Cofiroute USA Installs Comprehensive Automated Toll Road Management System for 91 Express Lanes

IRVINE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Cofiroute USA, which first revolutionized the automation of toll roads in the United States with the 91 Express Lanes in Orange County, California, has taken its knowledge of toll road technology to a new level of sophistication with the installation of a fully integrated back office system for the 91 Express Lanes that manages every operating, reporting and customer service detail.

The new system was installed as part of a five-year, $38.5-million contract awarded earlier this year to Cofiroute USA by the Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA) for operating the 91 Express Lanes. OCTA wanted to advance the technological capabilities of the 91 Express Lanes with an integrated system that would include transponder tracking, accounting, a web-based consumer interface and dynamic pricing capabilities.

Cofiroute USA worked with its software partner, TollPlus, to meet the specific requirements of OCTA. This included designing a system that automated many functions and created efficiencies that will permit OCTA to better track toll revenues and control operating costs over the long term. In addition, the new 91 Express Lanes system from Cofiroute USA interfaces with other toll road systems, including the Transportation Corridor Agencies and its toll roads, 261, 241 and 73 in Orange County.

“It was a monumental task to switch over from the legacy systems we had in place and we were fortunate to have such great teams from the OCTA and Cofiroute USA working together, even around the clock, to launch the new system,” said Kirk Avila, general manager of the 91 Express Lanes of OCTA.

Jan Mittermeier, chief operating officer for Cofiroute USA, managed the installation. She said customers will enjoy more user-friendly web access to their account and also benefit from a system that integrates customer service with payment and violation tracking.

“We have streamlined all processes, which will save OCTA time and money in its daily operations,” Mittermeier said. “OCTA and the 91 Express Lanes have again advanced the level of sophistication in automated toll road management.”

The CUSA team selected TollPlus as its software partner because of its breakthrough technology called T-BOS™, which redefines the back office for Intelligent Toll Road Management Systems.

The new integrated system will help the 91 Express Lanes improve business performance through integration of:

• Customer Service
• Toll/Traffic Violation Center, Accounting and Finance
• Toll Plaza Operations
• System Administration
• Transaction and Payment Processing
• Notification Management
• Maintenance Online Management System
• Inventory Management
• Document & Image Management
• Incident & Problem Management (for Back Office and Facility Management)

Mittermeier said another benefit of the 91 Express Lanes system is that it is a seamless product achieving the goals of operations as refined through many successful years of toll road management. The operator can directly perform most functions and has the flexibility to change system details quickly, such as in its congestion pricing model (changing toll fees based on time of day) and language modifications. Most system modifications can be done quickly without requiring a software upgrade, expensive tech support or installing an entirely new application.

“This flexibility is essential for toll road operators who want to minimize waste and maximize revenues,” said Mittermeier. “Working with TollPlus, we have been able to create a completely integrated solution for OCTA and the 91 Express Lanes that meets both their technological and customer service needs, while saving time and money. The result is a much more efficient and streamlined tolling experience for the customer.”

About Cofiroute USA:

Headquartered in Irvine, Calif., Cofiroute USA provides a wide range of services to its public and private sector clients including total management of all toll operations: call center staffing, account management, website management, inventory management, support for enforcement and marketing and integrated revenue and account management systems (RAMS) for customer relationship management, system-wide monitoring, analysis and maintenance. The company helped create the world's first fully automated toll facility – Southern California's 91 Express Lanes. The express lanes operation in Orange County, California has become an international model for highly efficient, safe, driver-friendly operations. Cofiroute USA was also a key part of the team that converted the first high-occupancy vehicle lanes (HOV) to high occupancy toll (HOT) lanes in Minneapolis, Minnesota. In addition to its toll road operations contracts, it is currently providing consulting services to public agencies planning on operating new toll roads and converting high occupancy vehicle (HOV) lanes to managed toll lanes in several regions, including North Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Puerto Rico and California. Cofiroute USA is backed by the global resources and experience of its parent company, Vinci, based in Paris, France, which had annual revenues of $45.7 billion (€ 33.4 billion) in 2010, with 190,000 employees in more than 100 countries.

For additional information, see www.cofirouteusa.com