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Form DOT F 1700.7 (8-72) 

1. Report No. 

FHWA-IF-08-005 

2. Government Accession No. 3. Recipient’s Catalog No. 

4. Title and Subtitle 

Strategies for Improving Safety at Toll Collection Facilities 

5. Report Date 

September 2010 

6. Performing Organization Code 

7. Authors 

Jennifer Rephlo, Mark Carter, Heather Howard, Bryan Katz, Mark Robinson, 

Lisa Bedsole, and Ken Philmus 

8. Performing Organization 

Report No. 

9. Performing Organization Name and Address 

Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC) 

8301 Greensboro Drive 

M/S E-12-3 

McLean, VA 22102 

10. Work Unit No. (TRAIS) 

11. Contract or Grant No. 

DTFH61-06-D-00005, 

Task T-06-009 

12. Sponsoring Agency Name and Address 

Federal Highway Administration 

Office of Asset Management 

1200 New Jersey Ave., SE 

Washington, DC 

13. Type of Report and Period 

Covered 

14. Sponsoring Agency Code 

HIAM-20 

15. Supplementary Notes 

Ken Jacoby (COTM) 

16. Abstract 

A wide range of solutions have been developed to address the unique safety challenges of toll collection facilities. 

However, many of these solutions have been created by individual agencies that are geographically and 

institutionally isolated from one another. Consequently, while many of the techniques or strategies are quite 

innovative and may be applicable at other toll collection facilities, their use may not yet extend beyond a single 

agency. 

This report is the result of an effort to gather information on specific safety strategies directly from those who 

operate and who work in and around toll facilities. Altogether, individuals from over 35 tolling authorities were 

consulted, and from discussions with these individuals, 94 strategies were identified that are currently in use across 

the country, and that may have the potential to improve safety at toll collection facilities. This report presents these 

94 strategies. 

17. Key Words 

Toll facility, toll plaza, safety, crashes, incidents, 

accidents, injuries, workplace injuries 

18. Distribution Statement 

No restrictions. This document is available to the public 

from: The National Technical Information Service, 

Springfield, VA 22161. 

19. Security Classif. (of this 

report) 

Unclassified 

20. Security Classif. (of this page) 

Unclassified 

21. No of Pages 

64 

22. Price 

N/A 

Form DOT F 1700.7 (8-72) Reproduction of completed page authorized. 
Strategies for Improving Safety at Toll Collection Facilities 

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Strategies for Improving Safety at Toll Collection Facilities 

Table of Contents 

Foreword ............................................................................................................................................... 1
 

Improving Worker Safety when Accessing Toll Booths ...................................................................3
 

The Challenge..................................................................................................................................... 3
 

Potential Mitigation Strategies .............................................................................................................3
 

Providing Direct Access to Booths ..........................................................................................3
 

Crossing Procedures .............................................................................................................. 4
 

Crosswalks..............................................................................................................................5
 

Warnings to Employees .......................................................................................................... 6
 

Garments for Improved Worker Visibility ................................................................................7
 

Maintenance and Lane Closures ............................................................................................8
 

Strategy Rankings, Effectiveness, and Constraints ................................................................8
 

Reducing Worker Exposure to the Environment .............................................................................15
 

The Challenge................................................................................................................................... 15
 

Potential Mitigation Strategies ...........................................................................................................15
 

Mitigating Air Quality Issues..................................................................................................15
 

Mitigating Excessive Noise Levels........................................................................................15
 

Personal Protective Equipment.............................................................................................15
 

Reducing Slips, Trips, and Falls ...........................................................................................15
 

Strategy Rankings, Effectiveness, and Constraints ..............................................................16
 

Improving Ergonomics for Workers ................................................................................................. 21
 

The Challenge................................................................................................................................... 21
 

Potential Mitigation Strategies ...........................................................................................................21
 

Equipment............................................................................................................................. 21
 

Booth Design ........................................................................................................................ 22
 

Policies and Procedures .......................................................................................................22
 

Strategy Rankings, Effectiveness, and Constraints ..............................................................22
 

Reducing Worker Risk of Assault ..................................................................................................... 25
 

The Challenge................................................................................................................................... 25
 

Potential Mitigation Strategies ...........................................................................................................25
 

Strategy Rankings, Effectiveness, and Constraints ..............................................................25
 

Reducing Unsafe Merging and Lane Changing ...............................................................................27
 

The Challenge................................................................................................................................... 27
 

Potential Mitigation Strategies ...........................................................................................................27
 

Plaza Configuration...............................................................................................................27
 

Channelization of Traffic ....................................................................................................... 28
 

iii 
Strategies for Improving Safety at Toll Collection Facilities 

Strategy Rankings, Effectiveness, and Constraints ..............................................................28
 

Reducing Speeding ............................................................................................................................ 33
 

The Challenge................................................................................................................................... 33
 

Potential Mitigation Strategies ...........................................................................................................33
 

Policies and Enforcement .....................................................................................................33
 

Physical Treatments ............................................................................................................. 34
 

Other Mitigation Strategies ...................................................................................................34
 

Strategy Rankings, Effectiveness, and Constraints ..............................................................35
 

Reducing Driver Confusion and Driver Inattention .........................................................................39
 

The Challenge................................................................................................................................... 39
 

Potential Mitigation Strategies ...........................................................................................................39
 

Informing Motorists of Changing Conditions .........................................................................39
 

Informing Motorists of Lane Closures ...................................................................................40
 

Mitigating Driver Inattention .................................................................................................. 41
 

Providing Advance Information to Motorists .........................................................................41
 

Increasing Conspicuity of Facilities and Workers .................................................................42
 

Strategy Rankings, Effectiveness, and Constraints ..............................................................42
 

Overarching Safety Strategies .......................................................................................................... 47
 

Training ............................................................................................................................................. 47
 

Safety Culture ................................................................................................................................... 47
 

Focus on Safety for Maintenance Staff .................................................................................47
 

Safety Committees ................................................................................................................47
 

Safety Audits......................................................................................................................... 47
 

Employee Safety Meetings ...................................................................................................48
 

Safety Award Programs ........................................................................................................48
 

Safety Incentive Programs....................................................................................................48
 

Safety Awareness Programs ................................................................................................49
 

Maintaining Safety While Using Open Road Tolling .........................................................................49
 

iv 
Strategies for Improving Safety at Toll Collection Facilities 

List of Figures 

Figure 1. Tunnels Provide Access to Booths without Exposure to Traffic ..............................................3
 

Figure 2. Handheld Stop Sign Aids Collector in Crossing Travel Lanes .................................................4
 

Figure 3. Clear Plastic Shoulder Bag for Collectors to Use when Crossing ...........................................5
 

Figure 4. Booths can Create a Visual Obstacle when Crossing .............................................................5
 

Figure 5. Painted Crosswalk for Workers ............................................................................................... 5
 

Figure 6. ManSaverTM Safety Bar ...........................................................................................................6
 

Figure 7. Signs and Stickers in Plaza Building and Toll Booth Remind Workers about Safety ..............6
 

Figure 8. Various Signs and Markings Remind Collectors of the Dangers of Crossing Lanes ...............7
 

Figure 9. Safety Smock .......................................................................................................................... 7
 

Figure 10. Retroreflective Jacket............................................................................................................ 7
 

Figure 11. Crampons Can Help Collectors Avoid Slips in Snowy and Icy Conditions ..........................16
 

Figure 12. Cash Bags Can Facilitate Hands-Free Crossing.................................................................16
 

Figure 13. Brightly Colored Curbing in the Crossing Area Can Reduce Trips......................................16
 

Figure 14. Chair with Circular Foot Rest ...............................................................................................21
 

Figure 15. Anti-Fatigue Mat .................................................................................................................. 21
 

Figure 16. Convex Mirrors Can Reduce Twisting and Turning for Collectors .......................................22
 

Figure 17. Denver E-470’s Adjustable Height Terminal ........................................................................22
 

Figure 18. Bumped Out Dutch Doors Can Reduce Twisting and Turning for Collectors ......................22
 

Figure 19. Dedicated ETC Lanes Positioned at Both Sides of a Plaza ................................................27
 

Figure 20. Concrete Barriers and Attenuators Physically Separate Traffic Upstream of an Illinois 

Tollway Plaza...................................................................................................................... 28
 

Figure 21. Pavement Markings and Cones Delay Merging Downstream at the Port Authority of NY & 

NJ’s Holland Tunnel Plaza ..................................................................................................28
 

Figure 22. Sign Notifying Motorists that Plaza Is Photo Enforced ........................................................33
 

Figure 23. Enforcement Presence at an MTA Plaza ............................................................................33
 

Figure 24. Rumble Strips...................................................................................................................... 34
 

Figure 25. The Use of Transverse Pavement Markings to Reduce Speeding......................................34
 

Figure 26. Speed Limits Are Posted at Each Lane To Reinforce Speed Limits ...................................35
 

Figure 27. Pavement Markings Reinforce the Speed Limit in Dedicated ETC Lanes ..........................35
 

Figure 28. The Use of Pavement Markings To Identify Dedicated-ETC Lanes ....................................39
 

Figure 29. Dynamic Signs Display Current ETC Lane Numbers at a NYS Thruway Plaza ..................40
 

Figure 30. Options for Conveying a Closed Lane to Motorists .............................................................40
 

Figure 31. Gates in Use to Indicate that a Lane is Closed ...................................................................41
 

Figure 32. One Option for Conveying that Cash Is Accepted in All Lanes ...........................................41
 

Figure 33. “DO NOT BACK UP” Sign to Reduce Unsafe Motorist Behavior ........................................42
 

Figure 34. Floor Mat in Plaza Building Reminds Employees to “Think Safety” ...................................47
 

v 
 

Strategies for Improving Safety at Toll Collection Facilities 

Figure 35. Tracking Employee Performance Publicly can Be an Incentive for Employees to Follow
 

Safety Procedures .............................................................................................................. 48
 

Figure 36. Sign in Plaza Office Reminds Employees about Safety Record 

Figure 38. Florida Turnpike’s Overhead Gantry for ORT Allows for Maintenance Activities without 

.........................................48
 

Figure 37. Open-Road Tolling in Illinois ................................................................................................49
 

Road Closure ...................................................................................................................... 49
 

vi 
Strategies for Improving Safety at Toll Collection Facilities 

List of Tables 

Table 1. Potential Strategies to Mitigate Safety Issues Associated with Worker Exposure to Vehicles . 9
 

Table 2. Potential Strategies to Mitigate Safety Issues Associated with the Worker Environment.......17
 

Table 3. Potential Strategies to Mitigate Safety Issues Associated with Ergonomics ..........................23
 

Table 4. Potential Strategies to Mitigate Assault .................................................................................. 26
 

Table 5. Potential Strategies to Mitigate Safety Issues Associated with Merging and Lane-Changing 

Behavior.............................................................................................................................. 29
 

Table 6. Potential Strategies to Mitigate Safety Challenges Associated with Speeding .......................36
 

Table 7. Potential Strategies to Mitigate Safety Challenges Associated with Driver Confusion and 

Driver Inattention................................................................................................................. 43
 

vii 
Strategies for Improving Safety at Toll Collection Facilities 

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viii
 
 

Strategies for Improving Safety at Toll Collection Facilities 

FOREWORD 

Toll collection facilities present unique safety challenges both for the traveling public and for the 

workers who support the fare collection operation. A wide range of solutions have been developed to 

address these unique safety challenges. However, many of these solutions have been created by 

individual agencies that are geographically and institutionally isolated from one another. 

Consequently, while many of the techniques or strategies are quite innovative and might be applicable 

at other toll collection facilities, only a single agency is aware of the technique. 

To address this problem, and in an effort to better understand the safety challenges that toll facilities 

face and how these challenges are being addressed within the industry, Congress called for a Toll 

Facility Safety Study to be conducted by the U.S. Department of Transportation.1 This study involved 

gathering information on specific safety strategies directly from those who operate and who work in 

and around toll facilities. Information was gathered through an industry survey, telephone interviews, 

site visits and in-person interviews, and an industry workshop. Altogether, individuals from over 35 

tolling authorities were consulted, and from discussions with these individuals, 94 strategies were 

identified that are currently in use across the country that may have the potential to improve safety at 

toll collection facilities elsewhere. 

This report presents these 94 strategies. The strategies are presented according to some of the 

many challenges that agencies face with regard to worker and motorist safety: 

 Improving Worker Safety when Accessing Toll Booths 

 Reducing Worker Exposure to the Environment 

 Improving Ergonomics for Workers 

 Reducing Worker Risk of Assault 

 Reducing Unsafe Merging and Lane Changing 

 Reducing Speeding 

 Reducing Driver Confusion and Driver Inattention 

 Improving Safety through Overarching Strategies (e.g., training, a culture of safety, etc.) 

 Maintaining Safety while Using Open Road Tolling 

To guide readers in identifying strategies best suited for their needs, this report presents each 

strategy along with comments from practitioners on any concerns they may see with that particular 

strategy (e.g., cost), and any practical constraints that may exist (e.g., plaza design). In addition to 

this, each strategy is ranked in terms of effectiveness. These rankings were obtained from 

participants in a Toll Facility Safety Study Workshop, held in McLean, Virginia, in June 2007. 

Participants included both management and labor and represented 21 tolling agencies from across 

the country. 

1 Public Law 109-59: Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users, Sec. 1403. Toll 

Facilities Workplace Safety Study. August 10, 2005. 

1 
Strategies for Improving Safety at Toll Collection Facilities 

Following the presentation of individual strategies, this report presents information about two 

additional kinds of strategies (training and safety culture) that could be viewed as overarching in that 

they address multiple safety issues rather than focusing on one issue in particular, such as speeding. 

Finally the report concludes with a discussion of maintaining safety while using open road tolling. As 

many agencies are making the move toward some form of open road tolling, many are also 

discovering some new safety challenges along the way. Some of these safety impacts that were 

uncovered through this study are discussed here as this will be an issue of interest to the industry 

moving into the future. 

