Update: NTTA's People- Driven Transition to Electronic Toll Collection

When the NTTA’s Board of Directors approved the transition to electronic toll collection, a major component of the plan included assisting more than 400 cash collection positions to be transitioned into other departments within the NTTA.

To date, the NTTA has successfully placed nine percent of the affected employees in other areas within the organization and anticipates this number to increase when the agency takes over operations of State Highway 121, allowing all employees within the cash toll collection process an opportunity to move to another position within the agency.

The electronic toll collection transition team has just formed a subcommittee known as the “ramp up” team.  The purpose of the “ramp up” team is to prepare potential internal candidates for in-demand positions such as Customer Service Specialist and Roadway Maintenance Technician.   

The employee transition plan consists of several initiatives which aim to identify, prepare and place the affected employees in other departments within the NTTA or with other agencies located in the Metroplex.  However, the NTTA is working to make sure all employees who would like to remain with the NTTA are given the opportunity to do so.  The initiatives include:

•  Educational assistance program to allow NTTA’s employees to get trained to assume a different position within the authority.
   
•  Computers installed at all main lane plazas so that employees have access to training and skills development materials during their breaks. 
   
•  Job fair – All NTTA departments provided affected employees information about their respective departments.  Outside organizations, such as DART, D/FW International Airport, City of Dallas and Love Field Airport also participated. 
   
•  Skills Development Workshops – Resume writing, interview skills, mock interviews and communications training.
   
•  Online computer-based training – Online learning management system that provides training programs, tracking and support.
   
•  Technical training – Beginning, intermediate and advanced PowerPoint, Word and Excel courses. 
   
•  Mentor and Job Shadowing Program – An opportunity to shadow mentors within the NTTA to gauge interests in the different departments. Mentors, then, provide information on education and skills required to assume the position.

So far, toll collection employees have taken over 4,000 online courses offered on the computer-based training network. 

NTTA roads will have electronic tolling by 2010.  The gradual implementation schedule calls for the Tollway main lane and ramp plazas, the Addison Airport Toll Tunnel and Mountain Creek Lake Bridge to become all-ETC in 2008; and the entire President George Bush Turnpike in 2009 and 2010.

The commitment by the employees as well as the organization will ensure that the transition to electronic toll collection goes smoothly.