Draft:James J. Eden

James J. Eden is the co-founder of E-ZPass the electronic tolling system utilized by 19 states. Eden graduated from Scranton Technical High School in 1970 and later Ryder Technical Institute in Allentown, PA.

Upon graduation from Ryder, Eden took a job working as a technician for Syntonic Technology which maintained Pennsylvania Turnpike toll booths. The Pennsylvania Turnpike hired him as an assistant engineer in 1986 and he managed the design and implementation of the awarding-winning Intelligent Transportation Solutions  and electronic tolling systems. At a conference in Boston, Eden and colleagues from New York and New Jersey discussed ways to effectively move traffic which led to their founding of the E-ZPass IAG (Interagency Group), a consortium of state transportation-related agencies operating tolls in 1988. Eden played a pioneering role in the development of the largest, most successful interoperable toll collection at E-ZPass IAG and was responsible for writing the business rules and operating procedures for E-ZPass.

Eden is currently a Executive Director at North Carolina Turnpike Authority. Eden also founded the Alliance for Toll Innovation​ which advocates for the advancement of technology and simplification of toll collecting processes. He serves as the president and CEO.

In May 2023, Eden was inducted into the American Road & Transportation Builders Association (ARTBA) Foundation’s Transportation Development Hall of Fame .ARTBA reserves this honor for "individuals or families from the public and private sectors who have made extraordinary contributions to US transportation development during their careers".