James “J.J.” Eden
If you have an E-Z Pass device on your windshield that expedites your toll booth trips, you have James “J.J.” Eden to thank. His passion for learning, innovating, and embracing modern technologies have made him a pioneer in the transportation and tolling industries for more than a half-century.
Eden’s career path included posts as assistant chief engineer with the Pennsylvania Turnpike Authority, head of Lockheed Martin’s electronic toll collection division, and the lead of transportation programs and services at AECOM. He is the current executive director of the North Carolina Turnpike Authority.
In 1988, he co-founded the Interagency Group, better known to motorists as E-Z Pass. He wrote the business rules and operating procedures for the group, which launched in 1990 in New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. Today, E-Z Pass is the world’s largest interoperable toll collection program, consisting of 45 agencies in 19 states, serving 49 million transponders, and collecting more than $14 billion annually in electronic toll revenues.
Eden’s future focus remains on developing innovations that will prepare transportation agencies and partners worldwide for connected vehicles, autonomous vehicles, cloud-based systems, and national interoperability.
