As electronic tolling technology progresses, it is increasingly possible to manipulate toll levels to control levels of congestion and traffic. In less than 20 years, it is likely that a large proportion of private vehicles will have built-in devices that allow for fully-automated road pricing, data collection and information sharing among drivers.16 If a New Jersey highway is under a long-term PPP agreement, these new technologies will emerge while some roads are controlled by private entities. It is difficult to predict what challenges road operators may face in light of new road pricing technology. On the one hand, PPPs are often made inflexible regarding road operation and maintenance to ensure performance standards are met, while on the other hand, increased flexibility may be necessary to best respond to new challenges posed by changing road pricing technology. This is a trade-off the public should be aware of, and a discussion that needs to be part of the debate around PPPs. There may be ways to write more effective long-term performance objectives into contracts that will better respond to the opportunities and challenges posed by changing road pricing technology and emerging high performance transportation corridor operation strategies.
It is important that private partners are held to the same or higher standards of traffic management and privacy that the public would demand from its government.