Golden Gate Bridge Toll Plaza: automatic tolling

Photo Credit: Kevin Cole
(Photographic technique: no vehicles ... they just disappeared.)

I Want to Pay with Cash
"As of about 12:05 am on March 27, 2013, cash is no longer accepted at the Golden Gate Bridge Toll Plaza. Customers may continue paying their tolls using CASH for FasTrak and the Pay-By-Plate options that include License Plate Account, One-Time Payment, and Toll Invoice."
Source: I Want to Pay with Cash

Source: Golden Gate Bridge Highway and Transportation District

More Info: GoldenGate.org

First Major Toll Bridge in U.S. with Fully Automatic Tolling

(Excerpt) “The Golden Gate Bridge is the first major span in the nation to make such a change, which is being closely watched around the Bay Area and the world as a possible example to follow.

Bridge officials were mostly pleased with the system's debut … [during] the morning commute, in which an estimated 86 percent of motorists use FasTrak and thus already are accustomed to not stopping to pay their fares.”

Source: PressDemocrat.com

Government Saves Money as Human Toll Collectors are Displaced
28 total toll collectors retired, moved to other jobs, or were laid off as a result of fully automatic tolling at the Golden Gate Bridge. Estimates are that $8 million to more than $19 million will be saved over the next 8 years.
Source: AllGov.com

Reportedly, the Golden Gate Bridge faces a $66 million budget deficit over the next five years. A common toll rate for crossing the bridge is currently $5 to $6 for a two axle vehicle.

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GIVE ME A MOMENT a lifestyle

Subscribe FREE (see: upper right column) for new posts. Comments here are disabled. Readers may contact the blogger by email: givemeamomentblog@gmail.com

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RFID Citizen Card

Digital everything now. 'Analog' may soon become a quick description for something outdated by improving technology. Worth noting in America's 2009 analog to digital conversion (Outdoor TV Antenna) may be the potential losses in privacy and personal information security of citizens. With few alarms heard, digital everything may facilitate the end of personal privacy. And wearing a tin foil hat probably will qualify me for a free burrito at Chipotle Mexican Grill on Halloween.

All-In-One RFID Technology 'Citizen Card'

Source: WSJ

China currently uses a type of citizen card to gather and store data about the population in some of it's cities. Soon RFID technology enabled all-in-one citizen cards may be used by national and city governments in many more Chinese communities. These RFID citizen cards may be like credit cards that have used performance enhancing steroids under a physician's care.

Chinese planners see many potential uses for all-in-one citizen cards: official identification, birth and social security registration, medical history storage, residential information, distribute public benefits, track the population's geographical movements, etc.

The Future of Privacy or 'Just Get Over It'

Consider: The Volokh Conspiracy

A Question for Blog Readers

Are privacy and personal information security issues important to you? To some extent, of course they are. How do you make individual judgments regarding specific issues -- when are the costs worth the benefits?

See also: Blog Comments Add Value to the Topic

Next post scheduled 7.22.10: "Pre-Seniors"

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Tracking Fresh Produce with RFID

Source: Cal Poly Magazine, Spring 2010, article by Stacia Momburg

Patented RFID Application

This use of RFID Technology was patented in June 2009 by California Polytechnic State University (Cal Poly) in San Luis Obispo.

Professor Developed Technology

Cal Poly Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering (IME) Professor Tali Freed developed essential components of this multi-layered application of a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tag.

(Excerpt) "[She] developed the technology for a [RFID] tag that helps growers track food when it’s shipped to distributors.

The RFID ... is unique in that it can be hermetically sealed to remain intact long term on reusable plastic [tote] containers.

Farmers produce a paper barcode tag that can be affixed over the RFID chip. The tag peels off during the tote sterilization process, and the RFID chip remains on the tote. After each use, a new tag is reprogrammed in the field to match assigned produce barcodes and is affixed over the RFID chip."

Source: Cal Poly Magazine

Tracking Fresh Produce from the Field to a Store's Shelf

The journey of fresh produce from where it is grown and harvested, to distributor's warehouses, and onto a store's shelf or produce display can be tracked using this application of RFID.

(Excerpt) "The technology allows farmers to track shipments from field to store shelf. If a shipment is contaminated, the farmer can determine where contamination may have occurred to mitigate contamination of future shipments."

Source: Cal Poly Magazine

Technology Available for Licensing

(Excerpt) "The [California Central Coast Research Partnership] C3RP office, under the direction of the Research and Graduate Program Office, facilitates and enhances the transfer of intellectual property, resources, and information between Cal Poly and the business community in an effort to improve the commercial value of inventions and creative work from the University and to make this intellectual property available to the public."

Source: Technologies Available for Licensing

Marketing the Patent

(Excerpt) "... [Some Cal Poly] faculty and students have invented tools with the potential to make a real difference in our world. Jim Dunning is the C3RP project administrator who works to market the patents held by the university ... [There are currently] 11 patents with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. Among those inventions [is] ... a way to track produce [using RFID] from grower to shelf, to battle against contamination ...

[Jim] Dunning said he’s working to license the product to large-scale produce industry. 'Retailers tell us they really like the idea and want growers to use the technology,' he said. 'We’re trying to find a creative way to market this to some of our industry partners."