The complete findings of this study can be found in the document “Toll Facilities Workplace Safety 

Study Report to Congress” which is available online at www.fhwa.dot.gov/tolling/. 

2 
 

Strategies for Improving Safety at Toll Collection Facilities 

IMPROVING WORKER SAFETY WHEN ACCESSING TOLL BOOTHS 

THE CHALLENGE 

When asked the one safety fear that kept them up at night, nearly every individual that the study team 

visited with or talked with gave the same response – a worker being struck by a vehicle. While such 

incidents are relatively rare, they have occurred, and the potential certainly exists for them to occur 

again. Among the factors that have contributed to such incidents in the past (or to more recent close 

calls) are the introduction of electronic toll collection (ETC) lanes, the uncertainty of driver actions in 

mixed-use lanes, the inability of operators of large trucks to see someone crossing directly in front of 

them, the dangers in closing a lane, and worker complacency. 

POTENTIAL MITIGATION STRATEGIES 

Given the level of concern surrounding this particular safety issue, it is perhaps not surprising that a 

large and varied number of mitigation strategies have been implemented across the country to 

address this problem. 

Providing Direct Access to Booths 

The most aggressive mitigation strategy to protect workers 

from vehicular traffic is the use of physical by-passes of toll 

lanes, such as tunnels or bridges (example shown in Figure 

1), to provide access to booths without requiring workers to 

cross active traffic. Approximately half of the agencies visited 

by the study team have built such structures for their larger 

plazas. However, these structures rarely prevent all incidents 

of workers being in the roadway. Most of the structures do not 

have entrances for each and every lane; consequently 

workers are still typically required to cross two to three lanes. 

Even if collectors can avoid crossing a lane by using the 

structure, they still sometimes find themselves in live traffic – 

whether to pick up dropped monies, to assist customers 

having problems with their ETC transponders, or to close a 

lane. Further, the use of such structures by collectors is 

typically not mandated (even when present), and many of the 

agencies that have tunnels report that their usage remains 

quite low. The reasons for this are varied – workers avoid 

bridges without elevators because of the need to climb stairs, 

tunnels are often dark and the entrances slippery, and the use 

of both structures can take more time than simply walking across a lane. 

Another strategy for minimizing the number of lanes that a worker must cross is to provide break 

areas on either side of the plaza. Some agencies with large numbers of plaza lanes or with staffed 

lanes on both outside lanes (with ETC in the middle) have placed break rooms on either side of the 

plaza to minimize the number of lanes that a worker must cross during their shift. Agencies have 

found this to be an effective way to reduce exposure, but this approach can be costly and is often 

simply impractical given space limitations and lack of additional right-of-way. 

Figure 1. Tunnels Provide Access to 

Booths without Exposure to Traffic
 

3 
 

Strategies for Improving Safety at Toll Collection Facilities 

Two additional design strategies for minimizing worker exposure include: 

	 Locating all high-speed ETC lanes to the left of the facility (i.e., toward the middle of the roadway) 

and prohibiting employees from crossing these high-speed lanes. 

	 Eliminating all mixed-mode lanes, relying instead on dedicated ETC and cash lanes. 

Crossing Procedures 

For those cases where workers must still cross traffic lanes (either because a tunnel or bridge does 

not have an entrance to every lane, or because such a structure is not present), agencies have 

implemented a variety of different crossing procedures (both formal and informal). Nearly all agencies 

require workers to make eye contact with vehicles before crossing. However, this is the only 

procedure that appeared to be common to all agencies visited and interviewed. Crossing procedures 

that are employed by one or more agencies visited or interviewed, but that are not common to all, 

include the following: 

	 Most agencies require safety vests to be worn by workers at all times. Others require them to be 

worn only when outside of the booth. 

	 A number of agencies strictly prohibit workers from crossing any high-speed ETC lanes. Some 

agencies only allow supervisors to cross these lanes. Two agencies reported that employees are 

never allowed to cross active lanes of traffic – if an employee needs to cross a lane, it must first be 

shut down. 

	 Owing to an earlier incident that resulted in a fatality, one agency has a policy that workers are not 

allowed to cross in front of any vehicle larger than a sport utility vehicle (SUV), fearing that 

operators of large trucks simply cannot see a person immediately in front of their vehicles. 

	 Nearly all agencies require their workers to signal their intent to cross to drivers and to wait for 

confirmation from the driver. 

	 A number of agencies do not allow their workers to 

cross behind vehicles for fear that the vehicle may 

back up, a common occurrence at toll plazas. 

	 Employees of one agency are issued a small 

personal “stop paddle” (as shown in Figure 2) that 

is utilized by both the employee crossing an active 

lane of traffic and by the collector working in the 

adjacent toll booth. 

	 Some workers reported that they have taken to 

providing verbal cues to motorists (e.g., yelling “I’m 

crossing!”). 

	 Several agencies stress the importance of handsfree crossing. Having both hands free while crossing makes it easier for collectors to signal to 

oncoming traffic and to catch themselves if they fall. To facilitate hands-free crossing, a strategy 

that many agencies use is to issue collectors shoulder bags or backpacks – such as that shown in 

Figure 3 – in which they can carry their personal belongings (e.g., a sweater or a bottle of water) 

to the booth. In some cases the bag provided is a high-visibility color, such as orange, to make 

the collector more visible to motorists. One agency has even replaced its collectors’ cash drawers 

with cash bags that they can slip into a shoulder bag for completely hands-free crossing. Most 

collectors that the team talked with spoke favorably about using carry bags. 

Figure 2. Handheld Stop Sign Aids Collector 

in Crossing Travel Lanes 

4 
Strategies for Improving Safety at Toll Collection Facilities 

 Workers at a number of agencies have adopted 

informal procedures of mutual support for lane 

crossing (i.e., the collector in the booth directs the 

motorist to stop for the crossing collector). 

 One agency suggested that it might be a good 

practice to employ a person to escort workers while 

crossing lanes, much like a school crossing guard. 

Another agency, which has a dedicated police 

force, reported that the police escort all toll 

collectors across toll lanes. This agency 

commented that in 42 years an employee has 

never been hit while crossing a lane. 

Crosswalks 

The study team found significant diversity in the 

location, demarcation, and setup of collector 

crosswalks. For the most part, crosswalks are located 

just downstream of the booth – minimizing the 

exposure time of the employee when walking from the 

crosswalk to the booth. However, a few agencies have 

alternative approaches. One places its crosswalks 

upstream of the booth. This reduces the issue of 

vehicles not being able to see collectors crossing 

behind booths (and collectors not being able to see 

vehicles around booths as shown in Figure 4). 

However, it also forces collectors to cross traffic lanes 

in an area where vehicles do not typically stop. 

Another agency has its crosswalks positioned at a 

significant distance downstream of the booths. This 

provides collectors with somewhat better sight lines 

(e.g., so that they can see around the booth) and 

provides a greater distance between where the vehicle 

begins accelerating (at the booth) and the crossing 

point. However, it also means that collectors can have 

a more difficult time making eye contact with stopped 

vehicles and with fellow collectors in booths who may 

be able to offer mutual support. 

There was also significant diversity in the methods 

used to demark the locations where collectors should 

cross. Most agencies use crosswalks painted on the 

pavement (as shown in Figure 5) and safety-shape 

barriers or railings (with openings at the crosswalks) to 

encourage workers to use the crosswalk. However, a 

small number of agencies are not as restrictive as to 

where collectors could cross – while they may still use 

painted crosswalks, they do not physically channel 

collectors to openings with gates, etc. for fear that 

Figure 3. Clear Plastic Shoulder Bag for 

Collectors to Use when Crossing
 

Figure 4. Booths can Create a Visual 

Obstacle when Crossing
 

Figure 5. Painted Crosswalk for Workers 

these barriers could present dangerous obstructions if a collector was outside of the crosswalk area 

and needed to quickly get out of the travel lanes. 

5 
 

Strategies for Improving Safety at Toll Collection Facilities 

Warnings to Employees 

Related to crosswalks, many agencies have implemented some 

type of mitigation strategy to remind workers that they are 

crossing live lanes of traffic. At one end of the spectrum, some 

agencies make use of a device called a ManSaverTM Safety Bar. 

As shown in Figure 6, these are physical gates adapted from use 

on fire trucks that must be carefully opened to enter a travel lane 

(i.e., the worker must stop and pull the gate either upward or 

toward himself), but that can be easily pushed through to get out 

of the travel lane on the other side. To ensure that collectors 

cross at the ManSaverTM bar, one agency that the study team 

visited has begun using chains at the sides of the crossing area in 

effect to channelize workers to cross at the ManSaverTM bar. 

At the other end of the spectrum, a number of agencies have 

simply stenciled or painted messages on the curbs abutting the 

travel lanes. These messages include “LOOK” and “WATCH 

FOR TRAFFIC” (examples shown in Figures 7 and 8). Through 

conversations with collectors, the general consensus is that such 

messages tend to be effective for new employees or when first 

added, but that over time they lose effectiveness as they become 

part of the background and are less noticed. 

Two agencies visited use signs at toll lane crossings to mark ETC lanes so that employees can easily 

identify lanes where traffic does not stop. One agency uses signs that read “E-Z LOOK,” with eyes 

drawn into “LOOK” and an arrow pointing in the direction of oncoming traffic. The signs are metal and 

mounted on the side of the bullnose facing in toward the lane at crossing locations. The same agency 

also uses red on white signs that read “BE ALERT HIGH SPEED TRAFFIC.” Another agency uses 

signs that are installed on the backs of booths and read “WARNING – EZ PASS TRAFFIC DOES 

NOT STOP.” 

Figure 6. ManSaverTM Safety 

Bar
 

Figure 7. Signs and Stickers in Plaza 

Building and Toll Booth Remind 

Workers about Safety
 

6 
 

 

 

Strategies for Improving Safety at Toll Collection Facilities 

Garments for Improved Worker Visibility 

Vests are typically provided to all toll plaza employees, although the vest design differs from agency 

to agency. Most agencies elect to 

follow the requirements that apply 

to workers on Federal-aid routes. 

As of November 2008, all workers 

within the right-of-way of a Federalaid highway who are exposed to 

traffic or to construction equipment 

within the work area are required to 

wear high-visibility safety apparel, 

defined as personal protective 

safety clothing that is intended to 

provide conspicuity during both 

daytime and nighttime usage, and 

that meets the Performance Class 2 

or 3 requirements of the ANSI/ISEA 

107–2004 publication entitled 

“American National Standard for 

High-Visibility Safety Apparel and 

Headwear.”2 3 

Figure 8. Various Signs and 

Markings Remind Collectors 

of the Dangers of Crossing 

Lanes 

In terms of variations on the standard vest, one agency has recently adopted a safety smock which is 

light-weight, has short sleeves, and is waist length. It is fluorescent yellow green with orange sections 

and retro-reflective strips (similar to that shown in Figure 9). 

Depending on the climate, some agencies issue collectors a 

retroreflective jacket (as shown in Figure 10). Another agency issues 

toll collectors a 3-in-1 coat. The coat is lined and fluorescent yellowgreen. The sleeves can be unzipped and removed for spring and fall 

and the lining unzips so that it is more vest-like in the summer. 

Another agency has gone to 

using battery-powered flashing 

vests for employees who work 

in the toll lanes, and still another 

reported moving toward a high 

visibility safety vest with fivepoint breakaway. The vests 

were ordered in response to 

news reports that vests would get caught on passing vehicles 

and workers were being dragged several hundred feet. The 

vests are fluorescent yellow green and are supplied to each 

employee and replaced as needed. The agency reported that 

they gave their collectors the opportunity to provide input to 

2 Federal Register / Vol. 71, No. 226 / Friday, November 24, 2006 / Rules and Regulations, Page 67792. 

http://www.workzonesafety.org/files/documents/laws_regulations/federal/nov_24_06.pdf 

3 Revised American National Standard for High-Visibility Safety Apparel and Headwear, ANSI/ISEA 107-2004. 

http://www.workzonesafety.org/node/1736 

Figure 9. Safety Smock 

Figure 10. Retroreflective Jacket 

7 
Strategies for Improving Safety at Toll Collection Facilities 

management when the vests were being selected, and the breakaway vest that was selected has 

received a positive response by employees. 

Three agencies reported that they are considering development of new uniforms that will have safety 

features built in, thereby eliminating the need for safety vests. 

Maintenance and Lane Closures 

Other mitigation strategies related to worker safety in travel lanes included: 

 Requiring workers to look over their shoulder every few steps after closing barriers.
 

 Using attenuator trucks for all maintenance activities that require a lane closure. 

 Placing “Your Speed Is” dynamic signs on the rear of attenuator trucks to slow down vehicles in 

the vicinity of maintenance activities. 

 Using side-fire cameras to allow for maintenance work without closing a lane (i.e., cameras are 

mounted by the roadside instead of overhead). 

 Requiring maintenance workers to use a “buddy” system, with one worker watching for unsafe 

traffic conditions. 

Strategy Rankings, Effectiveness, and Constraints 

Table 1 lists each strategy identified for mitigating safety issues associated with worker exposure to 

vehicles and provides comments from practitioners on strategy effectiveness and any 

concerns/constraints. The table also provides information on practitioner ranking results from the Toll 

Facility Safety Study Workshop. 

8 
Table 1. Potential Strategies to Mitigate Safety Issues Associated with Worker Exposure to V

Rankings from Workshop Participants Strategy Description Con

and Comments on Effectiveness4 

Providing Direct Access to Booths 

Provide physical bypasses of toll lanes for collectors. 

Use tunnels or bridges to reduce the need for workers to cross lanes. 

 Effective if used properly.  However, ranked last (tied) of all solutions 

considered by workshop participants to reduce worker exposure. 

 Very exp Tunnels 

flooding. 

 Even wh

do not use 

Provide break areas on either side of large plazas. 

Some agencies with large numbers of plaza lanes or with staffed lanes on both outside lanes (with ETC in the middle) have placed break rooms on either side of the plaza to minimize the number of lanes that collectors must cross during their shift. 

