Council OKs tech upgrade for international bridge tolls

[Jeanfromfillmore]

Council OKs tech upgrade for international bridge tolls
El Paso may soon become the first city along the United States' southern border to collect international bridge tolls using unmanned tollbooths for vehicles leaving the country.
The El Paso City Council on Tuesday voted unanimously to spend more than $1.7 million to upgrade toll-collection technology at the Zaragoza and Stanton Street international bridges.
The move will make it possible for four electronic kiosks to be installed as early as December. It would take three to four weeks for them to be up and running, said Said Larbi-Cherif, director of international bridges in El Paso.
Larbi-Cherif said this will also help the city cut personnel spending at tollbooths. The city spends about $2 million for toll workers' wages and benefits.
Three machines would be installed at the Zaragoza Bridge and the fourth at the Stanton Street bridge.
Drivers going south would be able to pay tolls at the machine using cash or credit or debit cards and through electronic sensors issued to them. This would not affect wait lines on either side of the border and inspections would continue.
Larbi-Cherif said the technology upgrade was necessary because the current system was installed in 2000. The money will be from a State Infrastructure Bank loan, which will be paid back in 10 to 15 years.
"If everything goes well, we will start installations in December and they will be working by January," Larbi-Cherif said. "It will just be more convenient when going south."
The kiosks currently being recommended by the international bridges department will cost about $50,000 each, or $200,000 total, to install.
A decision on what type of kiosk will be installed is being determined.
City Rep. Susie Byrd said she wants to explore options around possibly installing machines that accept Mexican and U.S. money.
"I'm not just looking at it from a revenue standpoint," Byrd said. "We want to encourage everyone to come over and spend money at our shops and restaurants. Forcing them to take a step further and convert from pesos to dollars could send the wrong message."
Twenty percent of the revenue collected from El Paso's international tolls is in Mexican pesos, according to a presentation given by Larbi-Cherif.
City Rep. Cortney Niland said the city should not spend more money just to have kiosks that accept both currencies. She said most travelers carry dollars because most stores in El Paso do not take pesos.
Niland said if the cost of the kiosks taking both forms of money would be the same, then she would be in favor of using those machines, too.
"I think we do need to move forward on these (U.S. money-only) kiosks, especially if (ones that take pesos) are going to cost two or three times more," she said. "Once we move forward on installing the software, we can get the kiosks on the ground."
http://www.elpasotimes.com/newupdated/ci_18507160