International Bridge, Tunnel and Turnpike Association CEO Patrick Jones said states will be taking the lead with regard to innovative ways of addressing infrastructure funding. For example, Rhode Island recently adopted interstate tolls for semitrailers, and Oregon is testing a per-mile vehicle fee.

Dave Bauer is poised to become president and CEO of the American Road & Transportation Builders Association on Jan. 1, when he will succeed Pete Ruane, who is retiring at the end of this month. The interim president and CEO will be William Toohey Jr., ARTBA executive vice president and chief operating officer, who plans to retire in April.

The Maine Turnpike Authority is moving forward with plans to construct an upgraded toll plaza that includes open-road tolling alongside cash-payment lanes. It has awarded a $39.5 million contract for the project, which is expected to take three years to complete.

France's transportation minister said draft legislation aimed at giving cities flexibility to implement congestion pricing will be introduced in the country's parliament next month. France allows urban tolls, but municipalities have not adopted tolling, as the current laws are seen as restrictive.

Ride-sharing services have caused rapid transformation in the transportation industry, but that will pale in comparison to the radical change that autonomous vehicles are likely to cause, writes transportation expert Samuel Schwartz. Vehicle designer Dan Sturges has said the elimination of the steering wheel could significantly alter vehicle design, and autonomous vehicles might mean that motorcycles will be considered too big of a safety risk.

Verra Mobility has introduced Peasy, a smartphone-based toll-payment system the company says is compatible with 95% of cashless toll bridges and lanes across the country. Peasy works with drivers' existing transponder accounts.

The Malaysian government has deferred a plan that would end tolling and is considering such measures as flat rates and discounts instead. A Malaysian official said the government is not in a financial position to abolish tolls.

The Kane County Division of Transportation in Illinois is implementing a toll to fund the construction of a bridge over the Fox River. The county might keep the toll in place for an estimated 35 years, until the project's bonds are paid off and a trust fund for maintenance is built up.

IBTTA's Leadership Academy was founded in 2008 by the IBTTA Foundation Board of Directors. The Leadership Academy is an executive development program tailored specifically for senior-level managers in public and private sector organizations that serve the toll industry. This intense week-long course is taught by internationally recognized toll industry leaders, business partners and educators. The members only 2019 program will take place Feb. 10-15, 2019, in Washington, D.C. More details here.