Toll tags & tracking: Coming to a road near you

Link to article here.

Toll tags & tracking: Big government coming to a road near you
By Terri Hall
October 3, 2013
Examiner.com

Whether it’s license plate readers, toll tags, or mobile phones, one thing is certain - you are being tracked. A recent uptick in reports of toll tags being used to track vehicle movements has created a firestorm of controversy over how such information can be used, more importantly, abused, and how such invasions of privacy are justified to travel a public road.

In the age of electronic tolling, most Toll Tags and EZ Passes are embedded with Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology that allows toll equipment to detect and record when a car passes through its gantry for billing purposes. Toll agencies promise the information is only used for billing and toll collection, yet there’s rarely any policy in place to protect personal information, how long the information is stored, and to whom the data can be sold to or shared with.

Nix Prop 6: Public drain for private gain

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Public drain for private gain: Prop 6 rural water raid to benefit developers
By Terri Hall
October 12, 2013
Examiner.com

Have you ever had a kid ask for seconds during a meal before he’s even finished what’s on his plate? Well, that’s what the Texas legislature is asking of voters with Proposition 6 on November 5. Lawmakers want Texans to pass this constitutional amendment to approve more funding for water projects.

A similar measure narrowly passed in November 2011 for a $6 billion revolving fund to loan money to local government entities for water infrastructure, outside constitutional debt limitations. Now in 2013, the Texas Legislature is asking voters for permission to raid $2 billion from the state’s emergency fund, known as the Rainy Day Fund, to assist local agencies of government in funding water projects from the state’s water plan.

A&M signs two P3 deals, giving private firms monopolies

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Allowing private developers to takeover public land is a horrific abuse of property rights. Whether the landowners donated their land to the university or had it taken using eminent domain, it was in the name of a 'public use.' Now, these projects will directly benefit private companies with government-sanctioned monopolies. One of the projects, the Discovery Center, is designed to lease out office space to other private firms, not even for university use or any real 'public use' as required by the Texas Constitution.

Rep. John Raney needs to go if he thinks this is a good deal for Texans. A&M can force students into this privately-developed housing and make them pay whatever the company says it needs to achieve the level of profit it wishes. Meanwhile, the cost of a college education shoots through the roof. It's a sad day in Texas when our elected & public officials sell us out and then say it's 'all good' because they can shift the debt off their own books, but make us pay it back with interest PLUS profit to private firms granted monopolies. Note how all details were discussed behind closed doors in executive session, not in public. What are they not telling us and what do they NOT want the public to know?

Texas A&M System regents OK ground leases for private developers
By ALLEN REED | Sunday, September 8, 2013
The Eagle.com

The Texas A&M University System Board of Regents have approved ground leases to allow private developers access to university land.

The regents approved two agenda items at a special meeting Saturday morning. Regent Judy Morgan was absent. The items were approved unanimously without comment or discussion by the regents.

Chairman Phil Adams said the regents discussed the items during their closed-door executive session.

Rhode Island slaps tolls on un-tolled Sakonnet Bridge, protests ensue

Link to article here.

Rhode Island collecting dime 'placeholder' toll on Sakonnet Bridge, but governor speaks up for toll financing
August 29, 2013
Toll Road News

Rhode Island Turnpike and Bridge Authority began collecting the 'dime' toll set by the state legislature first thing Monday August 19 following an arsonist's attempt to burn out toll cabling, and amid protest demonstrations at the Sakonnet River Bridge. David Darlington chairman of the board of directors of the Rhode Island Turnpike and Bridge Authority told us toll collection was not affected by the either the arsonist's fire or demonstrators. 



Georgia: Report Finds Toll Lanes A Favorite Of The Rich

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Georgia: Report Finds Toll Lanes A Favorite Of The Rich
A study of Georgia High Occupancy Toll lanes found they are most often chosen by the wealthy.
September 6, 2013
The Newspaper.com

Atlanta, Georgia's high occupancy toll (HOT) project on Interstate 85 has become a favorite way for the wealthy to travel, according to a report released last week by the Southern Environmental Law Center. The liberal activist group is concerned about the proliferation of tolling in the state, as plans are underway to impose tolls on three more area freeways in light of a state policy mandating tolls on all new highway lanes.