 Considered highly effective (though costly) 

where appropriate. 

 Due to uniqueness of requirements, was not 

selected by any workshop participants in their top three list of most effective strategies for reducing worker exposure. 

 Expensi

Locate all dedicated ETC lanes to the far left side of the plaza, eliminating the need for workers to cross ETC lanes. 

Locate all dedicated ETC lanes to the far left of the plaza so that collectors can avoid crossing these high speed lanes. 

 Highly effective where feasible.  Ranked 3rd (tied) of 30 strategies considered 

by workshop participants for reducing worker exposure, with 4 of 20 participants selecting it as the most effective solution. 

 Will not 

required oto facilitatramps clo

Eliminate all mixed mode lanes to reduce uncertainty of driver behavior. 

Many toll collectors consider mixedmode lanes (with both ETC and cash customers) to be more dangerous to cross than cash or ETC lanes because it is more difficult to predict driver behavior in these lanes. Consequently, some agencies have given consideration to eliminating these lanes. 

 Does increase worker safety, but may reduce 

throughput. 

 Ranked 15th (tied) of 30 strategies considered 

by workshop participants for reducing worker exposure. 

 May not 

plazas dutraffic volutraffic. 

 May cau

lane chan

Strategies for Improving Safety at Toll Collection Facilities 

4 Within each strategy grouping, workshop participants were asked to select and rank the three strategies that they believed to have the gre

safety for workers and customers at toll plazas. Note that at the workshop, the strategies discussed here were presented in a category entit

Associated with Worker Exposure to Vehicles.” 

9
Crossing Procedures 

Require workers to make eye contact with motorists in approaching vehicles. 

Require workers to make eye contact with drivers before crossing. 

 Considered very effective by agencies that 

have this rule. 

 Was ranked as the number 1 strategy out of 

30 strategies considered by workshop participants for reducing worker exposure. 

 None. 

Require workers to wear safety vests at all times. 

A number of agencies require workers to wear safety vests at all times while on shift. This is thought to reduce instances of workers failing to put on their vest when they exit a booth or break area. 

 Highly effective where enforced.  Ranked 2nd (tied) of 30 strategies considered 

by workshop participants for reducing worker exposure. 

 None. 

Prohibit workers from crossing any highspeed ETC lanes. 

Many agencies prohibit workers from crossing any high-speed ETC lanes. 

 Effective, but may not always be practical.  Ranked 7th (tied) of 30 strategies considered 

by workshop participants for reducing worker exposure. 

 There m

collectors 

Prohibit workers from crossing in front of any vehicle larger than an SUV. 

After experiencing a fatality when a collector crossed in front of a large truck that was not able to see the worker, one agency now prohibits workers from crossing in front of any vehicle larger than an SUV. 

 Highly effective, where practical.  However, was not selected as a top three 

strategy to mitigate worker exposure by any of the workshop participants. Ranked last (tied). 

 May not 

Require workers to signal intention to cross. 

Require workers to signal their intention to cross to the approaching driver and to wait for acknowledgement from that driver. 

 Considered very effective.  Ranked 3rd (tied) of 30 strategies considered 

by workshop participants for reducing worker exposure. 

 None. 

Prohibit workers from crossing BEHIND vehicles. 

A number of agencies instruct their employees not to cross behind vehicles in case the vehicle backs up. 

 Common practice with a number of agencies, 

but not all. 

 Was not selected as a top three strategy to 

mitigate worker exposure by any of the workshop participants. Ranked last (tied). 

 None. 

Strategies for Improving Safety at Toll Collection Facilities 

Strategy Description Rankings from Workshop Participants and Comments on Effectiveness4 Con

10
Strategies for Improving Safety at Toll Collection Facilities 

Strategy Description Rankings from Workshop Participants and Comments on Effectiveness4 Con

Require toll collectors to use stop paddles when crossing. 

Issue handheld STOP sign paddles to workers to hold while crossing lanes. 

 A number of agencies that have tried this 

have not found it to be effective. 

 Ranked near the bottom of all strategies 

considered by workshop participants for reducing driver exposure. 

 Require

trained. 

 Difficult 

holding ca

 Can give 

security. 

Instruct workers to provide verbal cues to motorists when crossing. 

Instruct workers to give verbal cues to motorists when crossing (e.g., yell “I’m crossing!”). 

 Considered moderately effective, 

effectiveness can be diminished by noisy environment. 

 Ranked 13th (tied) of 30 strategies considered 

by workshop participants for reducing worker exposure. 

 May be 

implemen

Promote hands-free crossing for workers. 

Require workers to have at least one hand free during crossing so that they can signal to drivers if need be. 

 Considered moderately effective.  Ranked 13th (tied) of 30 strategies considered 

by workshop participants for reducing worker exposure. 

 None. 

Issue shoulder bags to workers to use when crossing. 

Issue shoulder bags to collectors for hands-free crossing, and consider highvisibility color such as orange. 

 Helps to keep hands free.  Ranked 9th (tied) of 30 strategies considered 

by workshop participants for reducing worker exposure. 

 None. 

Instruct workers to use mutual support when crossing. 

Instruct workers to use mutual support when crossing lanes (i.e., the collector in the booth directs motorists to stop for the crossing collector). 

 Considered moderately effective.  Is simply done as a matter of course (without 

formal instruction) at a number of facilities. 

 Ranked 9th (tied) of 30 strategies considered 

by workshop participants for reducing worker exposure. 

 None. 

11
Escort employees 

across lanes. 

A small number of agencies have, or have considered, a police escort or crossing guard for crossing lanes. 

 Effective at reducing worker risk, but very 

cost prohibitive. 

 One agency that has implemented this 

strategy reports that in 42 years, no employee has been hit while crossing a lane. 

 Was not selected as a top three strategy to 

mitigate worker exposure by any of the workshop participants. Ranked last (tied). 



Very cosMay exp

Crosswalks 

Strategically locate crosswalks. 

Carefully consider the location of crosswalks to encourage workers to cross where most appropriate for the environment at that particular plaza (i.e., upstream of the booth to provide improved sight lines; downstream of the booth so that vehicles stop prior to crossing; or well downstream of the booth to allow for longer stopping distance). 

 Two workshop participants selected this in 

their ranking of the top 3 most effective strategies for reducing worker exposure, placing the overall ranking of this strategy toward the middle of the 30 strategies considered.

 Effectiveness is somewhat dependent on 

plaza configuration. 

 May be 

layout of p

Paint pedestrian crosswalks at the plaza. 

Designed to warn the public and to ensure that workers cross at the same dedicated location. 

 Encourages collectors to cross at a 

consistent location. 

 Ranked 9th (tied) of 30 strategies considered 

by workshop participants for reducing driver exposure. 

 Need to  May giv

of security

Strategies for Improving Safety at Toll Collection Facilities 

Strategy Description Rankings from Workshop Participants and Comments on Effectiveness4 Con

12
Warnings to Employees 

Use ManSaverTM Bars 

to slow collectors down while crossing the plaza, possibly with chains at the sides of the crossing area to channelize workers. 

These bars, patterned after those used on fire trucks, require a worker to stop and lift the bar to enter a lane but can easily be pushed to exit. 

 Ranked 7th (tied) of 30 strategies considered 

by workshop participants for reducing worker exposure. 

 Some co

difficult to are full. 

 Chains m

in the eve

 Adding b

hazard in clothing mcrossing. 

Use visual cues to remind workers of the danger of crossing lanes. 

Agencies use a variety of visual cues to remind workers of the danger of crossing lanes including: 

 Signs (e.g., "BE ALERT HIGH SPEED 

TRAFFIC”, red and white warning signs at crossing points). 

 Pavement markings (e.g., “LOOK and 

WATCH FOR CARS”) to remind collectors about the dangers of crossing lanes. 

 Warning stickers (e.g., on the ground 

outside the booth doors, or notes such as “WEAR YOUR VEST” on the booth door). 

 May be most effective for newer employees.  Ranked near the bottom of all strategies 

considered by workshop participants for reducing driver exposure. 

 No real 

workers mignore sig

Visually remind 

workers when they are entering ETC and mixed use lanes. 

Label ETC and mixed use lanes 

differently from cash only lanes to remind collectors that vehicles may not stop in these lanes (e.g., with purple lights). 

 Ranked near the bottom of all strategies 

considered by workshop participants for reducing driver exposure. 

 Concern

workers a when cros

Strategies for Improving Safety at Toll Collection Facilities 

Strategy Description Rankings from Workshop Participants and Comments on Effectiveness4 Con

13
Garments for Improved Worker Visibility 

Consider higher visibility vests. 

Use vests with battery-powered flashing lights. 

 Was not selected as a top three strategy to 

mitigate worker exposure by any of the workshop participants. Ranked last (tied). 

 Most pla

may not b

Consider 5-pt breakaway safety vests. 

Use safety vests that have a 5-point breakaway system designed to come off with minor or no injury if the vest becomes hooked on an object. 

 Ranked low by workshop participants 

considering strategies to reduce worker exposure, with only one participant placing this strategy in their top three. 

 Cumber

Maintenance and Lane Closures 

Instruct workers to look back over their shoulder at traffic after manually closing a lane. 

Require workers to look back over their shoulder every few steps after manually closing a gate. 

 Mixed assessment of effectiveness, some 

concern about workers tripping. 

 Was not selected as a top three strategy to 

mitigate worker exposure by any of the workshop participants. Ranked last (tied). 

 Concern

Require attenuator trucks for all maintenance work requiring a lane closure. 

Some agencies require the use of attenuator trucks for all maintenance work requiring a lane closure. 

 Highly effective when implemented, but often 

not feasible. 

 Ranked 3rd (tied) of 30 strategies considered 

by workshop participants for reducing worker exposure. 

 Very exp Time co

attenuato

“Your Speed is...” signs on attenuator trucks. 

Use digital “Your Speed is...” on the rear of attenuator trucks to protect maintenance workers. 

 Was not selected as a top three strategy to 

mitigate worker exposure by any of the workshop participants. Ranked last (tied). 

 Very exp

Require maintenance workers to use a “buddy” system. 

Require maintenance workers to use a “buddy” system (i.e., no maintenance work is performed alone) so that one worker can watch for traffic. 

 Considered very effective, but may be cost 

prohibitive in certain situations. 

 Ranked 9th (tied) of 30 strategies considered 

by workshop participants for reducing worker exposure. 

 Cost. 

Strategies for Improving Safety at Toll Collection Facilities 

Strategy Description Rankings from Workshop Participants and Comments on Effectiveness4 Con

14
Strategies for Improving Safety at Toll Collection Facilities 

REDUCING WORKER EXPOSURE TO THE ENVIRONMENT 

THE CHALLENGE 

Toll collectors are exposed to a range of environmental hazards on the job, such as excessive noise 

and automotive emissions. Beyond this, the work environment can pose physical hazards that can 

result in injuries such as slips, trips, and falls, which were commonly mentioned by agencies as the 

most prevalent workplace injury occurring at their plazas. Slips, trips, and falls can be caused by icy 

or snowy conditions, from the presence of debris or other substances on the pavement, from uneven 

pavement, or simply from carelessness by workers when climbing stairs or curbs. 

POTENTIAL MITIGATION STRATEGIES 

Mitigating Air Quality Issues 

Through the site visits the team found that many agencies typically perform some combination of the 

following mitigation strategies to lessen the impact of air quality hazards for collectors: 

	 CO and emissions testing – Some agencies have carbon monoxide (CO) monitors in their booths 

while others perform periodic CO and/or emissions testing. 

	 Positive air pressure – Many agencies have positive air pressure in their booths, and all agencies 

retrofitting booths were adding positive air. 

	 Air conditioning – Agencies in warmer climates typically have air conditioning in their booths; some 

also provide collectors with individual controls in the booths. 

Mitigating Excessive Noise Levels 

Many agencies perform noise testing on a periodic basis and take measures to reduce noise if they 

find that it is at an unacceptable level. Some agencies limit the length of time that workers are 

permitted to work at booths with high volumes of truck traffic due to the excessive noise levels that 

can be associated with trucks. 

In addition to this, some agencies provide ear plugs to collectors, although nearly all of the collectors 

that the team spoke with indicated that they do not wear ear plugs on the job since they can make it 

difficult to converse with customers. 

Personal Protective Equipment 

In terms of protective equipment to deal with environmental impacts, the most common equipment 

that the agencies issue to collectors for environmental reasons are gloves, although most collectors 

interviewed by the study team reported that they do not wear them very often on the job either due to 

negative public perception or due to the fact that gloves make it difficult to quickly perform work tasks. 

In addition to this, some agencies provide slip-resistant safety shoes to reduce the occurrence of 

slips, trips, and falls. 

Reducing Slips, Trips, and Falls 

In terms of strategies to mitigate slips, an obvious solution that most agencies reported is simply 

making it a priority to keep the crossing areas clear of debris and oil. Beyond this, many agencies use 

grooved or textured pavement in the crossing area to provide better traction (for example, the Golden 

Gate Bridge staff has recently begun using a material called FlexCrete, a fiber-reinforced aerated 

concrete, in place of standard concrete at its crossing areas). 

15
 
Strategies for Improving Safety at Toll Collection Facilities 

For colder climates, ice and snow can present a challenge. One agency has made a point to position 

drain gates below the curb at all crossing areas to avoid ponding water, which can lead to icy 

conditions. Another agency ensures that all of its walkways are covered to help reduce snow and ice 

on the walkways. Denver E-470 has recently begun issuing collectors crampons (shown in Figure 11) 

which can be worn on the outside of their shoes to provide better traction on snow and ice. 

Finally, as previously mentioned, several agencies focus on hands-free crossing with the use of 

shoulder bags to carry belongings (with the idea that having both hands free will make it easier for 

collectors to catch themselves if they fall). One agency now issues collectors cash bags instead of 

cash drawers to facilitate hands-free crossing (as shown in Figure 12). 

