RICHMOND - Governor Mark R. Warner today announced that Clifton Forge will be the site of a new statewide customer service and data center for the Smart Tag/E-ZPass electronic toll system. The Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) signed a $45 million contract with TransCore to design and operate the center. TransCore, a provider of technology-based services and products that enable customers to efficiently manage ground transportation systems, assets, and transactions, will invest $1.4 million to open the facility. The company plans to hire 60 employees, including managers, technical support and customer service representatives, beginning in March 2006. The center is scheduled to open in September 2006.
“We have worked tirelessly to bring new jobs to the Alleghany Highlands region since the announcement that Lear Corporation was closing,” said Governor Warner. “This announcement is a great step forward and I congratulate all parties involved.”
“Governor Warner’s commitment to helping this region led us to Clifton Forge, and we appreciate the support of local officials who made this an ideal venue,” said TransCore President John Worthington. “The combination call and data center will undoubtedly bolster the economy of the area and also serve to expand the customer service VDOT provides its Smart Tag/E-ZPass patrons. The diligence of the Governor and VDOT to make this happen exemplifies their dedication to respond to the crucial needs of the state.”
The facility will serve as the primary customer service and technical support for electronic tolling operations in Virginia. The center will manage all customer calls and accounts, as well as operate an improved violation enforcement system through a network of cameras. The walk-in customer service centers in Chesterfield, Reston, and Gloucester will remain open. All other administrative, technological, and call functions will be managed from the Clifton Forge location, which offers a state-of-the-art facility in close proximity to Dabney S. Lancaster Community College that will provide opportunities for specialized training.
The Virginia Economic Development Partnership, Alleghany County, the Town of Clifton Forge, the City of Covington and the Roanoke Valley Economic Development Partnership also worked to secure the project for Virginia. The company is eligible to receive benefits from the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development because it is locating in an Enterprise Zone.
“Today’s good news is an example of what can happen when the entire region works together,” said Robert Bennett, II, Chair, Alleghany Highlands Economic Development Corporation. “Just a year ago, in one of the corporation’s better decisions, the Alleghany Highlands joined the Roanoke Valley Economic Development Partnership to enhance our marketing efforts. It is great to see our new partnership show results.”
Headquartered in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, TransCore employs 1,800 people and has 80 locations worldwide. The company is a unit of Roper Industries, a $1.4 billion diversified industrial technology company.
Smart Tag/E-Z Pass background information:
With a Smart Tag/E-Z Pass, motorists do not need to stop and pay cash to travel through toll facilities. A transponder mounted on the inside of the windshield automatically deducts the toll from a pre-paid account. In Virginia, there are about 540,000 active Smart Tags and 11 million electronic toll transactions a month. During peak hours, 75 percent of all toll transactions are Smart Tag/E-ZPass transactions.
Virginia launched its electronic toll collection system in 1996 on the Dulles Toll Road. Since then, Smart Tag has been adopted for use on many other Virginia toll roads including the Powhite Parkway and Extension, the Downtown Expressway, the Pocahontas Parkway, and the Boulevard “Nickel” Bridge in Richmond, the Coleman Bridge in Gloucester, the Chesapeake Expressway, and the Dulles Greenway in Northern Virginia. Virginia’s Smart Tag system joined with E-ZPass in October 2004, expanding Smart Tag utilization to toll facilities in West Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, Pennsylvania, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Maine, Massachusetts and Illinois. For more information about Smart Tag/E-Z Pass, go to https://smart-tag.com/