"Social equity concerns have been raised that the so-called 'Lexus Lanes' are used primarily by higher income drivers, but no one has examined data from Atlanta’s High Occupancy Toll lanes to test this assertion," the group's report explains.

How the GOP will lose Texas over cronyism

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How the GOP will lose Texas over free trade, corporate cronyism
By Terri Hall
September 5, 2013
Examiner.com

Since Barack Obama won a second term, much has been said about how the GOP needs to reach out to a broader group and be more tolerant in order to win another national election. In Texas, all eyes are on Democrat Senator Wendy Davis to see whether she will formally throw her hat in the ring to run for Texas Governor later this month. She’s energized her party over her high-profile filibuster of a bill to restrict abortion that won her national attention and made her an instant household name. Politicos have been pondering whether Texas will turn blue ever since.

But few have zeroed-in on how the party lost Reagan Democrats and why one-party dominance usually tilts in the opposite direction in response. In a recent Washington Times column, Patrick Buchanan identified why the GOP shed Reagan Democrats: globalism and putting corporate interests over distinctly American interests. It’s instructive for the Texas GOP that’s had a lock on one-party rule for more than a decade.

So. Cal. drivers get new toll road app

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Toll Roads' New App Could Provide $30 in Toll Credit
By Martin Henderson
Lake Forest Patch
September 3, 2013

The Transportation Corridor Agencies on Tuesday announced it has released version 1.2 of The Toll Roads App, enhanced with a feature allowing users to establish a FasTrak account entirely from their mobile device or tablet. The free app gives FasTrak accountholders access to the same account and customer service features available on The Toll Roads’ website.

Through Nov. 30, use The Toll Roads App to sign up for a new FasTrak account with the promo code “Mobile30” and $30 in tolls will instantly be credited to the new account. The $30 in free tolls gives new customers the opportunity to take The Toll Roads for a free test drive.

“The updated mobile app makes The Toll Roads experience even more convenient and user-friendly by enabling FasTrak membership account sign-up in the palm of your hand,” said Neil Peterson, chief executive officer of the TCA. “Now it will be even easier for Southern California drivers to experience the time-saving benefits of FasTrak.”

The app is available for download from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store by searching for "FasTrak" or "The Toll Roads.”  It allows users to sign up for FasTrak and utilize a variety of account management features including:
    •    View account balances
    •    Make payments
    •    Edit account information
    •    Add or remove vehicles, including rental and loaner vehicles
    •    Request additional transponders
    •    Review recent activity

In May 2012, The Toll Roads became the first toll road operator in the nation to offer an app for toll account management.  To date, more than 44,000 customers have downloaded The Toll Roads App.

FasTrak is a prepaid electronic toll collection system used throughout California that allows drivers to pay tolls electronically while traveling at highway speeds through designated lanes. 

TCA operates The Toll Roads, the largest network of toll roads in the state, comprised of State Routes 73, 133, 241 and 261 in Orange County.

The Mystery Behind America's Decline in Driving

Link to article here.

There's really no mystery as to why Americans are driving less. It's not a generational thing, it's MONEY, or rather the lack of it. The price of gas has steadily shot up and has never gone back down for any length of time. For some people, it costs nearly $100 to fill their tanks and that only lasts a week. Real wages have been stagnant for more than a decade while the cost of living and tax burden have exploded.

Americans have also been in a negative savings rate for almost 8 years. All that adds up to having to cut everywhere possible just to survive, and one of the few things Americans can still somewhat control is how much driving they do. Cutting back on discretionery trips and combining trips is one way Americans are trying to cope with a persistently bad economy and underemployment, and young people are being priced completely out of car ownership. It's not because they don't want to drive or have that freedom and independence. They can't afford to own & maintain a car, just as they're delaying home ownership due to high student loan debt, low salaries, and the high cost of living.

New traffic laws take effect in Texas Sept. 1

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New Traffic, Criminal Laws Go Into Effect Sept. 1
August 29, 2013
NBCDFW.com

On Sunday, Sept. 1, several new traffic and criminal laws will go into effect across the state of Texas.