Figure 11. Crampons Can Help Collectors Avoid 

Slips in Snowy and Icy Conditions 

In an attempt to mitigate trips, some of the 

agencies visited use brightly colored striping on 

the edges of stairs and curbs (as shown in 

Figure 13) to improve visibility and depth 

perception. For those agencies with tunnels or 

overhead access to booths, many stressed the 

importance of having handrails on both sides of 

any stairways. 

Strategy Rankings, Effectiveness, and 

Constraints 

Table 2 lists the strategies for mitigating safety 

issues associated with the worker environment, 

with information on effectiveness, concerns, 

constraints, and ranking. 

Figure 12. Cash Bags Can Facilitate 

Hands-Free Crossing
 

Figure 13. Brightly Colored Curbing in the Crossing
 

Area Can Reduce Trips
 

16
 
Table 2. Potential Strategies to Mitigate Safety Issues Associated with the Worker Environ

Strategy Description Rankings from Workshop Participants and Comments on Effectiveness5 Con

Mitigating Air Quality Issues 

Install carbon monoxide (CO) monitors in booths or test for CO periodically. 

A few agencies now have CO monitors in their booths. 

 Ranked 6th (tied) out of 15 strategies 

considered by workshop participants for reducing environmental impacts for collectors. 

 Mus

period

Install positive air in all booths. 

Positive air systems are designed to extract fresh air from outside of the immediate vicinity of the booth (e.g., above the toll booth structure) where the air is not contaminated with vehicle emissions or particulate matter such as dust, and delivering it to the booth at a pressure which allows for positive pressure within the booth, thereby ensuring that air is forced out of the toll booth window. Cold/heat stress can also 

be controlled by these systems. 

 15 out of the 20 workshop participants rated 

this strategy among the top 3 most effective strategies for reducing environmental impacts for collectors, with 7 participants rating it as the most effective strategy. 

 Exp

Install air conditioning in booths. 

Install air conditioning in booths in warmer climates and consider having individual controls inside booths. 

 Ranked 3rd out of 15 strategies considered by 

workshop participants for reducing environmental impacts for collectors. 

Add

maiconthe pref

Strategies for Improving Safety at Toll Collection Facilities 

5 Within each strategy grouping, workshop participants were asked to select and rank the three strategies that they believed to have the gre

safety for workers and customers at toll plazas. Note that at the workshop, the strategies discussed here were presented in a category entit

17
Mitigating Excessive Noise Levels 

Periodically conduct noise testing in the booths. 

Toll plazas are often very noisy environments, especially at facilities with high levels of truck traffic. Consequently, a number of agencies undertake periodic noise monitoring to identify problems and develop remediation strategies (such as earplugs, banning air brakes, and rotating employees from truck-only lanes). 

 Ranked 2nd out of 15 strategies considered by 

workshop participants for reducing environmental impacts for collectors. 

 Non

Limit exposure time of workers at booths with high truck traffic. 

Some agencies periodically rotate employs out of booths in truck lanes to reduce noise impacts. 

 This was not selected among the top three 

strategies for reducing environmental impacts by any of the workshop participants. 

 Non

Personal Protective Equipment 

Provide ear plugs to collectors. 

Toll plazas tend to be very noisy environments. In fact, a number of workers interviewed during the site visits reported having difficulty hearing for some time after their shift (similar to attending a concert). Consequently, a number of agencies offer the use of ear plugs to their employees. 

 The use of ear plugs offers mixed benefits. 

Some workers do like them and use them; however, most find it difficult to communicate with the customers while wearing ear plugs. 

 Ranked second to last (tied) of all strategies 

considered by workshop participants for reducing environmental impacts. 

 Lim

intera

Provide gloves to collectors.

Given the nature of the cash transactions and fears about disease, etc., gloves can help to protect collectors’ hands. This issue 

became particularly relevant during the concerns over anthrax. 

 Many collectors choose not to wear gloves 

even when they are readily available. 

 Ranked 9th (tied) out of 15 strategies

considered by workshop participants for reducing environmental impacts for collectors. 

 Nee

allerg

Strategies for Improving Safety at Toll Collection Facilities 

Strategy Description Rankings from Workshop Participants and Comments on Effectiveness5 Con

18
Reducing Slips, Trips, and Falls 

Issue safety shoes to toll collectors. 

Many agencies issue collectors safety shoes (slip-resistant, steel-toe) to reduce slips and to reduce workplace injuries. 

 Ranked 4th (tied) out of 15 strategies 

considered by workshop participants for reducing environmental impacts for collectors. 

 Low-cost. 

 Non

Use grooved or textured pavement in the crossing areas to reduce slips. 

Some agencies reported using some sort of skid-resistant surface (e.g., FlexCreteTM) at 

their collector crossing areas to reduce slips. 

 Ranked 6th (tied) out of 15 strategies 

considered by workshop participants for reducing environmental impacts for collectors. 

 Can 

plaza

 Doe

Install drain gates at the curb at crossing areas to avoid ponding water and icy conditions. 

Some agencies reported problems with ponding water in crossing areas 

 Considered very effective and necessary in 

areas where icing can occur. 

 Ranked 4th (tied) out of 15 strategies 

considered by workshop participants for reducing environmental impacts for collectors. 

 Cos

Ensure that all walkways are covered. 

Covering walkways can protect workers from the elements and can reduce incidents of slips, trips, and falls from ice and slippery conditions 

 This was not selected among the top three 

strategies for reducing environmental impacts by any of the workshop participants. 

 Cos

Provide crampons to collectors to reduce slips on ice. 

Denver E-470 has begun providing crampons to collectors to reduce slips on ice. Crampons are outdoor footwear that are worn on the bottom of boots or shoes and that use spikes to provide traction on snow and ice. 

 Relatively small number of workers use the 

available crampons; however, those that do swear by them. 

 Ranked near the bottom of all strategies 

considered by workshop participants for reducing environmental impacts on toll collectors. 

 Low-cost. 

 Req

use a

Switch from cash drawers to cash bags. 

Providing collectors with cash bags instead of cash drawers can facilitate hands-free crossing. 

 Ranked 4th (tied) out of 15 strategies 

considered by workshop participants for reducing environmental impacts for collectors. 

 May 

transfbags. preve

Strategies for Improving Safety at Toll Collection Facilities 

Strategy Description Rankings from Workshop Participants and Comments on Effectiveness5 Con

19
Strategies for Improving Safety at Toll Collection Facilities 

Strategy Description Rankings from Workshop Participants and Comments on Effectiveness5 Con

Add brightly-colored striping to the edges of stairs and curbs. 

One way to reduce trips is to paint the edges of stairs and curbs to improve visibility and depth perception. 

 Ranked 6th (tied) out of 15 strategies 

considered by workshop participants for reducing environmental impacts for collectors. 

 Mus

Install handrails on both sides of tunnel stairways to reduce falls. 

New toll plazas are now consistently constructed with hand-rails on either side of any stairwell. Many existing facilities are being retrofitted to also meet this goal. 

 Consistently reported as a significant 

improvement during site visits 

 Ranked 9th (tied) out of 15 strategies 

considered by workshop participants for reducing environmental impacts for collectors. 

 Add

20
Strategies for Improving Safety at Toll Collection Facilities 

IMPROVING ERGONOMICS FOR WORKERS 

THE CHALLENGE 

Another workplace injury commonly mentioned was strains to various body parts such as the wrist, 

back, or shoulder. Strains are difficult to avoid given that the nature of the work requires the worker to 

stand for much of their shift and that it requires a good deal of reaching and twisting, but there are 

some mitigation strategies that agencies have implemented to reduce these issues. 

POTENTIAL MITIGATION STRATEGIES 

Agencies have worked to improve ergonomics for collectors in a number of different ways, including 

implementing new policies and procedures, modifying their booth design, and providing special 

equipment. 

Equipment 

The team saw a variety of equipment in use to reduce workplace injuries including: 

 Nearly all of the agencies that the team visited provide a stool for collectors to use while in the 

booth. However, few collectors that the team spoke with 

indicated that they use the stool very often since they find it 

easier to perform their work while standing (this was 

particularly the case with those who work the busier shifts). 

Many agencies have looked into different options for stools, 

but most indicated that they have had difficulty getting 

collectors to agree on the best design. One agency 

represented at the workshop warned of the danger of 

selecting chairs with a flexible back as this design 

encouraged collectors to lean back, resulting in some 

serious injuries. One agency that the team spoke with has 

gone toward a sit/stand stool that allows collectors the 

support of a chair without requiring them to sit. Another 

agency indicated that after having numerous discussions 

with its collectors about their needs, it has found that foot 

rests are very important to collectors and, as a result, the agency has found that a chair with a foot 

rest surrounding the entire chair is preferable (as shown in Figure 14). 

 A number of agencies spoke of the importance of keeping items off the floor in the booth to avoid 

tripping hazards and to maximize collector sight lines to 

outside their booths. To combat this many agencies do not 

allow collectors to bring any personal items into the booth 

when working. Others provide shelves and hooks in the 

booth to make certain that collectors have sufficient places 

to store items without introducing a tripping hazard. 

 Nearly all agencies visited have anti-fatigue mats in their 

booths (as shown in Figure 15). Anti-fatigue mats are 

designed to reduce fatigue that is caused by standing for 

long periods on a hard surface. Fatigue-reducing mats can 

be made of various materials including rubber, carpeting 

materials, vinyl, and wood, and are used to decrease foot 

Figure 14. Chair with Circular Foot 

Rest
 

Figure 15. Anti-Fatigue Mat 

21
 
 

Strategies for Improving Safety at Toll Collection Facilities 

weariness for workers who stand in one position for long periods of 

time.6
 

	 Denver E-470 has found it helpful to add a convex mirror to the side 

of the booth as shown in Figure 16. The position of the convex 

mirror allows collectors to see vehicles exiting the plaza while they 

are facing oncoming traffic. Collectors reported that the mirror 

reduces twisting motions as they often need to watch vehicles 

exiting to ensure that the gate has lifted properly. 

	 Some agencies provide collectors with ergonomic training to reduce 

repetitive injuries. 

Booth Design 

Some agencies have implemented adjustable-height terminals, chairs, 

and/or cash drawers in an effort to reduce workplace injuries 

associated with reaching (an example of an adjustable-height 

terminal is shown in Figure 17). In many cases strains can be 

caused by leaning out of the booth to see oncoming or exiting traffic. 

Depending on the booth design, collectors sometimes noted that 

leaning was necessitated by advertisements or sunshades on the 

window making it difficult to see out, or simply by booth/plaza design 

(e.g., a pillar can sometimes block their view of oncoming traffic). 

Some agencies have less of a problem with this as their booths 

have a bumped-out door design which allows the collector to see 

oncoming traffic and to reach vehicles more easily 

without having to lean quite as far (see Figure 18). 

Policies and Procedures 

Nearly all agencies that the team spoke with indicated 

that they have experienced injuries resulting from 

collectors’ arms being pulled by customers as they 

pass through the plaza. To reduce these injuries, one 

agency has instructed collectors never to place their 

hands outside of the booth until after the vehicle has 

come to a complete stop. Another agency now 

instructs collectors to validate payment as the last step in processing a transaction (which in most 

cases keeps the gate down) to reduce the chance that the vehicle will attempt to pull away before the 

transaction is complete. 

Strategy Rankings, Effectiveness, and Constraints 

Table 3 lists each strategy identified for mitigating safety issues associated with ergonomics and 

provides comments from practitioners on strategy effectiveness and any concerns/constraints. The 

table also provides information on practitioner ranking results from the Toll Facility Safety Study 

Workshop. 

6 Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety. http://www.ccohs.ca/oshanswers/ergonomics/mats.html. 

Figure 16. Convex Mirrors
 

Can Reduce Twisting and
 

Turning for Collectors
 

Figure 17. Denver E-470’s 

Adjustable Height Terminal 

Figure 18. Bumped Out Dutch Doors Can 

Reduce Twisting and Turning for Collectors
 

22
 
Strategy Description Rankings from Workshop Participants and Comments on Effectiveness7 C

Equipment 

Provide collectors with ergonomic stools. 

Nearly all agencies provide some sort of ergonomic stools to their collectors. Some have gone toward a “sit/stand” 

stool. Others have found that swivel chairs with surrounding foot rests are preferable to their collectors. 

 8 of the 20 workshop participants rated this strategy 

among the top 3 most effective strategies in the “ergonomics” category. 

 Diffi

collec

 Avo

this eback 

Install shelving and hooks in the booths. 

Many agencies expressed the importance of keeping the booth floor free of all items that can pose a tripping hazard for workers. Having sufficient shelving and clothing hooks in the booth can facilitate this. 

 Although none rated this strategy among the top 3 

most effective strategies in the “ergonomics” category, most workshop participants commented that this was a low-cost, common sense strategy. 

 Important to avoid blocking collector’s view out of 

the booth. 

 Non

Provide collectors with anti-fatigue mats in the booths. 

Anti-fatigue mats in the booths can reduce fatigue caused by standing for long periods on a hard surface. 

 14 of the 20 workshop participants rated this 

strategy among the top 3 most effective strategies in the “ergonomics” category, with 5 participants rating it as the most effective strategy. 

 Can 

imporsecurthe chmat. 

Install convex mirrors on the side of booths. 

A small convex mirror on the booth can allow collectors to monitor vehicles exiting the booth without turning. 

 Most workshop participants commented that this 

was a low-cost strategy that made sense. 

 Cou

and laat fac

Provide ergonomic training to collectors. 

Providing ergonomic training to collectors can teach them how to reduce the likelihood of repetitive motion injuries. 

 8 of the 20 workshop participants rated this strategy 

among the top 3 most effective strategies in the “ergonomics” category. 

 Can 

Strategies for Improving Safety at Toll Collection Facilities 

Table 3. Potential Strategies to Mitigate Safety Issues Associated with Ergonomics 

7 Within each strategy grouping, workshop participants were asked to select and rank the three strategies that they believed to have the gre

safety for workers and customers at toll plazas. 

