Bill > H3109

This bill establishes the Massachusetts Open Road Tolling Commission, a nine-member body tasked with studying the feasibility and implications of implementing "open road tolling" across the Commonwealth. Open road tolling is defined as a fully automated electronic toll collection system that allows vehicles to pass through tolling points at normal speed limits without the need for traditional toll booths. The commission will investigate various aspects, including the costs, maintenance requirements, environmental impacts (such as reduced air pollution and emissions), potential public safety improvements, and economic benefits, including congestion relief. They will also examine the future of tolling, including the planning, design, and construction of electronic toll systems and the transition from current toll collection methods. The commission is required to conduct a cost-benefit analysis, study environmental advantages, and report its findings, including actual cost savings and environmental benefits, to the Secretary of Transportation within six months of the bill's enactment.