"As a result of these new provisions, Texans now have additional protection while traveling our roadways, and individuals who disregard our laws will face tougher penalties for a variety of crimes," said Texas Department of Public Safety director Steven McCraw, in an email Thursday. "DPS encourages all residents to educate themselves about the laws affecting their lives and to do their part in keeping Texas safe."

The following is a list of notable laws going into effect Sept. 1, but is not a comprehensive list of all new laws passed by the Texas Legislature.
    •    HB 347 expands the current limitations on wireless communication device (cell phone) use in an active school crossing zone to include the property of a public elementary, middle, or junior high school for which a local authority has designated a school crossing zone. The use will only be restricted during the time a reduced speed limit is in effect for the school crossing zone. Further, it will not apply to vehicles that are stopped, or drivers using a hands-free device or making an emergency call.

    •    HB 1174 amends current statute to increase the minimum fines for the misdemeanor offense of passing a stopped school bus loading or unloading children. The minimum fine increases from $200 to $500, and the maximum fine for such an offense increases from $1,000 to $1,250. The bill also enhances the penalty for a second or subsequent conviction of that offense committed within five years to a misdemeanor punishable by a minimum fine of $1,000 and a maximum fine of $2,000.

    •    SB 181 allows a motor vehicle operator the option of using a wireless communication device (such as a cell phone) to display motor vehicle financial responsibility (proof of insurance) information as evidence of financial responsibility. The display does not constitute effective consent for a law enforcement officer, or any other person, to access the contents of the wireless communication device except to view the financial responsibility information. *This bill is effective immediately.

    •    SB 510 requires drivers to move over or slow down (as required depending on the roadway) when approaching a stationary Texas Department of Transportation vehicle with its lights activated and not separated from the roadway by a traffic-control device. This provision expands the state's Move Over/Slow Down law, which already requires drivers to yield to tow trucks, police, fire and emergency vehicles. Violators would commit a misdemeanor offense punishable by a fine of up to $200; punishable by a fine of $500 if property damage occurs; or a Class B misdemeanor if the violation results in bodily damage.

    •    HB 2304 lowers the population requirement from 2.2 million to one million for counties where sheriffs or deputy sheriffs can be certified by DPS to enforce federal commercial motor vehicle regulations. This will open the opportunity to Bexar, Tarrant and Travis counties.

    •    HB 625 clarifies that the penalty for operating a vehicle on a public highway without displaying the two license plates assigned to the vehicle is a misdemeanor offense punishable by a fine not to exceed $200.

    •    HB 3668 amends current statute to require the operator of a vehicle involved in an accident that results or is reasonably likely to result in the injury or death of a person to immediately determine whether a person is involved in the accident, and if so, whether the person requires aid, in addition to other existing statutory requirements.

    •    SB 275 increases the penalty for leaving the scene of a motor vehicle accident resulting in the death of a person and failing to render aid from a third-degree felony to a second-degree felony. A second degree felony carries a punishment of two to 20 years in prison and an optional fine not to exceed $10,000, whereas a third degree felony carries a penalty of two to 10 years in prison and an optional fine not to exceed $10,000.

    •    HB 1284 increases the penalty for the offense of initiating, communicating or circulating a false report of an emergency (such as a bomb threat) involving an institution of higher education from a Class A misdemeanor to a state jail felony. *This bill is effective immediately.

    •    HB 124 adds Salvia divinorum (unless unharvested and growing in its natural state) - including all parts of the plant, seeds and extracts from a part of the plant - to Penalty Group 3 of the Texas Controlled Substances Act.

    •    HB 2637 provides that an individual fraudulently using identifying information to avoid registering as a sex offender to be punished at the next highest degree felony.

Melbourne to trade tolls in off-peak hours to get fixed price during peak

Link to article here.

Citylink boss Scott Charlton said charging for off-peak times on toll roads could ease Melbourne's traffic congestion
By Amelia Harris
Herald Sun
September 3, 2013

Transurban CEO Scott Charlton said congestion could be eased in peak times by selling blocks of off-peak time on toll roads in exchange for fixed price contracts.