23
Booth Design 

Provide collectors with adjustable height terminals, cash drawers, and/or chairs. 

Providing collectors with adjustable height equipment can reduce workplace injuries associated with reaching. Especially helpful for tall or 

short employees. 

 Ranked 3rd out of 9 strategies considered by 

workshop participants in the “ergonomics” category. 

 Can 

Use bumped-out Dutch doors on booths. 

Booths with a bumped-out door design can allow collectors to see oncoming traffic and to reach vehicles without having to lean quite so far out of the booth. 

 Ranked 2nd out of 9 strategies considered by 

workshop participants in the “ergonomics” category. 

 Lan

const

Policies and Procedures 

Implement policies to reduce injury due to vehicles pulling into or away from the booth. 

To reduce injuries due to pulled arms as vehicles pull away from the plaza, one agency has made it a policy that collectors perform validation as their last step in the transaction process so that the gate stays down until the transaction is complete. Another has implemented a policy that collectors are not allowed to place their hands outside of the booth until after the vehicle has come to a complete stop. 

 8 of the 20 workshop participants rated this strategy 

among the top 3 most effective strategies in the “ergonomics” category. 

 Pra

depen

Strategies for Improving Safety at Toll Collection Facilities 

Strategy Description Rankings from Workshop Participants and Comments on Effectiveness7 C

24
Strategies for Improving Safety at Toll Collection Facilities 

REDUCING WORKER RISK OF ASSAULT 

THE CHALLENGE 

Another concern related to toll worker safety is the possibility of physical assault, either by irate 

customers or in connection with a robbery. At each site the study team visited, the agencies cited 

examples of workers being spit upon, having objects thrown at them, and – in extreme cases – being 

shot at. Fear of armed robbery was particularly pronounced in locations where a lone worker might 

be present – such as at an exit ramp plaza. 

POTENTIAL MITIGATION STRATEGIES 

While little can be done to entirely eliminate these occurrences, a number of mitigation strategies 

have been adopted by agencies across the country. These include: 

	 Keeping doors locked while in the booth. 

	 Having periodic cash drops during shifts to minimize the amount of cash that a collector has on 

hand at any given time. 

	 Maintaining close relationships with local law enforcement. 

	 Having closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras in and around the booths. 

	 Having bullet-resistant glass on the booths. 

	 Providing collectors with Kevlar vests. 

Nearly all agencies that the team spoke with have a handset in the booth for collectors to 

communicate directly with other collectors at the plaza, with a supervisor at the plaza building or at a 

nearby plaza, or - in many cases – with a communications center that is open 24 hours a day, 7 days 

a week. In addition to this, most agencies that the team spoke with have covert panic alarms in their 

booths so that collectors can call for help in an emergency situation; some also issue cell phones to 

collectors as an additional means of being able to communicate during an emergency. 

One agency has a “Toll Security Committee” that meets every few months to discuss any incidents 

that have occurred recently and to brainstorm ways to prevent these types of incidents in the future. 

Strategy Rankings, Effectiveness, and Constraints 

Table 4 lists each strategy identified for mitigating safety issues associated with assault and provides 

comments from practitioners on strategy effectiveness and any concerns/constraints. The table also 

provides information on practitioner ranking results from the Toll Facility Safety Study Workshop. 

25
 
Strategy 

Lock booth doors 

Table 4. Potential Strategies to Mitigate Assault 

Rankings from Workshop Participants and Description Comments on Effectiveness8 

Instruct collector to keep the booth  Ranked 4th out of 8 strategies considered by 

door locked at all times when inside workshop participants for reducing assault. 

the booth. 

C

 Ma

rapideme

Have periodic cash drops during shifts. 

May reduce the temptation for robbery.  Ranked 3rd out of 8 strategies considered by 

workshop participants for reducing assault with 4 out of the 20 participants identifying it as the number one strategy. 

 No

Install cameras in and around booths. 

Provides both a deterrent and investigation tool. 

 Ranked 2nd out of 8 strategies considered by 

workshop participants for reducing assault, with 7 of out of the 20 participants identifying it as the number one strategy. 

 Ex

Install bullet-resistant glass on booths. 

Offers additional protection to collectors against assault and guns. 

 Limited effectiveness as collectors must keep at least 

part of the booth open to interact with the public. 

 This was not selected among the top three strategies 

for reducing environmental impacts by any of the workshop participants. 

 Ve

Provide bulletresistant vests to collectors. 

One toll agency began offering collectors the option of wearing bulletresistant vests after one of its collectors was shot. 

 This was not selected among the top three strategies 

for reducing environmental impacts by any of the workshop participants. 



ExMa

Install covert panic alarms in all booths. 

Allows for collectors to summon help either from nearby supervisor or law enforcement. Particularly helpful at remote locations with a single collector. 

 Ranked 1st out of all strategies considered by 

workshop participants for reducing assault. 

 Po

Strategies for Improving Safety at Toll Collection Facilities 

8 Within each strategy grouping, workshop participants were asked to select and rank the three strategies that they believed to have the gre

safety for workers and customers at toll plazas. 

26
Potential Strategies for Improving Safety at Toll Collection Facilities 

REDUCING UNSAFE MERGING AND LANE CHANGING 

THE CHALLENGE 

Toll plazas present unique challenges in terms of lane-changing behavior and merging. Many plazas 

operate much like a complex intersection (i.e., there are on-ramps or off-ramps in close proximity to 

the plaza creating excessive weaving maneuvers). In addition, speed variance between ETC and 

cash-paying customers is a safety challenge faced by all agencies with plazas accepting both 

electronic and cash payment. Often, last minute lane changes occur simply because motorists are 

seeking out the shortest line - motorists commit to a toll lane in advance of the plaza but then see a 

shorter line at the plaza and switch lanes. Additionally, many agencies face challenges in dealing with 

truck traffic and over-sized loads, particularly in regard to their “mixing” with automobiles. 

POTENTIAL MITIGATION STRATEGIES 

Plaza Configuration 

Toll authorities across the country have tackled the challenge of lane changing in a variety of ways. 

Many agencies make it a standard practice to position their dedicated high-speed ETC lanes to the 

left side of their plazas (i.e., toward the center of the roadway), with the idea that the customer 

expects faster-moving traffic to primarily be to the left side of the roadway. This practice appears to 

be effective except in situations where there are on-ramps or off-ramps in close proximity to the plaza, 

in which case positioning the ETC lanes to the left side of the plaza can cause unnecessary weaving 

maneuvers. To reduce weaving in these situations, some agencies have taken to positioning 

dedicated-ETC lanes to both the left and right side of their plazas as shown in Figure 19. 

Figure 19. Dedicated ETC Lanes Positioned at 

Both Sides of a Plaza
 

Another strategy that some agencies feel works 

well is to keep the dedicated ETC lanes in the 

same location at a plaza even if that plaza is 

reconfigured throughout the day as traffic density 

changes. This assists ETC patrons with identifying 

the proper lane and knowing that it is always in the 

same place. Another agency which reconfigured 

its plaza to include dedicated ETC lanes reported 

that it was helpful to look at ETC usage across all 

lanes in order to determine which lane(s) would be 

best for the dedicated ETC lanes. Previously, 

cash and ETC were accepted in all lanes, so the 

agency had the ability to track usage. 

Safety can be further compromised when truck 

traffic which normally travels in the right-most 

lanes seeks out ETC lanes. A common issue is 

that trucks are prohibited from traveling in the left lane on many roadways, which can pose a weaving 

problem if the dedicated-ETC lanes and/or the truck-only lanes are located to the left side of the 

plaza. To address this concern, the Illinois Toll Authority solicited feedback from truck drivers on the 

best configuration for its truck lanes. The agency recruited a number of commercial truck drivers and 

asked them to drive the agency’s facility and indicate where the truckers would ideally like to access 

the plaza. Truck-only lanes were then situated based in part on their responses. 

27
 
Potential Strategies for Improving Safety at Toll Collection Facilities 

Channelization of Traffic 

One way to reduce last-minute lane changes is to 

channelize traffic well in advance of the plaza to 

reduce last-minute lane changes (as shown in Figure 

20). Similarly, some agencies channelize ETC traffic 

downstream of the plaza to delay the merging of 

traffic (as shown in Figure 21). Some agencies even 

make it a policy to separate traffic until the slower 

traffic has accelerated to two-thirds of the normal 

operating speed. 

Other agencies use a buffer lane between the ETC 

lanes and cash or mixed-use lanes. Others use 

physical separation (such as a concrete barrier), 

including the use of barriers to prevent vehicles in the 

left-most lanes (typically ETC lanes) from making 

unsafe maneuvers to reach off-ramps located just 

downstream of the plaza. However, physical barriers 

can be costly to install and costly to maintain. As a 

result, some agencies simply extend the longitudinal markings further upstream of the toll plaza to 

assist with lane delineation. Others use high-visibility flexible delineators to separate traffic at plazas. 

The Florida Turnpike has found it effective to use wide yellow sergeant-striped delineators in place of 

the solid white delineators that it previously used to 

separate traffic. The agency also found that visibility 

was improved after positioning the delineators in a 

“bowling pin” configuration instead of in a straight 

line. 

For those agencies that face the additional challenge 

of lane assignments changing throughout the day, 

pop-up delineators can be a solution. However, 

some agencies in colder climates have found that 

pop-up delineators do not perform so well during 

snowy and icy conditions. To address this, the New 

York State Thruway designed a new pop-up 

delineator in-house that operates off of air 

compression and survives the winters. 

Strategy Rankings, Effectiveness, and 

Constraints 

Table 5 lists each strategy identified for mitigating 

safety issues associated with merging and lane-changing behavior and provides comments from 

practitioners on strategy effectiveness and any concerns/constraints. The table also provides 

information on practitioner ranking results from the Toll Facility Safety Study Workshop. 

Figure 20. Concrete Barriers and Attenuators 

Physically Separate Traffic Upstream of an 

Illinois Tollway Plaza 

Figure 21. Pavement Markings and Cones 

Delay Merging Downstream at the Port 

Authority of NY & NJ’s Holland Tunnel Plaza
 

28
 
Table 5. Potential Strategies to Mitigate Safety Issues Associated with Merging and Lane-Chang

Rankings from Workshop Participants and Strategy Description Co

Comments on Effectiveness9 

Plaza Configuration 

Position ETC lanes on both the right and the left side of plazas with nearby on or off ramps. 

In situations where a plaza is quickly followed by an off-ramp, it can be dangerous for high-speed ETC traffic to have to quickly weave across multiple lanes of traffic to utilize the ramp. This is exacerbated in areas with high percentages of truck traffic. 

 There is considerable debate about this practice.  While most consider that the practice will increase 

driver safety there are concerns that it can decrease worker safety – forcing collectors to cross highspeed lanes to reach staffed booths. 

 Ranked among the top 3 most effective merging 

mitigation strategies by 8 of 20 workshop participants. 

 In ma

preven

 Can 

exposu

 Conc

confus

 Requ Addit

blockelanes. 

 Coul

unexpe

Select location of truck-only lanes at plaza based on feedback from truck drivers. 

A number of agencies face difficulties with trucks having to merge from shoulder travel lanes to median lanes to access ETC and then merging back across traffic. To address this concern, the Illinois Toll Authority recruited a number of commercial truck drivers and asked them to drive the agency’s facility and indicate where they would ideally like to access the plaza. Truck-only lanes were then situated based in part on these responses. 

 While workshop participants felt that the practice of 

situating truck-only lanes based on user feedback was effective, there were concerns about the use of truck-only lanes in general. 

 Was rated among the top 3 strategies for 

mitigating merging incidents by only 3 of the 20 workshop participants. 

 The c

referretruck-oaround such a

Strategies for Improving Safety at Toll Collection Facilities 

9 Within each strategy grouping, workshop participants were asked to select and rank the three strategies that they believed to have the gre

safety for workers and customers at toll plazas. Note that at the workshop, the strategies discussed here were presented in a category entit

Changing.” 

29
Strategy Description Rankings from Workshop Participants and Comments on Effectiveness9 Co

Channelization of Traffic 

Channelize traffic downstream of the plaza with delineators. 

While many facilities actively separate traffic upstream of the plazas, a smaller number make use of delineators (and to a lesser extent physical barriers) to similarly maintain separation for some length downstream of the plaza. 

 Would be most effective if the delineated section 

extended far enough to allow vehicles from the cash and mixed lanes to accelerate to match the speeds of the ETC traffic. 

 Rated among the top 3 most effective strategies to 

mitigate merging concerns by 8 of the 20 workshop participants, although none rated it as the most effective strategy. 

 Many 

the spa

 As w

introduassocimainte

Provide a buffer lane between ETC and cash customers. 

A small number of agencies use buffer or unused lanes between ETC and cash or mixed lanes. As more and more customers move to ETC and fewer lanes are required at plazas, this is becoming more feasible. 

 Rated as the 2nd or 3rd most effective strategy to 

address merging by 5 out of the 20 workshop participants and as the most effective strategy by 1 participant. 

 Felt to be more economical than the use of 

physical barriers. 

 Many 

the spalanes. 

 Viola

buffer the toll

 May  If use

an unsduring openin

Use physical barriers to separate approaching highspeed traffic from cash or mixed lanes. 

A number of agencies use physical separation such as concrete barriers to separate high-speed ETC traffic from lower speed mixed or cash traffic. The length of separation and the type of barrier varies greatly among the facilities employing this technique. 

 18 of the 20 workshop participants rated this 

strategy among the top 3 most effective for reducing merging incidents, with 15 of the participants ranking it as the most effective strategy. 

 Barri

becom

 Insta

costs a

 Cust

becomlane an

 Imple

restrictconsid

 May 

remov

Strategies for Improving Safety at Toll Collection Facilities 

30
Use physical barriers 

to prevent vehicles in left-most lane from making unsafe maneuvers to reach downstream offramps. 

