RiverLink names new toll service provider in effort to improve customer service

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Officials in Kentucky and Indiana named a new toll service provider for the RiverLink tolling system on Wednesday.

TransCore currently provides roadside service, and will now "oversee back-office services under a new contract," according to a news release from RiverLink. Services include image review, invoicing and customer service centers — including walk-up centers in both states and a local customer service call center.

TransCore's new six-year, $146 million contract is slated to start in February so the transition to the new provider can begin. RiverLink said the transition process is lengthy, and includes "complex data migration, robust testing with numerous partners, and many other quality control measures."

Officials said the contract, which runs through September 2031 with a possible three-year extension, includes funding for the initial implementation of the new system, as well as operations and maintenance costs.

Once that contract is approved, RiverLink expects the new provider to go live in less than two years.

"This is a move that makes sense," Matt Fulkerson, tolling operations director for the Indiana Department of Transportation, said in a news release. "TransCore has consistently delivered excellence since joining the RiverLink project in 2023, and we're looking forward to that same standard being delivered with invoicing and customer service."

The Joint Board for the Louisville-Southern Indiana Ohio River Bridges Project approved the change Sept. 22 as both states invest additional dollars to ensure reliable customer service during the transition.

RiverLink said previously it was searching for a new provider because its current provider, Electronic Transaction Consultants, had been having trouble "providing reliable customer service and meeting expectations."

ETC became the toll service provider under contract in July 2021 and started providing services in September 2023.

"We've taken action to identify our next provider early to help ensure a smooth transition," Amanda Spencer, assistant state highway engineer for the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet, said in a news release. "We'll work closely with ETC and TransCore to ensure the process is seamless and that customers see real improvements with the new provider."

Leaders said a smooth transition ensures the toll revenue that pays for the Bridges Project "is protected."

With more than 25 years of tolling account management experience, officials said they expect TransCore to "deliver improved and consistent service" for customers.

Since ETC took over last September, the Better Business Bureau's Louisville area office has logged 65 complaints, or roughly 28% of all toll-related complaints over the past three years, according to previous WDRB reporting. There were six complaints filed with Kentucky Attorney General Coleman's office and six sent to Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita's office as of late last year.

Officials said ETC will remain in its current role until TransCore assumes responsibilities.

Tolls have been in place since late 2016 on three bridges connecting Louisville and Clark County, Indiana: the Interstate 65 Lincoln and Kennedy crossings, and the upriver Lewis and Clark Bridge.

Kentucky and Indiana officials agreed on the fees as part of the financing plan for the $2.3 billion Ohio River Bridges Project, which included the new Lincoln and Lewis and Clark bridges and a rebuilt Spaghetti Junction interchange near downtown Louisville.

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