Speaking at a Freight Week conference run by the Victorian Transport Association and the Victorian Automobile Chamber of Commerce conference, he acknowledged reform was "politically charged".

Trans Pacific Partnership trade talks in Brunei wrap-up

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Trans Pacific Partnership trade negotiations in Brunei wrap-up
By Terri Hall
September 2, 2013
Examiner.com

With President Barack Obama’s popularity at home and overseas suffering, there’s yet another area of policy where his influence is diminishing: the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) free trade agreement. World leaders from 12 different countries wrapped up a week of negotiations in Brunei Friday and will meet again later this month in the United States. The TPP represents the largest free trade agreement in U.S. history.

As Congress comes back from its August recess, it’ll be facing big questions about U.S. intervention in Syria as well as raising the debt ceiling, putting the administration’s goal of completing the TPP by year’s end in doubt. Negotiators have run into protectionist roadblocks at home, and with many of the main sticking points making no progress during the Brunei talks, some countries, such as Malaysia, admit things have reached a critical stage and they’re contemplating whether to withdraw from the pact completely.

DOUBLE TAX: TxDOT gives $300 million in tax money for 249 toll road

Link to article here.

Yet another example of taxpayer money being used to build toll roads - this time for a toll road in Montgomery and Grimes counties (for economic development, read it at the end where the Montgomery County Commissioner is excited about this road opening up 12,000 acres to development and hence a new tax base for Montgomery County). If $300 million in taxpayer money will be used to build the road, NO ONE should have to pay a toll to actually use the road, too! This is a rip-off of our pay-as-you-go taxpayer money for FREE roads going to TOLL roads! All for what? A few seasonal game days for the Aggies?

We've tried for FOUR legislative sessions to prohibit ANY taxpayer money from going to fund, bail out, or subsidize toll roads. To no avail. So what can one conclude from that? They all want to DOUBLE TAX Texans!

State to fund Texas 249 toll road
By Howard Roden
The Courier
Posted: Thursday, August 29, 2013

The Texas Transportation Commission added $297 million to the state’s 2014 Unified Transportation Program Thursday that ensures creation of the Texas 249 toll road.

Lawmaker to TxDOT: Time to say ‘we made a mistake’

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Lawmaker to TxDOT: Time to say ‘we made a mistake’
By Terri Hall
August 20, 2013
Examiner.com

They stepped in it and now the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) is on the fast track to smoothing things over with local governments across the state. Rep. Joe Pickett (D - El Paso) didn’t parse words at yesterday’s Transportation Commission meeting: the agency has had a series of missteps that are making people upset and it’s time for the Department to own up to it, say ‘we made a mistake,’ and start to make amends.

The first misstep was the agency’s attempt to enact a new form of public private partnership (P3) called ‘availability payments’ (that failed to pass the legislature) through a mere ‘rule change.’ Availability payments put all Texas taxpayers on the hook to re-pay the private operators versus just toll revenues. It would have even guaranteed payment for mere ‘projected’ traffic, not the actual number of cars that use the road.

Cintra's woes continue: SH 130 collecting unstable revenues

Link to article here.

SH 130 stretch has unsteady start
By Josh Hinkle
August 27, 2013
KXAN.com

MUSTANG RIDGE, Texas (KXAN) - It was meant to ease congestion on Interstate 35 in Austin, but records show the new, southern section of the SH 130 toll road has had an unsteady start.

It is a state highway, but a private company owns and operates it – which created challenges in obtaining traffic counts and revenue figures. Officials with the Texas Department of Transportation – which maintains the records – would not reveal the numbers for the bulk of the time the road has been open.

Three months after the request and a Texas Attorney General opinion in KXAN’s favor, TxDOT released the records, showing several ups and downs for the tollway.

Month                         Vehicles           Revenue 

October 2012            47,500              N/A 

November 2012        468,500            $805,700 

December 2012        425,600            $1,503,600 

January 2013            353,700            $1,214,900 

February 2013          359,900            $1,243,800 

March 2013               466,100            $1,530,800 

April 2013                 398,100            $1,005,700

May 2013                 425,500             $1,037,500

The SH 130 Concession Co. spent nearly $1.4 billion to build the stretch, sharing revenue with the state. Officials acknowledged the roadway is still young, but they are ready for the long haul.