In situations where off-ramps are immediately downstream of a plaza, some authorities physically prevent vehicles in left-most lanes from merging across traffic to reach the off-ramp. Other authorities use striping and signs to try to enforce such restrictions; however, this was felt to be less effective than physical barriers. 

 Felt to be effective only with physical barriers 

versus lane striping, barrels, cones, or delineators. 

 Was only rated among the top 3 most effective 

strategies for mitigating merging incidents by 5 of the 20 workshops participants, with none rating it as the most effective strategy. 

 Conc

patronup. 

Use high-visibility flexible delineators to separate traffic lanes. 

This method of separating traffic lanes makes use of physical delineators in the roadway that are less expensive to deploy and that do not provide the same physical separation as barriers. Over time agencies have evolved to increasingly higher visibility delineators such as wide sergeant stripe panels and arrangements of multiple delineators in bowling pin configurations. 

 Considered more cost-effective to deploy than 

physical barriers. 

 Was rated among the top 3 most effective 

strategies to mitigate merging incidents by 9 out of the 20 workshop participants, with 3 ranking it the most effective strategy. 

 Agen

concer

mainteincludi

Use pop-up delineators to reduce worker exposure at plazas requiring lane changes throughout the day. 

Pop-up delineators are systems where the delineators reside in the pavement and can be automatically activated or raised to demark lanes or support lane closures. 

 Only 4 of 20 workshop participants rated this 

strategy among the top 3 strategies for mitigating merging incidents. 

 Those facilities that employed the technique, such 

as the NY State Thruway, were very pleased with their operation and felt that the use of the delineators helped to reduce the worker exposure that is necessitated by manual systems. 

 Som

in areaHowevcomprhave ochallen

 Felt t

that intmainte

Strategies for Improving Safety at Toll Collection Facilities 

Strategy Description Rankings from Workshop Participants and Comments on Effectiveness9 Co

31
Strategies for Improving Safety at Toll Collection Facilities 

[This page intentionally left blank] 

32
 
 

Strategies for Improving Safety at Toll Collection Facilities 

REDUCING SPEEDING 

THE CHALLENGE 

The introduction of ETC lanes, and particularly of high-speed ETC lanes, has introduced a new 

concern at plazas: speeding. Prior to the advent of ETC, every customer was required to come to a 

complete stop in order to collect a ticket or pay a toll. Now a good portion of customers are not 

required to stop at all, and in some cases, they are able to maintain near highway speeds while 

passing through a plaza. 

POTENTIAL MITIGATION STRATEGIES 

Vehicles speeding through plazas present an obvious safety concern for workers and, as a result,
 

many agencies have implemented strategies 

specifically targeted at combating speeding.
 

Policies and Enforcement 

Of the facilities visited by the team, those that 

reported having the lowest incidence of speeding 

were two agencies that had an aggressive automated 

enforcement program: the New York State Thruway 

and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey 

(PANY/NJ). Although there is no hard data to 

substantiate this observation, it seems plausible that 

their extensive automated speed enforcement 

programs may be the main success factor in keeping 

speeds under control at their plazas. Like most other 

agencies that have an automated enforcement 

program, cameras record violators and then the 

agency notifies violators by mail of the offense. What 

makes their program somewhat unique is that the 

agencies suspend ETC tags for a period of time for 

repeat or excessive violators, a practice that is 

particularly effective with trucking firms due to the toll 

discount associated with having a transponder. 

Of those agencies that do have some form of 

automated enforcement, most choose to inform 

motorists that the toll plaza is photo enforced, and in 

most cases this is done with white on black regulatory 

signs. 

Increasing enforcement presence at plazas is another 

way that some agencies combat speeding (Figures 

22 and 23 show examples of how different agencies 

demonstrate enforcement to motorists). In fact, some 

agencies feel that it is critical to all safety programs – 

so much so that one workshop participant even noted 

that no strategy would be effective without a strong 

enforcement program. Increasing enforcement presence is obviously an easier feat for those 

agencies that have a dedicated police force or well established relationships with the local police 

Figure 22. Sign Notifying Motorists that Plaza 

Is Photo Enforced
 

Figure 23. Enforcement Presence at an MTA 

Plaza 

33
 
Strategies for Improving Safety at Toll Collection Facilities 

force. Different tactics are used when enforcing traffic violations. In some cases police conduct 

speed enforcement using radar from their vehicle – either from the plaza parking lot or from the 

shoulder downstream of the plaza. Another speed enforcement tactic used by the police is to place 

an officer on the toll island with radar. When a speeder is identified, the officer calls the vehicle 

description out to a chase cruiser that is downstream of the plaza. The police also sometimes use 

decoys for speed enforcement by placing radar inside an inconspicuous vehicle, such as a dump 

truck, on the shoulder at the plaza. Some agencies reported that the police will also park unmanned 

police cruisers at the plaza to assist with speed reduction. 

One agency reported that it has succeeded in reducing speeding by getting legislation passed that 

allows for doubled fines for speeding in toll areas. In this particular case, the legislation applies only 

to toll plazas where the speed at the plaza is reduced to 30 mph for ETC lanes. This agency has 

open road tolling where the speed limit is not reduced and increased fines for speeding do not apply 

at these areas. 

Physical Treatments 

Another measure that many agencies felt played a role in successfully controlling speeds – whether or 

not they were installed for this reason – was gates. Where 

gates are in use, all customers, including those with 

electronic payment, must wait for a gate to lift before 

proceeding through the plaza. Typically the gates lift 

automatically as an ETC vehicle approaches, so that ETC 

customers can proceed safely through the plaza without 

stopping as long as they maintain a reasonable speed – 

typically below 15 miles per hour. While effective in reducing 

speeds through toll plazas, doing so may be in contradiction 

with agency objectives to maximize throughput and mobility. 

Some agencies have found it effective to use rumble strips or 

grooved pavement in the area just upstream of the plaza 

(typically in advance of the flare for the toll plaza) to draw 

motorists’ attention to their speed and to provide toll collectors with an auditory warning that a vehicle 

is approaching (as shown in Figure 24). 

Other Mitigation Strategies 

Other observed speed mitigation strategies include: 

	 Excessive speeds also affect first responders and 

maintenance workers, and many agencies expressed 

concern about this. The PANY/NJ has combated this by 

equipping its maintenance vehicles with partial red lights 

(i.e., amber on front, red on back) to give motorists the 

impression of enforcement presence. The agency 

believes that this has been successful in lowering speeds 

around incidents and maintenance work. 

	 The New York State Thruway uses transverse pavement 

markings to lower speeds at one of its plazas (as shown 

in Figure 25). The transverse yellow pavement markings 

are spaced progressively closer together to give motorists 

the illusion that they are increasing speed even when they are maintaining a constant speed. 

Figure 24. Rumble Strips 

Figure 25. The Use of Transverse 

Pavement Markings to Reduce 

Speeding
 

34
 
 

Strategies for Improving Safety at Toll Collection Facilities 

	 Ensure that speed limits at plazas are consistent with nearby toll authorities. 

	 Some agencies post speed limits at each lane as reminder to motorists as shown in Figure 26. 

This is especially helpful in situations where the speed limit varies by lane. 

Figure 26. Speed Limits Are Posted at Each Lane To Reinforce Speed Limits 

	 Some agencies have implemented a public 

outreach campaign targeting speeders. To do 

this cost-effectively, many agencies do this as 

part of their regular mailings to ETC customers. 

One agency has a program called “Give Them 10” 

that encourages motorists to maintain speeds 

below 10 mph in the vicinity of toll plazas. 

	 To reinforce the speed limit, some agencies paint 

the speed limit on the pavement in advance of the 

plaza as shown in Figure 27. 

	 Some agencies have noticed a reduction in 

speeds after switching from advisory speed limit 

signs to regulatory speed limit signs. 

	 Many agencies use temporary or permanent 

digital signs displaying real-time speeds of 

motorists. Some use these signs in the area 

upstream of the plaza while others use them at the plaza area itself. 

Strategy Rankings, Effectiveness, and Constraints 

Table 6 lists each strategy identified for mitigating safety challenges associated with speeding and 

provides comments from practitioners on strategy effectiveness and any concerns/constraints. The 

table also provides information on practitioner ranking results from the Toll Facility Safety Study 

Workshop. 

Figure 27. Pavement Markings Reinforce the 

Speed Limit in Dedicated ETC Lanes
 

35
 
Table 6. Potential Strategies to Mitigate Safety Challenges Associated with Speeding 

Strategy Rankings from Workshop Participants and Description Co

Comments on Effectiveness10 

Policies and Enforcement 

Implement an automated enforcement program. 

A number of agencies use a combination of an automated video enforcement system to identify violators and a program to issue warning letters and suspend ETC for repeat violators. 

 Anecdotally, sites that employ this technique seem to 

have the lowest incidence of speeding. 

 16 out of the 20 workshop participants rated this 

strategy among the top 3 most effective strategies for reducing speeding. 

 Signif Legisl

in some 

 Some

agenciethat the

Increase enforcement presence at plazas. 

Some agencies have increased enforcement presence in the vicinity of their plazas in an attempt to reduce speeding through the plaza. In many cases agencies report that even the presence of an unattended patrol car is quite effective. 

 11 out of the 20 workshop participants rated this 

strategy among the top 3 most effective strategies for reducing speeding. 

 Several of the workshop participants spoke very 

highly of this strategy from their experience. 

 Can b

arrangepolice. 

 Some 

space dsafely p

Double fines for speeding in toll areas. 

A number of agencies have worked to enact legislation allowing them to enforce double fines for speeding in 

toll areas. 

 7 out of the 20 workshop participants rated this 

strategy among the top 3 most effective strategies for reducing speeding. 

 Must b

enforce

 Not fe

legislatienforce 

Physical Treatments 

Install gates downstream of the plaza. 

Depending on the configuration, gates downstream of the plaza can help control speeds. In most cases the gates lift automatically as an ETC vehicle approaches, so ETC customers can proceed safely through the plaza without stopping as long as they maintain a reasonable speed – typically below 15 miles per hour. 

 Most workshop participants agreed that gates 

are an effective way of controlling speeds. 

 Not fea

throughp

 Mainten

can be hi

 Inopera

hazard retheir boot

Strategies for Improving Safety at Toll Collection Facilities 

10 Within each strategy grouping, workshop participants were asked to select and rank the three strategies that they believed to have the gre

safety for workers and customers at toll plazas. 

36
Strategy Description Rankings from Workshop Participants and Comments on Effectiveness10 Co

Install rumble strips or saw cuts in pavement upstream of the plaza. 

Rumble strips in advance of the plaza can be used to draw motorists’ attention to their speed and can also provide toll collectors with an auditory warning that a vehicle is approaching. 

 9 out of the 20 workshop participants rated 

this strategy among the top 3 most effective strategies for reducing speeding, with 6 participants rating it as the most effective strategy. 

 One workshop participant reported that 

thermoplastic rumble strips are somewhat expensive and that there are associated maintenance costs, but that they are still worthwhile since they are so effective. 

 Noise c

residents

 Plastic 

problems 

Make maintenance vehicles more visible. 

The PANY/NJ has equipped its maintenance vehicles with red lights (i.e., amber on front, red on back) to give motorists the impression of enforcement presence. 

 The PANY/NJ feels that this has significantly 

lowered speeds around maintenance vehicles. 

 Many s

red lights 

emergen

Other Mitigation Strategies 

Install transverse pavement markings in advance of the plaza. 

Transverse yellow pavement markings with progressively closer spacing gives motorists the illusion that they are increasing speed when in fact they are traveling at a constant speed. 

 May become less effective over time as 

motorists become accustomed to the markings. 

 One wo

the pavemfurther drmake the visible. 

Ensure that speed limits at plazas are consistent with nearby toll authorities. 

Some agencies have found that ensuring consistency in speed limits across agencies can help with speed limit compliance. 

 Most workshop participants felt that this is an 

important strategy as it maintains driver expectation. 

 May no

configuraquite diffeanother. 

 Interage

critical to 

Post speed limits at each lane. 

Some agencies post speed limits at each lane to remind motorists of the speed limit. 

 Especially helpful at plazas where the speed 

limit varies by lane. 

 Sign ov

expresseparticipan

Implement a public outreach campaign targeting speeders. 

Some agencies employ targeted outreach to their customers to remind them of the dangers of speeding through plazas. This can be done cost-effectively through mailers to ETC customers. 

 Was not selected by any workshop 

participants as among the top 3 most effective strategies for reducing speeding. 

 Can be 

done. 

 Difficult 

traffic. 

Strategies for Improving Safety at Toll Collection Facilities 

37
Paint the speed limit 

on the pavement in advance of the 

plaza. 

Some agencies reinforce the speed limit by painting it on the pavement in advance of the plaza. 

 Several workshop participants noted that this 

is a cost-effective solution. 

 Mixed debate as to effectiveness. Some 

agencies who had tried this did not find it to be 

particularly effective while others found it to be quite effective. 

 Mainten

 May no

where we(i.e., sand

Use regulatory speed limit signs at plazas. 

Some agencies have found that changing speed limit signs from advisory to regulatory (black on white) has made a difference in speed limit compliance. 

 Was selected by only one workshop 

participants as among the top 3 most effective strategies for reducing speeding. 

 Must be 

enforcem

Use digital signs displaying real-time speeds at the plaza. 

Many agencies use temporary or permanent digital signs displaying real-time speeds to motorists. Some use these signs in the area upstream of the plaza while others use them at the plaza itself. 

 6 out of the 20 workshop participants rated 

this strategy among the top 3 most effective strategies for reducing speeding. 

 Several participants noted that they had tried 

this and that it works. One noted that speeds in their agency’s ETC lanes were reduced by 1mph, and the other noted that they saw a 70 percent reduction in speeders. One agency uses this strategy in its express lanes only (where the speed limit is posted at 45 mph) and has found it to be very effective. 

 One workshop participant commented that 

their agency had tried a number of strategies, but it wasn’t until the “Your Speed” indicator signs were installed that there was a noticeable drop in the number of speeders. 