Source: Cal Poly Magazine

A Question for Blog Readers
If possible, what fresh produce information for consumers would you like to see voluntarily gathered by farmers, distributors, and grocers to be available for reading at the grocer's shelf/produce display -- to help you make a fresh produce purchase decision? Is it an appropriate use of governmental powers to "require" that any of this be available at a fresh produce display?

See also: Blog Comments Add Value to the Topic

Next post scheduled 7.8.10: "RFID Citizen Card"

LIFT (Link I Found Today)

The following is simply the last segment to read at the end of this post and may or may not be in any way appropriate or relevant to anything ...

LIFT: 'Vision California'

Source: Sacramento Bee

Report that includes ideas about higher-density development, less automobile-dependent transportation, and other things

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RFID Based Vehicle Ignition System

Media Credit: Aptera 2009 2E Brochure

California's Shocking New Car

(Excerpt) "[Aptera Motors] hybrid electric automobile ... has enjoyed claims of up to 300 MPG ...

'The Aptera was developed completely from a clean slate ...', said Aptera President and CEO Paul Wilbur ...

The design intent model ... seats two adults, has power windows, cup holders, and has 22.75 cubic feet of cargo capacity. It will use LED running and interior lights to reduce power. An optional solar panel mounted on the roof runs the heat pump during the day.

The seats of the 2e model can be heated or cooled by forced air ...

[The futuristic vehicle] features RFID-based keyless ignition and entry with scarab doors ...".

Source & video clip (2:53): Californiality

Personal Armored Vehicle

(Excerpt) "... you can carry the weight of two elephants on your roof with barely a dent ... To Aptera, safety is not a punch line ...".

Source: www.aptera.com/learn.php

Note to vehicle manufacturers: For a very long time into the future, consumers may need vehicles that can carry HEAVY loads (trains, trucks, busses, etc.). However, there may be sooner than later circumstances that make it imperative that these HEAVY capacity vehicles be primarily powered by something other than an oil-based fuel. Just saying, even as oil-based fuels are restricted (for any number of reasons) there will remain a civilian and military demand to move HEAVY loads of people and things in vehicles that will be primarily powered by ... something.

Automatic Keyless Entry and Ignition System

(Excerpt) "Federal Express ... is constantly looking at ways to streamline its delivery processes ... Each time couriers make a delivery, they spend precious time searching for keys to [operate] their delivery vehicle ...

... an automatic keyless entry and ignition system ... uses RFID transponders ... embedded within a Velcro wristband ...

... FedEx delivery personnel are freed from the hassles of juggling their keys while carrying armloads of packages. The keyless entry and ignition system consists of ... transponders and readers mounted at each of the doors to the delivery vehicle. A reader is also mounted on the right side of the steering column near the ignition switch. When the courier places the transponder wristband within six inches of the readers, the transponder's code is compared to those in the system's memory. If they match, the door unlocks for five seconds ... To start the vehicle, the courier pushes a button on the right side of the steering column ...

... Each FedEx vehicle is programmed ... and can accept up to 10 unique transponders. A single transponder can also be programmed to operate multiple trucks.

... If a [RFID] wristband is misplaced, its code can be purged from the system, and a new code can be programmed in a matter of seconds ... ".

Source: Business Solutions

Example of Retrofitted Keyless Entry and Push Button Start

Source & video clip (1:23): StarDrive

One wonders about the overall security value of automatically locking the doors, if the driver's side window is left in the open position. Probably simply an operator oversight here. Perhaps contributed to by distraction from the valuable digital music player. It does appear to be a well maintained vintage vehicle with a nice RFID based keyless ignition system.

A Question for Blog Readers

What are some features that you might want if your vehicle was equipped with an ignition system that could be activated or disabled using RFID technology ?

See also: Blog Comments Add Value to the Topic

Next post scheduled 6.24.10: "Tracking Fresh Produce with RFID"

Link I Found Today (LIFT)

The following is not intended as a continuation of the above subject. It is simply the last segment to read at the end of this post. This "LIFT" bonus feature may not be in any way appropriate or relevant to anything. And if it is -- it's probably a conscience ...

LIFT: ChristianPF (Personal Finance) ... iPad Giveaway!

Visit the linked website if you want to learn how to enter the iPad Giveaway

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RFID - Radio Frequency Identification

Media Credit: Getty Images

RFID Tag

(Excerpt) "... the ubiquitous Universal Product Code (UPC) bar code [in some situations] is replaced by smart labels, also called radio frequency identification (RFID) tags. RFID tags are intelligent bar codes that can talk to a networked system ...".

Source: howstuffworks.com

RFID For Dummies

Book written by Patrick J. Sweeney, CEO of ODIN Technologies

RFID Journal

Professional publication specializing in radio frequency identification technology.

Supply Chain Management

(Excerpt) "... companies are using RFID [technology] to improve their supply chain operations and collaborate with supply chain partners."

Source: RFID Journal - Supply Chain

RFID Journal LIVE! 2010

Annual conference event, this year in Orlando Florida April 14 - 16.

Note: There may be personal information security issues associated with this technology that are not mentioned in this post

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