"We're in place to be here for 50 years, and we'll be here for the duration of our contract,” said spokeswoman Megan Compton. "It takes time to get people to change their native travel patterns, and we know that this is a marathon and not a sprint."

This privately-owned section – officially called SH 130 Segments 5 and 6 – boasts the fastest speed limit in the nation at 85 miles per hour. It stretches 41 miles through rural Travis, Caldwell and Guadalupe Counties all the way to Seguin.

Anticipation of the toll road mounted since developers reached a deal seven years ago. Then construction began in 2009. The first drivers hit the pavement last October.

"People know more about this highway, and I'm pretty sure more people will come through here,” said Jerry Cavada, a trucker driver.

The SH 130 Concession Co. says it is actively working to draw drivers to its road, already seeing an increase in vehicles on holidays and destination dates. There is a promotional campaign that has been online, on-air and on-road. Plus, the company has worked to create partnerships and work with communities and chambers along the stretch.

And the Texas Department of Transportation reduced the toll rates for 18-wheelers along SH 130 for an entire year through next March.

Perhaps a bright point for traffic count on the tollway has been the Circuit of the Americas. The raceway and event center just opened last fall. While it is just north of the private portion of the road, it still brings hundreds of thousands of vehicles with each large event. Many are using the new stretch, too.

Older tollways in the area are seeing success, but it took time for their numbers to go up. The Central Texas Turnpike System - managed by TxDOT - had just over 200,000 vehicles a day five years ago. At the end of the last fiscal year, it was up to more than 273,000.

Third time's a charm: Texas lawmakers finally pass transportation funding bill

Link to article here.

Third time's a charm: Texas lawmakers finally pass transportation funding bill
By Terri Hall
August 6, 2013
Examiner.com

It’s a wrap. After over 200 days in session this year, the Texas legislature finally agreed upon a transportation funding bill that will go to the voters for approval in November 2014. The Constitutional amendment would divert half of the oil and gas severance tax that funds the state’s emergency fund, or Rainy Day Fund, to roads, giving the highway department a potential boost of $1.2 billion annually. Lawmakers readily acknowledge it’s a stop gap measure since the agency needs $4 billion more per year.

The enabling legislation, HB 1, seeks to protect the Rainy Day Fund by having a select committee recommend a minimum balance to be maintained before any money can be diverted to roads - a number that must be approved by two-thirds of the legislature. If lawmakers can’t agree, then the committee’s number will take effect. It also requires the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) to find $100 million in savings within its operations to apply toward the agency’s mounting debt. The diversion of the severance tax will sunset in 2025 unless the legislature votes to continue it.

Funding crisis: TxDOT to turn some paved roads back to gravel

Link to article here.

For the first time in TxDOT history, the Department is proposing to convert paved roads back to gravel due to the funding shortfalls for proper road maintenance, particularly in areas hard hit by oil exploration where the roads have literally been obliterated by the heavy trucks on roads never designed to handle their weight.

Officials want TxDOT to delay cost-cutting proposals
By Aman Batheja
The Texas Tribune
Posted Sunday, Aug. 25, 2013

State and local officials across Texas are urging the state Department of Transportation to slam the brakes on two controversial cost-cutting measures.

The agency is struggling to stretch its dollars after state lawmakers came up billions short of what agency officials said was needed to maintain the state’s current level of congestion.

Passing the buck? TxDOT wants to off-load maintenance to cities instead of cut costs

Link to article here.

In the recently passed legislation HB 1, the Legislature spoke loud and clear that it expects TxDOT to find $100 million through cost savings and efficiencies, not reduce allocations for road projects (and that would seem to include basic road maintenance projects as well). Yet as reported by the Associated Press in both the Dallas Morning News and Texas Tribune, TxDOT will consider passing the buck for finding $100 million in efficiencies to cities by forcing them to pick-up the tab for road maintenance in their jurisdictions.

