Able Telcom's Transportation Division Announces Successful Implementation Of Electronic Toll System on New Jersey Turnpike
6 October 2000
Able Telcom's Transportation Division Announces Successful Implementation Of Electronic Toll System on New Jersey Turnpike
ROSWELL, Ga., Oct. 6 Able Telcom Holding Corp. announced today that, on September
30, 2000, its Adesta Transportation division successfully completed the
design, integration, and installation of the first phase of the largest
implementation of Electronic Toll Collection (ETC) in the world. The
E-ZPass(SM) system was implemented on 160 toll lanes of the New Jersey
Turnpike, with all 344 toll lanes scheduled to accept E-ZPass during 2001.
According to Edward Gross, Executive Director of the New Jersey Turnpike
Authority, "With the implementation of E-ZPass on the New Jersey Turnpike, we
have concluded an effort to simplify travel throughout the entire Northeastern
United States." E-ZPass allows travelers to use the same transponder over
thousands of miles of roadway throughout the Northeast from West Virginia to
Massachusetts.
The New Jersey Turnpike's system is compatible with all existing and
future IAG installations in the Northeast region, including the Regional
Consortium's systems on the Garden State Parkway, Atlantic City Expressway,
Delaware toll roads, and bridges and tunnels operated by the Port Authority of
New York and New Jersey. The Regional Consortium is a group of five Northeast
IAG tolling agencies, including the New Jersey Turnpike Authority, New Jersey
Highway Authority, South Jersey Transportation Authority, Port Authority of
New York & New Jersey, and the Delaware Department of Transportation. Adesta
Transportation successfully completed E-ZPass on the I-95 Delaware Turnpike
and the Atlantic City Expressway in November 1998, on State Route 1 in
Delaware in April 1999, and on the Garden State Parkway from December 1999 to
September 2000.
This tolling system eliminates the need for cash, tickets, or tokens. As
a motorist drives through the toll lanes an overhead reader collects
appropriate information, so that the toll is then automatically deducted from
the motorist's prepaid account. E-ZPass motorists pass through toll lanes
without ever rolling down their windows. New Jersey Department of
Transportation Commissioner James Weinstein commented, "Three hundred and
fifty thousand E-ZPass accounts have already been opened by the Regional
Consortium and the fact that we have over six hundred thousand tags in use
speaks for itself. This system is an obvious success." The new toll
collection system, referred to as "a quality system" by Edward Gross has
already contributed to alleviating congestion at several traditional
bottleneck toll collection points on the Turnpike. Participation in the
program has exceeded predictions by over one third and is expected to continue
to increase, thus further enhancing traffic flow.
Phil Kernan, President of Adesta Transportation, attributed the successful
launch of E-ZPass to a monumental team effort. He noted, "This success
involved dedication, ingenuity, and sacrifice by every Adesta Transportation
employee working in harmony with hundreds of others employed by our many
subcontractors and by the Regional Consortium. I am proud to be a member of
such a large, dynamic, friendly and successful team." Mr. Kernan added that
Adesta is well underway to complete the project during 2001.
Billy Ray, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Able Telcom, stated,
"This is truly a banner day for Able. This project was by far the most
complex and difficult challenge that Able has taken on and we are very pleased
finally to call it a success. I want to thank all of the people at Adesta
Transportation for their hard work and dedication and I offer my personal
congratulations to them and to the people at the New Jersey Turnpike Authority
for this great accomplishment."
Able Telcom is a contractor for the development, construction and
maintenance of facilities-based communication systems for public and private
sector customers. Since 1988 the Company has installed more fiber miles than
any other systems integrator. Its one-stop service capabilities include
development, design, engineering, project management, installation,
construction, operation and ongoing maintenance services for
telecommunications/communication systems and for intelligent transportation
and automated toll collection systems. The Company aggressively promotes co-
development of communication networks utilizing established inter-city and
intra-city rights-of-way (ROW), partnering with public and private ROW owners.
Over the past two years, the Company has completed over $300 million of ROW
projects with such agencies as New York State Thruway Authority, (NYSTA), the
Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART), and the Colorado Department of Transportation
(CDOT). The Company has developed some of the most advanced hardware/software
solutions for Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) and has successfully
completed projects with numerous state departments of transportation and with
toll collection agencies.
Certain matters discussed in this press release may constitute forward-
looking statements within the meaning of the federal securities law. Able
Telcom's actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in such
forward-looking statements as a result of certain factors, including those
detailed from time to time in the Company's reports and filings with the
Securities and Exchange Commission. The Company does not undertake to revise,
and specifically disclaims any obligation to release publicly the results of
any revisions which may be made to any forward-looking statements to reflect
the occurrence of anticipated events or circumstances after the dates of such
statements.