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6.0 Summary of Recommendations

6.4.5 Toll Island

Guideline Toll Island Guideline 1
Title Toll Island Width
Text The island width should be a minimum of six (6) feet, and provide at least a minimum of one (1) foot of clearance on each side of the tollbooth or combined booth and ACM/ATIM equipment. For standalone ACM/ATIM equipment lanes, the width should be based on safe clearance for servicing (e.g., changing coin vaults, stacking tickets, maintenance servicing) the equipment, subject to the recommended minimum.
Commentary Design must consider an acceptable clearance offsets for ACM/ATIM equipment from the curb face for customer convenience during transactions.

 

Guideline Toll Island Guideline 2
Title Toll Island Length
Text The length of a toll island can vary based on the following: design of island access facilities (e.g., stairwell, stairway), space requirements for toll collection and traffic control equipment, and provisions for tollbooth and equipment protection. Toll island length in a conventional plaza should be uniform even though the island supporting manual collection tends to be the longest and ETC dedicated lanes tend to be the shortest. Specifically, the length of a manual island depends on the design of the tollbooth; design of any stairway for an overhead walkway or stairwell for an access tunnel; provisions for violation enforcement and traffic control equipment; tollbooth protection; design of canopy supports; provisions for staff access across the islands; and aesthetic considerations.
Commentary A possible exception to the manual lane being the control island length is when ACM/ATIM equipped lanes (i.e., automatic lanes) permit truck use and thereby deploy a pre-classification subsystem that requires a minimum 5-axle truck length in advance of the ACM/ATIM equipment so the correct toll or class can be displayed or printed to the ticket, respectively.

 

Guideline Toll Island Guideline 3
Title Rampart and Crash Blocks
Text Tollbooth protection provided by ramparts and crash blocks should be designed to withstand anticipated loads of design vehicles. The rampart should be designed to redirect errant vehicles and not launch the vehicle. Crash blocks are constructed of reinforced concrete and can incorporate aesthetic features such as planters.
Commentary Double crash blocks should be considered if large vehicles are permitted. Longer blocks may be considered in lieu of a rampart. Design should be performed by an experienced structural engineer. If planters are used, any planted vegetation should not block the collector’s vision of approaching vehicles and a filtered drainage outlet is required.

 

Guideline Toll Island Guideline 4
Title Staff Access
Text Grade separated access to toll islands should be considered so no more than a single lane must be crossed to gain access to the intended island. Design should include a means to block access into the adjacent lane by installing a pedestrian gate, moveable barrier, or a chain or rope strung between two posts at the edges of the toll island to warn and protect staff crossing lanes.
Commentary Two alternatives for grade-separated crossing access are an access tunnel immediately below the tollbooth and an overhead walkway. In addition to stairway access to these facilities, for new construction ADA regulations may require the inclusion of elevator access subject to official job descriptions and minimum requirements to perform the work If using a pedestrian gate or moveable barrier, it should not extend into the adjacent toll lane when “open”.

 

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