Texas plans urban highway upkeep shift to cities
The Associated Press
Published: Saturday, Aug. 17, 2013

DALLAS -- State transportation officials are discussing a shift of responsibility for maintaining nearly 1,900 miles of urban highways in 59 cities to those cities' governments.

The Dallas Morning News reports the Texas Transportation Commission will discuss the proposal on Aug. 29. The newspaper reports the shift would force the city governments to absorb $165 million each year in new costs.

The legislature passed a bill this month that requires the commission to cut state highway spending by $100 million.

Toll-free Georgia 400, tolls for I-70 in Colorado

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Roundup: Toll-free Georgia 400; toll lanes proposed for I-70 in Colorado
By David Tanner, Land Line associate editor
Landline Magazine

A wrecking ball will soon demolish toll booths along the Ga. 400 in Atlanta, while out west an engineering group has proposed tolls on a congested portion of I-70. Following is a roundup of recent happenings involving toll roads around the country.



The Georgia State Road and Tollway Authority set a tentative date of Nov. 21 to remove tolls from the Ga. 400, and crews will carry out a $3.5 million tollbooth demolition sometime next year.



Gov. Nathan Deal announced during his 2012 campaign that the state would pay off all debts related to the Ga. 400 by the end of 2013 and remove the tolls. When Deal became governor, he also became chairman of the State Road and Tollway Authority.



According to the plan, traffic will shift to three general purpose lanes that are currently used as all-electronic toll lanes on or about Nov. 21.

More tolls coming to Georgia on I-75 & I-575

Link to article here.

More tolls coming to Georgia. This time to I-75 and I-575 and it will be a public private partnership.

Parsons to Help Design 30-Mile Interstate Toll Roadway
Published by Mary-Louise Hoffman
August 15, 2013
ExecutiveBiz.com

Parsons has been awarded a contract to provide design services for a 29.7-mile highway modernization project in Georgia that aims to improve mobility and reduce traffic congestion.

The Georgia Department of Transportation asked Parsons to design reversible tollways along interstates 75 and 575 for the Northwest Corridor project, which also includes adding 38 bridges and traffic management schemes, the company said Wednesday.

“Parsons has been working with GDOT for nearly four decades, and we look forward to continuing our successful relationship with them,” said Todd Wager, Parsons group president.

Northwest Express Roadbuilders, a joint venture of Hubbard Construction and Archer Western Contractors, will pay for at least 10 percent of the effort.

The public-private partnership initiative is scheduled to be completed by spring 2018.

Parsons has been awarded a contract to provide design services for a 29.7-mile highway modernization project in Georgia that aims to improve mobility and reduce traffic congestion.

The Georgia Department of Transportation asked Parsons to design reversible tollways along interstates 75 and 575 for the Northwest Corridor project, which also includes adding 38 bridges and traffic management schemes, the company said Wednesday.

“Parsons has been working with GDOT for nearly four decades, and we look forward to continuing our successful relationship with them,” said Todd Wager, Parsons group president.

Northwest Express Roadbuilders, a joint venture of Hubbard Construction and Archer Western Contractors, will pay for at least 10 percent of the effort.

The public-private partnership initiative is scheduled to be completed by spring 2018.

- See more at: http://blog.executivebiz.com/2013/08/parsons-to-help-design-30-mile-interstate-toll-roadway-todd-wager-comments/#sthash.TEeclhcA.aZjEOsP0.dpuf

Private operators vie for I-69 in Indiana

Link to article here.

NAFTA Superhighway: Private operators vie for I-69 in Indiana
By Terri Hall
August 5, 2013

Close on the heels of news that Interstate 69 (I-69) is underway in Texas, the Indiana Finance Authority and highway department (INDOT) has selected four private developers to submit proposals for a public private partnership (P3) on segment 5 of I-69 from Bloomington to Martinsville. The final selection is expected this fall.

I-69 was designated as high priority corridors (18) and (20) by congress in the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act of 1991 (ISTEA). These high priority corridors became the conduit for global trade when NAFTA came on the scene. By 2005, congress identified more than 80 such corridors criss-crossing America.

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