12 posted on 10/05/2018 12:02:08 PM PDT by Tolerance Sucks Rocks ( The US Constitution ....... Invented by geniuses and God .... Administered by morons ......)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 6 | View Replies]

To: PAR35

Oh, those 2 million dollar signs that inform drivers that the next exit is 12 minutes away? Yeah, you gotta have those. An absolute must...


13 posted on 10/05/2018 12:02:15 PM PDT by subterfuge (RIP T.P.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 6 | View Replies]

To: null and void

Yikes, great cartoon. Or should I say “honest, factual, timely and prophetic”.


14 posted on 10/05/2018 12:02:31 PM PDT by SaveFerris (Luke 17:28 ... as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold ......)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 9 | View Replies]

To: Harpotoo
Over over 50 years ago they could get your average speed using paper turnpike tickets, since they are time stamped and they show where you got on and they know where you got off. I guess it would be hard to prove who was driving, though, if there are multiple people on board.

15 posted on 10/05/2018 12:03:54 PM PDT by Right Wing Assault (Kill-googl,TWITR,FACBK,NYT,WaPo,Hlywd,CNN,NFL,BLM,CAIR,Antifa,SPLC,ESPN,NPR,NBA)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 10 | View Replies]

To: subterfuge

[Why “test”]

Maybe:

1) It’s not really a “test” (as you indicated) or
2) They’re actually testing - to see how much more money they can grab


16 posted on 10/05/2018 12:05:31 PM PDT by SaveFerris (Luke 17:28 ... as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold ......)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 11 | View Replies]

To: null and void

Indeed


17 posted on 10/05/2018 12:11:50 PM PDT by Nifster (I see puppy dogs in the clouds)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 9 | View Replies]

To: PAR35
Where do folks think that they get the information on the freeways for the signs that tell you how many minutes to major exits/interchanges? They have to be calculating off of the toll tags to see how long it takes for specific cars to cover the distance, and then posting it to the electronic boards in near real time.

I have never heard any other claim that these figures referred to "specific cars". That would not even be that helpful because highway conditions are constantly changing. The figures are determined/estimated by monitoring traffic flow everywhere along the highway at the same time.

18 posted on 10/05/2018 12:21:59 PM PDT by wideminded
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 6 | View Replies]

To: SaveFerris

Precisely Ferris.


19 posted on 10/05/2018 12:22:09 PM PDT by subterfuge (RIP T.P.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 16 | View Replies]

To: null and void
Totalitarian Delight

It sounds like a flavor of ice cream, but it isn't.

20 posted on 10/05/2018 1:00:49 PM PDT by philman_36 (Pride breakfasted with plenty, dined with poverty and supped with infamy. Benjamin Franklin)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 9 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-22 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson