CARTA Toll Program Workplan and Policy Development

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Term: One year. September 2024 – September 2025

Kuester Role: Task 2 Lead, support for tasks 3, 4

CARTA required a multi-year workplan outlining activities to complete prior to Yolo 80 opening in 2028, as well as what activities are needed for CARTA as a multi-county tolling authority. This workplan was required to explain how these activities should occur, how much they will cost, and how they can be paid for. This contract laid the foundation for future CARTA activities and enabled the board to determine the overall  strategy for the Sacramento region’s future toll lane operations.

1. Project Management and Mobilization

2. Toll and Other Managed Lanes System Review

3. Implementation Workplan

4. Near-Term Policy Development and Management

Term: Three years (Jan 2026-December 2028), plus two option years (2029-2030)

Kuester Role: Support Tasks 1, 2, and 5

Provide resources and technical expertise to implement and operate CARTA’s Toll Program, including supporting the on-time delivery of Yolo 80 Managed Lanes Phase 1 (Yolo 80).

1. Toll Program Management and General Advising

2. Agreements, Toll Accounting, Revenue Recognition, and Finance

3. Strategic Communications and Public Education

4. Yolo 80 Toll System Construction Support

5. Yolo 80 Back Office, Customer Service Center, and Traffic Operations Center Construction

6. Support Yolo 80 Ongoing Operations

Term:  Phase One October 2025 – January 2026, Phase Two Feb. 2026 – September 2026

Kuester Role:  Lead advisor and subject matter expert on all tasks

Review and assess SANDAG’s current organizational structure, departmental procedures, and levels of staffing. In Phase One, identifying existing strengths, organizational gaps, and areas for improvement. Establishing a comprehensive foundation for a deeper operational analysis in Phase Two. 

1. Mapping current toll operations functions, roles, and responsibilities

2. Documenting existing governance structures, standard operating procedures (SOPs),and interdepartmental linkages

3. Identifying operational priorities and alignment across departments

4. Evaluating organizational alignment and capacity to support the Toll Operations program

5. Delivering insights that will inform strategic decision-making and provide a strong foundation for Phase Two activities

Term: June 2025 – June 2028, with option to extend two years

Budget: $3.3M

Kuester Role: Executive advisor and support for Tasks 1, 2, 3, and 6

Support the management and implementation of the San Mateo County US 101 Express Lane. The San Mateo County US 101 Express Lanes Project is a multi-agency project initiated to reduce traffic congestion and encourage carpooling and transit use on US Highway 101 (US 101) in San Mateo County.

1. Program management and administration

2. JPA Board and Stakeholder Support

3. Operations Oversight and Tolling Maintenance Support

4. Policy Development and Implementation

5. Strategic Advisory Services

6. Community Transportation Benefits Program 

7. Finance and Budget Support

Term: Fall 2025 through 2028 Games

Budget: $42M (split among several contractors)

Plan, coordinate, and implement transportation for the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games. The contract focuses on the Games Mobility Concept Plan, including Games Enhanced Transit Service (GETS), route networks, and safety. To provide technical and strategic expertise for implementing the 2028 Mobility Concept Plan, moving from high-level planning to operational readiness. Enable a transit-first approach where guests use public transit, walking, or cycling to reach venues.

1. Advisory support for governance policies and procedures related to Games-related regional fare integration

2. Design and development of a single-and multi-day mobility pass that enables valid use of multiple systems (Metro, Metrolink, LADOT<GETS, bike rental), including the formalization of business rules governing distribution of revenue

3. Advisory support for back-end integration based on a fare payment method

4. Advisory support for the customer interface end-user application that integrate

Term: 2025-2030

Kuester Role: Executive Project Advisor 

TriMet operates public transit service in Portland, Oregon. The primary focus of this on-call contract is technical and operational support relating to fare collection programs, policies and services primarily administered through the Hop Fastpass® Electronic Fare Solution.  

1. Hop Fastpass® system support (websites, mobile apps, FVM, Fare Media procurement, and more)

2. TriMet Customer Support Center (CSC)

3. Merchant and banking services

4. Hop Fastpass® IT Operations

5. Reporting development and data analysis

6. New product and feature design and testing

Prime: Drago Vantage LLC

Term: Three years, 2025-2028

Kuester Role: Executive advisor

 Work in this category includes designing and implementing community engagement activities that are tailored to the unique communities in the Capital region. This support augments the national toll communications expertise CARTA may have as part of the Toll Program Management contract. Work in this category also includes strategic advising to help CARTA navigate relationships with other agencies and entities to build regional consensus for its work. 

• Attendance at CARTA internal meetings to advise impacts of toll decisions and milestones on the community’s perception of tolling
• Project-, policy-, or campaign-specific community engagement plans
• Planning for and executing virtual and in-person community workshops
• Participating in and partnering with community events
• Leveraging local networks to stand up community advisory groups or amplify CARTA messaging
• Engagement summary reports and other post-campaign/event documentation