untitled

Since all the required information is in the computer database, any aspect of assessment variations may be programmed into the computer, such as exempting out-of-state-cars, rental cars, commercial vehicles, not-for -profit vehicles, exemption for qualified hardship vehicles for economic or other reasons, or, for example, limiting the assessment to two-trips-a-day, or different assessments for different sections of the expressway, etc.
Enforcement/Auditing

The issue of auditing the expressways for violators is much easier than it may superficially appear. Monitoring vehicles cruise the expressway and by means of a detecting apparatus that reads the license plate and enters it into a computer will almost instantly identify vehicles who are in violation. The fine for such a violation is set high enough so as to discourage violations. This is similar to the very common practice on buses in Europe for auditing valid passengers.

Features of this Invention:

Features of this invention are:
1.No new expressway is required
2.The detectorapparatuses are probably less expensive than current on-ramp
metering devices.
3.The billing is complex but is easily automated.
4.The system actually solves the problem.
5.Everybody benefits at nominal costs spread over all drivers.

Inventor:
Bernard Feldman
1 Blake Ave.
Watsonville, Ca. 95076

BERNARD FELDMAN




			August 26, 1999
					Provisional Patent Application
			Title: Expressway Control System Background of the invention: Solo drivers on expressways during rush hours are the basic cause of congestion , pollution and exploding expressway construction costs. The best solution is to get these drivers into car-pools. The car-pool lane is expensive and has not been effective enough to solve the problem. Toll lanes have been suggested as one means to solve this problem and the technology for automatically accounting for traffic on toll lanes is well known but I have invented a better way to solve the problem. Description of the Invention: At every on-ramp to the expressway each car entering the expressway is required to make a 2-second stop at a station that has (advanced implementations may not require the stop) an electronic detection apparatus on both sides of the lane (actually advanced implementations may not require apparatuses on both sides). The electronic detector apparatus records the license plate number of the car (out-of-state cars would be probably allowed to drive the expressway free of charge to avoid an overburdened database). The driver toots his horn if he has at least one human passenger in the car with him. This data is recorded in a computer. The solo driver is assessed an expressway use tax whose value is determined such as to provide an effective disincentive for solo drivers to use the expressway during rush hours. Periodic billing to the car's owner is the means of collecting the tax. In terms of the detection apparatus the key improvement of this invention is that part of the detection apparatus which unequivocally records a commitment on the part of the driver of the car that (s)he has at least one passenger (there would be the option for a rule change requiring more than one passenger but I use one for exemplary purposes). The reason for the proposal of detectors on both sides of the car is to make the audio detector assuredly unequivocal, that is to say the beam of the detector must be narrow enough so that only the horn from the car under scrutiny is detected. Other aspects of the detection apparatus design, such as requiring reading licenses at different heights, and other aspects of the design are well within the current state of the art.




			P.S. Improvement, August 28, 1999 An alternative to the use of the horn by the driver is proposed, namely: flashing the lights. Turning the headlights off and on (night-time) or on and off (daytime) would besimpler to detect and would not require detectors on both sides of the car and would reduce noise pollution in the region. Vehicles that have no provision for flashing lights might use the horn signal or some states might require modifying the light control system in order to get the tax exemption. Inoperative lights or horns would not get a tax exemption enhancing the car-owners motivation to correct the defect. Another even simpler alternative is to provide a button or a microphone at the detection station requiring the driver to lower the window and register his(her) qualification for exemption of the access tax. Combinations of the above alternatives might be employed and other variations utilized without evading a key improvement of this invention , namely providing simple means for the driver to provide a commitment of the occupancy status of the vehicle, such means being readily computerized.