In an effort to tackle the persistent problems plaguing the South Bay Expressway's toll system, the San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG) has ramped up its response, with Chairwoman Nora Vargas leading the charge alongside board leaders to restore public confidence and overhaul operations. As reported by SANDAG's official announcement, a comprehensive plan is on the docket to be presented at the board meeting on January 12, 2024, intending to detail the current system's flaws and the execution of a new tolling system.
Amidst backlash from a lawsuit and notable deficiencies in the toll collection software provided by ETAN Tolling Technology, which has been dysfunctional for years, Deputy CEO Ray Major has been assigned to spearhead the rectification process. Relieving the Chief Financial Officer of these duties, SANDAG leadership has made it so that Major's two decades of experience in software systems are expected to play a crucial role in this transition. This was announced following an acknowledgment by long-standing CFO Andre Douzdjian that over $8 million had been sunk into faulty software, with even more funds and contract extensions channeled to ETAN and consultant firm HNTB despite knowledge of the software's inadequacies, a fact pointed out by the San Diego Union-Tribune.
To aid fretful drivers, a bolstered SANDAG Customer Service Center is set to provide improved assistance to ensure that billing concerns are promptly addressed, with contact options widened to include phone support, email, and an in-person venue. "Ensuring the public's trust is paramount," Chairwoman Vargas stated, emphasizing the gravity with which the board regards the matter and the proactive pursuit of solutions, including an inquiry conducted by the new Independent Performance Auditor.
In what has been described as an agitated public session, SANDAG officials faced heated criticisms over the protracted toll system issues affecting the 10-mile South Bay Expressway corridor. Precipitating a wrongful termination lawsuit from former finance director Lauren Warrem, who alleged being let go after voicing concerns about the system's repair viability—a claim emerging amid CEO Hasan Ikhrata's impending departure, scheduled for the year's end. Vargas has avowed that "We understand that we have a fiduciary responsibility to the community to get this right and we have a plan to do so." These were sentiments echoed in the aftermath of internal audit findings hinting at the agency’s deviation from contracting protocols, unchecked engagements, and lackluster monitoring of vast expenditures, all of which had been illuminated in reports by the Office of the Independent Performance Auditor.