 Several participants noted that the signs are 

more effective when the agency uses temporary trailer-mounted signs and moves them around to different locations periodically. 

 Some a

issues withese sigof a spee

 Sign ac

mentioneparticipanalways sushown. 

 Sign ov

mentioneparticipan

 One wo

placing thlimit sign at their p

Strategies for Improving Safety at Toll Collection Facilities 

Strategy Description Rankings from Workshop Participants and Comments on Effectiveness10 Co

38
 

 

Strategies for Improving Safety at Toll Collection Facilities 

REDUCING DRIVER CONFUSION AND DRIVER INATTENTION 

THE CHALLENGE 

Toll plazas are inherently confusing environments. A variety of elements at plazas can cause 

confusion including merging vehicles, unfamiliar messages on signs, inconsistent lane configurations, 

and a wide variety of competing visual inputs. These issues are exacerbated by the fact that 

conditions change from agency to agency, from plaza to plaza, and even by time of day at some 

plazas. Not surprisingly, during the site visits, driver confusion was frequently cited as one of the 

primary observed reasons for vehicular crashes. Such confusion contributes to side-swipe collisions, 

rear-end collisions, vehicle strikes upon plaza infrastructure, and close-calls or collisions with toll 

workers. 

One of the biggest concerns related to driver confusion involves unfamiliar, non-ETC equipped drivers 

entering into and then stopping in high-speed ETC lanes. Drivers will stop, get out of their vehicles, 

and cross toll lanes in an attempt to pay the toll. While this situation has improved somewhat over 

time, it remains a large concern at each of the sites visited in the study. 

Beyond this, driver inattention is a significant problem at plazas (e.g., motorists talking on cell phones 

while driving).11 

POTENTIAL MITIGATION STRATEGIES 

Clearly Identifying ETC Lanes 

Agencies have implemented a number of strategies that 

aim to direct non-ETC drivers away from ETC lanes in the 

first place. These include: implementing public education 

campaigns to familiarize drivers with the concept of ETC; 

adding signs – for example supplementing “brand” signs 

such as “SunPass” with generic signs such as “Pre-Paid 

Only”; and using specialized lane markings, such as 

differentiating high-speed ETC lanes with purple paint on 

the outside edges of the lane (as shown in Figure 28). 

In addition to this, several agencies reported using 

pavement markings to assist drivers with lane selection at 

the toll plaza. Some agencies paint messages on the pavement in the lanes such as CASH ONLY, or 

the name of the ETC system (e.g., EZ PASS). Other agencies have painted lane numbers on the 

pavement to match the lane numbers on the canopy signs, to aid motorists in choosing the proper 

lane well in advance of the plaza. 

Informing Motorists of Changing Conditions 

As mentioned earlier, frequently changing conditions at toll plazas also contribute to driver confusion 

and distraction. These variable conditions include lane closures, changes in lane direction (at some 

facilities), changes in lane configuration (ETC versus mixed use), and the presence of maintenance 

activities (scheduled and otherwise). Strategies to combat these particular sources of driver 

11 Teamsters Safety & Health Facts: Distracted Driving, Cell Phone Use, and Motor Vehicle Crashes 

http://www.teamster.org/sites/teamsters.prometheuslabor.com/files/cellphones.pdf 

Figure 28. The Use of Pavement Markings 

To Identify Dedicated-ETC Lanes
 

39
 
Strategies for Improving Safety at Toll Collection Facilities 

confusion typically center around providing improved 

traveler information. For example, an increasing 

number of agencies are employing the use of Variable 

Message Signs (VMS) upstream of the toll plazas that 

could be used to warn drivers of unexpected conditions 

such as incidents and maintenance activities. The New 

York State Thruway is experimenting with the use of 

digital signs upstream of the plaza indicating which lane 

numbers are currently accepting ETC and which are 

cash or mixed use (see Figure 29). 

Another agency uses high visibility maintenance trucks 

and/or flaggers at the end of long, unexpected queues 

that extend beyond the sight of the plaza. This can be a very effective strategy, but is also resource 

intensive. Figure 29. Dynamic Signs Display Current 

ETC Lane Numbers at a NYS Thruway Plaza Finally, some agencies with bi-directional lanes that 

change throughout the day make use of buffer lanes (or unused lanes) between the directions of 

travel. This can be a cost-effective solution to movable barriers, but offers less protection and may 

not be feasible in high traffic areas (i.e., no lanes may be available to designate as buffers). 

Informing Motorists of Lane Closures 

Agencies use a variety of methods for conveying a closed lane to motorists. Some agencies simply 

close a lane with a traffic cone or gate (some examples are shown in Figures 30 and 31). While this 

creates a physical barrier to help discourage drivers from entering closed lanes, it can be dangerous 

for collectors to put the gate into place. In addition to this, some agencies have faced problems with 

motorists not seeing closed gates. To address this, one agency has installed unique three-foot high 

orange reflectors on its gates (similar to driveway markers). Since the addition of the reflectors, the 

agency reported that there has been a significant reduction in the gates being hit. Beyond this, many 

agencies have signs on their gates to further communicate to motorists that the lane is closed, and to 

draw attention to the gates. In terms of messages, some use a “LANE CLOSED” sign or a “DO NOT 

ENTER” sign. One agency used to use a “STOP” sign on a gate, but moved away from this after 

noticing cars approaching the gate and waiting for it to open. Other agencies have moved away from 

written signs entirely – feeling that they add to visual clutter and confusion – and now simply employ 

Figure 30. Options for Conveying a Closed Lane to Motorists 

40
 
Strategies for Improving Safety at Toll Collection Facilities 

Red X’s or Green arrows to indicate lane closure status that can be changed remotely, thereby 

reducing worker exposure to vehicles. 

Mitigating Sensory Overload 

The final significant source of driver confusion 

identified in the site visits was simply sensory overload, 

or the challenge of reading, recognizing, and 

appropriately acting upon the multitude of messages 

and signs presented to a driver approaching a plaza. 

Among the solutions that sites have explored to 

combat this issue are: 

	 Efforts to minimize the number of signs. 

	 Movement towards the use of symbols (such as 

“$,” as in Figure 32) in lieu of, or in addition to, 

words (such as “cash only”). 

	 Movement toward simplification of messages on 

signs. 

	 The placement of signs at eye level (as opposed to 

overhead or in-pavement). 

	 The use of focus groups to test different sign 

configurations and messages. 

	 The banning of advertising in the vicinity of plazas. 

Mitigating Driver Inattention 

In addition to the various sources of confusion inherent 

in the design, layout, and operations of plaza facilities, 

drivers also introduce their own activities that contribute to inattention and distraction. While not 

unique to toll plazas, many customers engage in cell phone conversations, read maps, and undertake 

a variety of activities that have been demonstrated to cause driver distraction and crashes on all 

roadway facilities, not just toll plazas. In addition, a subset of drivers, colloquially referred to as 

“wavers,” undertakes a form of distraction that is unique to plaza facilities. These individuals fail to 

properly mount their ETC tags and instead hold them up to the windshield, out the window, etc. with 

little regard to traffic conditions around them. While there is not much that can be done to mitigate 

against the actions of these individuals, agencies have pursued strategies such as public education 

campaigns, providing warnings against the practice in billing mail-outs, and instructing toll collectors to 

look for and discourage the practice if possible. 

Providing Advance Information to Motorists 

All agencies use advance signing to warn drivers that they are approaching a toll plaza. Specific 

messages include “TOLL PLAZA AHEAD,” “PAY TOLL AHEAD,” etc. In addition to these warning 

signs, some agencies use lane designation signs in advance of the plaza. For example, one agency 

has a plaza where drivers can either take an Interstate or exit onto a local road immediately after 

passing through the plaza. After experiencing a number of vehicular accidents immediately 

Figure 31. Gates in Use to Indicate that a 

Lane is Closed
 

Figure 32. One Option for Conveying that
 

Cash Is Accepted in All Lanes 

41
 
 

Strategies for Improving Safety at Toll Collection Facilities 

downstream of the plaza, the agency has implemented advance signing that directs drivers to the side 

of the toll plaza where they will need to be depending on their direction of travel downstream of the 

plaza. Since installing the lane designation signs, the agency has not experienced any accidents 

downstream of the plaza. 

Increasing Conspicuity of Facilities and Workers 

Some agencies are installing messages on signs and the pavement at the toll plaza to caution drivers 

about employee presence in the toll lanes. One agency has installed pedestrian crossing warning 

signs with flashing amber lights at the beginning of the toll island to caution drivers. Signs are also 

posted in holders on the front of the bullnose. One of the sign messages used is “SLOW DOWN - 

PROTECT OUR WORKERS.” 

Another agency has a program called “Give Them 10” that was started when ETC was introduced. 

The message is for drivers to slow down to 10 mph for the safety of toll plaza employees. White 

markings are installed in every lane each spring with the message 10 MPH. 

Another innovative strategy reported by West Virginia Parkways was the installation of white strobe 

lighting on the canopies at all toll plazas to highlight the facilities during inclement weather. The 

agency feels that the strobe lighting has been helpful in ensuring that drivers will see the upcoming 

plaza in foggy driving conditions. 

The same agency reported using maintenance trucks with flashing lights and qualified flagging 

personnel at the rear of traffic back-ups when the traffic volume stretches beyond sight of the plaza. 

This technique is used to prevent rear-end collisions at the end of the queue. 

Reducing the Incidence of Vehicles Stopping or Backing in High-Speed Lanes 

Some agencies have deployed mitigation strategies that are aimed at preventing vehicles from 

stopping in high-speed lanes. For example: 

	 Some agencies have installed a tall barrier wall to 

prevent motorists in high-speed lanes from stopping 

and crossing to staffed booths. 

	 Other agencies have removed their driver violation 

warning signs – feeling that it is better to lose the toll (or 

pursue the toll through automated enforcement) than to 

have a vehicle stop in the high speed lanes. 

	 A large number of agencies have added signs 

instructing drivers “DO NOT STOP” or “DO NOT BACK 

UP – STAY IN VEHICLE” (as shown in Figure 33). 

	 Others have gone so far as to add public address 

systems to communicate with drivers at unmanned 

booths so that staff can instruct motorists to stay in their 

vehicle and to keep moving. However, there is some debate as to the usefulness of this approach 

owing to noise and the impracticality of constantly monitoring the travel lanes for such situations. 

Strategy Rankings, Effectiveness, and Constraints 

Table 7 lists strategies for mitigating safety challenges associated with driver confusion and driver 

inattention, along with comments on effectiveness, concerns/constraints, and ranking. 

Figure 33. “DO NOT BACK UP” Sign to 

Reduce Unsafe Motorist Behavior
 

42
 
Table 7. Potential Strategies to Mitigate Safety Challenges Associated with Driver Confusion and D

Rankings from Workshop Participants and Strategy Description 

Comments on Effectiveness12 

Clearly Identifying ETC Lanes 

Supplement brand name signs such as “SunPass” with generic signs such 

as “Pre-PAID ONLY” to label ETC lanes. 

In areas with heavy visitor traffic there are concerns that many travelers may not be familiar with local ETC product names (such as EZ Pass or SunPass) and may inadvertently enter ETC lanes as a result. 

 Ranked 5th of 16 strategies considered for reducing 

driver confusion by workshop participants. 

Differentiate ETC lanes from cash or mixed lanes with 

special pavement 

markings. 

A number of agencies, such as the NY State Thruway use unique pavement markings (such as purple paint) to differentiate ETC from cash or 

mixed lanes. 

 Strategy was ranked 4th out of 16 strategies 

considered to reduce driver confusion. 

 Agencies that have implemented the approach feel 

that it is effective and have received positive 

customer feedback on the practice. 

Paint lane numbers on the pavement in advance of the plaza. 

To provide drivers more time to maneuver towards the appropriate lanes within a plaza some agencies have undertaken the practice of painting lane numbers into the pavement along the approach to a plaza with corresponding numbers over the various booths. 

 Particularly effective in areas where site lines to 

plaza are compromised (e.g., along curves). 

 Some agencies who have implemented the practice 

question its effectiveness; however, customers seem to like it (according to satisfaction surveys).

 Strategy was ranked in the middle of the pack (7thof 16 strategies considered for reducing confusion) by workshop participants.

Informing Motorists of Changing Conditions 

Use variable message signs (VMS) to inform drivers of plaza conditions. 

An increasing number of agencies are using variable message signs on the mainline to inform drivers of unexpected traffic conditions (e.g., incidents, maintenance, etc.). Few agencies use these signs specifically for plaza conditions. 

 Effective method of informing travelers of 

unexpected conditions. 

 Received the highest number of top three votes as 

an effective strategy for reducing driver confusion (out of 16 strategies considered). 

Strategies for Improving Safety at Toll Collection Facilities 

12 Within each strategy grouping, workshop participants were asked to select and rank the three strategies that they believed to have the gre

safety for workers and customers at toll plazas. Note that at the workshop, the strategies discussed here were presented in a category entitlDistraction.” 

43
Use digital signs in 

advance of plaza to indicate which lanes are currently ETC. 

For plazas where lane configurations change throughout the day at least one agency has implemented the use of digital signs in advance of the plaza that indicate which lanes are ETC. 

 Ranked 2nd of 16 strategies considered for reducing 

driver confusion by workshop participants. 

 Helps to move lane selection decision back to 

mainline lanes. 

Position maintenance trucks with flashing lights and flaggers at end of long queues. 

Use high visibility maintenance trucks and / or flaggers at the end of long, unexpected queues that extend beyond the sight of the plaza.

 Considered to be very effective when implemented

but ranked low by workshop participants.

Create a buffer lane between bidirectional traffic where physical barriers do not exist. 

A number of plazas change the number of bidirectional lanes throughout the day and thus do not have physical separation between the travel directions. The use of a buffer lane (or unused lane) can help to separate these opposing traffic flows. 

 Felt to be an effective strategy if traffic demands 

and plaza capacity support taking one lane out of operation. 

 Tied for 15th of the 16 strategies considered for 

reducing driver confusion by workshop participants. 

Informing Motorists of Lane Closures 

Include signs on gates upstream of the plaza to convey to motorists when a lane is closed. 

While a number of agencies use no more than a traffic cone to indicate lane closures, others use more conspicuous indicators such as STOP signs, LANE CLOSED signs, large red X signs., etc. 

 Signs are felt to work best in concert with physical 

gates. 

 Strategy received the 5th highest (out of 16) numbe

of votes for most effective strategies by workshop participants.

Mitigating Sensory Overload 

Determine sign messaging based on feedback from motorists. 

Make use of surveys, focus groups and other formal feedback mechanisms to design and select sign messages. 

 Ranked last of the solutions considered for 

reducing driver confusion by workshop participants. 

Ban the use of advertisements on or near plazas. 

Agencies have conflicting policies with regard to advertisements in and around toll plazas, with some even having ads on the booths themselves. This has created questions about information overload and caused a number of agencies to ban such signs. 

 Debates continue as to whether or not such 

advertisements contribute to unsafe conditions; however, the majority of agencies agree that having fewer signs contributes to increased safety. 

 Ranked in the bottom 3rd of all strategies 

considered for their effectiveness in reducing driver confusion by workshop participants. 

Strategies for Improving Safety at Toll Collection Facilities 

Strategy Description Rankings from Workshop Participants and Comments on Effectiveness12 

44
Strategy Description Rankings from Workshop Participants and Comments on Effectiveness12 

Conduct public education campaign to reduce electronic 

tag “wavers.” 

Use billing statements, advertising, etc. to warn people of the possibility that their toll will not register if they wave their ETC tags as opposed to 

using a proper windshield mount. 

 Agencies that have undertaken advertising 

question the effectiveness. 

 Ranked near the bottom of solutions considered fo

reducing driver confusion by workshop participants. 

Increasing Conspicuity of Facilities and Workers 

Use signs to warn drivers about the potential for workers in the roadway. 

Many agencies use signs such as “SLOW DOWN - PROTECT OUR WORKERS” or pedestrian crossing signs to protect workers. 

 Ranked 3rd of 30 solutions considered by workshop 

participants for reducing driver exposure. 

 Collectors like them. 

Use white strobe lights at plazas to highlight facilities during inclement weather. 

A number of agencies use special lighting, such as strobe lighting, to increase the conspicuity of toll plazas, especially during inclement weather such as fog. 

 May be most effective in areas with severe weathe

such as fog.

 Ranked 9 of 16 (tied) strategies considered for 

reducing driver confusion by workshop participants.

Reducing the Incidence of Vehicles Stopping or Backing in High-Speed Lanes 

Use a tall barrier wall to prevent motorists in highspeed lanes from stopping and crossing lanes to staffed booths. 

Drivers who inadvertently enter ETC lanes or whose transponder malfunctions often exit their vehicles and cross lanes to reach staffed booths. The installation of taller barrier walls can help to cut down on this dangerous practice. 

 Agencies that have implemented this practice have 

found it to be very effective in preventing customers from both crossing lanes and from stopping in the first place.

 Ranked 2nd of 16 (tied with one other) strategies 

considered for reducing driver confusion by workshop participants.

 As a by-product, may cut down on rubber-necking.

Eliminate violation warning signs. 

Some agencies have eliminated or reduced the conspicuity of toll violation warning signs in ETC lanes to discourage non-ETC drivers from stopping and either backing up or exiting their vehicles to reach a staffed booth. 

 Ranked second last (tied) of all strategies 

considered for reducing driver confusion by workshop participants. 

 Practice may help to reduce unsafe actions, but 

does not eliminate them. 

Post “STAY IN VEHICLE” signs at booths. 

Such signs should help to prevent drivers from exiting their vehicles in ETC lanes and attempting to walk to staffed lanes. 

 Doubts as to the effectiveness of such signs.  Relatively low cost.  Ranked 7th (tied) of 16 solutions considered for 

reducing driver confusion by workshop participants. 

Strategies for Improving Safety at Toll Collection Facilities 

45
Install a PA system 

at unmanned booths to enable communication with drivers. 

In order to address drivers that stop at unmanned booths some agencies have installed public address systems. 

 Considered to be very effective by agencies that 

have implemented. 

 Ranked 6th of 16 strategies considered by 

workshop participants for reducing driver confusion.

Strategies for Improving Safety at Toll Collection Facilities 

Strategy Description Rankings from Workshop Participants and Comments on Effectiveness12 

46
 

Strategies for Improving Safety at Toll Collection Facilities 

OVERARCHING SAFETY STRATEGIES 

This section presents findings according to two major types of strategies that could be viewed as 

over-arching: training, and an overall culture of safety. This section provides examples of ways in 

which training and a strong safety culture have helped agencies improve safety at their facilities. 

TRAINING 

The use of training as a safety mitigation strategy varied widely from agency to agency. At one end of 

the scale were those agencies that offered short, on-the-job safety sessions taught as part of a 

general course focused primarily on revenue collection, with minimal to no re-training. At the other 

end of the scale were agencies that offered intensive safety training sessions upon hiring, used 

professional trainers and props such as safety videos, and undertook periodic refresher courses and 

annual “safety” or “toll training” days. One agency had undertaken a unique approach by offering 

web-based training that workers could access from break rooms. Another agency required all 

maintenance staff to go through work zone safety classes and flagging classes. Yet another agency 

requires crossing training for all workers (even vendors who put out ads at plazas). 

In terms of safety training topics, most covered safety procedures at toll plazas including lane 

crossing, lane closing, hazardous materials, emergency situations, and robbery. Some agencies 

determine their safety training topics based on injury statistics from the previous year. 

SAFETY CULTURE 

The final set of mitigation strategies refer to something that was ever-present during the various site 

visits but almost intangible to quantify: a culture of safety. Establishing a safety culture involves both 

setting an overall tone of safety (e.g., by featuring safety as the first topic in annual reports), and 

undertaking a series of small, often changing actions (e.g., posting rotating safety reminders in break 

rooms, displaying safety reminders around the workplace such as the floor mat shown in Figure 34). 

Focus on Safety for Maintenance Staff 

One way that many agencies ensure that safety is a priority is that they place a higher priority on 

safety-related maintenance items than on other requests. 

For example, one agency records such safety-related 

requests on red paper versus the regular white paper used 

for other requests. 

Safety Committees 

Most agencies that the team visited have some type of 

safety committee in place. Those that placed the greatest 

emphasis on these committees ensured representation from 

all spectrums of the workforce – from collectors to senior 

managers – and often established sub-committees at each 

plaza or for a small group of plazas. 

Safety Audits 

Two agencies that the team visited made use of random 

safety audits, with one using internal staff to conduct the audits and one using an outside firm (since 

plaza personnel were able to identify the internal auditors). Both of these agencies also 

supplemented the formal audits with more frequent “self-inspections” by plaza managers and 

supervisors. 

Figure 34. Floor Mat in Plaza Building 

Reminds Employees to “Think Safety” 

47
 
Strategies for Improving Safety at Toll Collection Facilities 

Employee Safety Meetings 

Several agencies have regular employee safety meetings, typically held on a monthly or quarterly 

basis. Topics of safety meetings include reminders about safety procedures for lane crossing and 

lane closing; procedures for handling robberies; procedures for emergency situations; information on 

preventing slips, trips, and falls; and information on stretches to prevent repetitive stress injuries. 

Several agencies take the opportunity at scheduled meetings to 

review a recent incident and to review the proper steps 

employees should take to prevent a similar incident from 

occurring again. 

Safety Award Programs 

Many toll agencies use award programs as part of their overall 

strategy to reduce worker injuries at toll plazas. Most awards 

are presented annually. One agency presents an annual “Plaza 

Award” to any plazas where no one has been injured over the 

past year and an annual “Turnpike Award” to any turnpikes that 

have had no employee injuries. 

Another agency gives employees awards for preventing 

possible injuries. This same agency will also reprimand 

employees for not calling out safety concerns. For example, if 

one employee sees another employee crossing a lane without 

a vest and does not try to correct it, not only does the 

employee not wearing the vest receive a reprimand, but so 

does the employee who witnessed the violation and did nothing to 

correct it. 

Safety Incentive Programs 

Safety incentive programs are also a fairly common technique for 

promoting a culture of safety. These types of programs reward 

employees for passing safety audits and maximizing days without 

injury either with cash bonuses or with points that employees can use 

to purchase items out of catalogs (examples of this are shown in 

Figures 36 and 37). In some cases, the program works such that an 

entire plaza is rewarded as a group, thus introducing the factor of peer 

pressure to maintain good safety records. While successful, these 

programs are not without controversy. One concern is that they must 

be constantly re-invented to remain fresh and capture the imagination 

and interest of the staff. Another concern is that they may actually 

lead to under-reporting or treatment of legitimate injuries and/or safety 

violations and can present challenges to management-worker 

relations. 

Figure 35. Tracking Employee 

Performance Publicly can Be an 

Incentive for Employees to Follow 

Safety Procedures
 

Figure 36. Sign in Plaza 

Office Reminds Employees 

about Safety Record 

48
 
Strategies for Improving Safety at Toll Collection Facilities 

Safety Awareness Programs 

One agency has a Toll Plaza Safety Awareness Program. This is a month-long program run twice a 

year by the agency together with its dedicated police force and the state police. Police perform 

various operations at the toll plaza, including seatbelt checks and ETC speed enforcement. Additional 

signs, such as portable changeable message signs, are used as needed. The agency reported that 

toll operations are not negatively impacted and that the program seems to reduce unsafe driving 

behaviors in the vicinity of plazas, but that the benefit is only short-term. 

MAINTAINING SAFETY WHILE USING OPEN ROAD TOLLING 

By a strict definition, open road tolling (ORT) refers to fully-automated electronic tolling in an “open 

road” environment, allowing vehicles to travel at 

highway speeds when passing through toll collection 

points. Under this definition, customers must either 

possess an electronic transponder, or be assessed 

toll charges via license plate recognition technology. 

By this strict definition, safety is improved as there is 

inherently lower exposure: there are fewer workervehicle interactions since there is no plaza, and 

fewer vehicle-vehicle conflicts since less traffic is 

traveling through a plaza; also, noise and emissions 

are lessened due to the reduction in vehicles starting 

and stopping. 

Beyond this strict definition of ORT, a number of 

agencies have implemented what might best be 

termed hybrid ORT operations: that is, they include 

a combination of mainline, full-speed ETC lanes 

along with fully-separated cash lanes. Typically, cash-paying customers must exit the roadway or 

shift to a separated toll plaza in order to make cash payment at a traditional, staffed plaza. An 

example of this is shown in Figure 37 above. This 

type of arrangement can also present some new 

challenges that are worthy of discussion. 

One potential safety-related drawback to ORT (both 

fully “open road” and hybrid-ORT) is equipment 

maintenance since, in most cases, repairs that take 

place over the roadway would require that all lanes 

be closed. However, the Florida Turnpike has 

addressed this concern with a unique overhead 

gantry design that allows maintenance workers 

access to equipment without closing lanes or 

disturbing traffic (Figure 38). The gantry provides an 

area large enough for maintenance employees to work 

above the roadway, and all ETC equipment is 

positioned on a lever that allows workers to pull the 

equipment up into the work area. Additionally, there is 

a screen shielding workers from passing motorists to avoid distraction, and there is a fine mesh 

material at the base of the gantry below the work area to prevent the danger of debris dropping onto 

the traffic below during maintenance activities. 

Figure 37. Open-Road Tolling in Illinois 

Figure 38. Florida Turnpike’s Overhead 

Gantry for ORT Allows for Maintenance 

Activities without Road Closure
 

49
 
Strategies for Improving Safety at Toll Collection Facilities 

Another new safety challenge that hybrid-ORT has introduced is the issue of managing queue 

spillback onto the mainline from the cash payment plaza. Preventing this involves both design and 

operational solutions. For the Illinois Tollway, which recently converted all of its mainline plazas to 

hybrid-ORT facilities (a cash payment plaza separated from the mainline traffic by physical barriers), 

this has been a challenge that it has had to actively monitor and manage. At the planning stage, the 

agency modeled each of its plazas to estimate queue lengths at various times of the day and 

designed longer deceleration lanes at plazas where they expected longer queues. As an ongoing 

effort, it has been monitoring the number of cash transactions occurring at each plaza and performing 

targeted marketing to residents in areas near plazas with a high percentage of cash transactions in an 

effort to increase adoption of ETC, thereby reducing queues. The issue of queue spillback is 

expected to be less of a concern over time as more and more customers switch to electronic 

payment, but is likely to be an initial challenge for any agencies switching to ORT. 

Another drawback noted by the Illinois Tollway is that the switch to hybrid-ORT has resulted in cash 

lanes having a higher percentage of inexperienced users. The agency feels that this may have 

increased the amount of erratic driving behavior at some of its plazas as the motorists who are less 

familiar with the facility can no longer “follow” the experienced motorists through the plaza. 

A final challenge associated with hybrid-ORT is that vehicles that are not ETC-equipped may stop in 

travel lanes due to confusion over how to make payment. One agency that faced this challenge was 

the PANY/NJ, which recently changed the lower deck of the George Washington Bridge over to ETConly during nighttime hours (the plaza is equipped with an automated enforcement system that 

charges customers by mail and the plaza is unstaffed at night), and the agency initially encountered a 

wide range of unsafe maneuvers (e.g., vehicles turning around, backing up, cutting across the plaza). 

To address these issues, PANY/NJ added signs at each booth that say “YOU WILL BE BILLED” and 

added an intercom system to provide customers access to supervisory staff on the staffed upper deck 

toll plaza. PANY/NJ also changed its signs to direct non-ETC customers to the right side of the plaza 

where they will pose less of a danger to other motorists in the event that they do come to a stop or 

attempt other erratic behavior. The sign that the agency has evolved to at the right side of the plaza 

reads “ALL OTHERS.” 

50