Skip to main content

Florida takes the lead in advancing multistate tolling interoperability

Florida is one step closer to meeting national mandate for interoperability, with the announcement that the Florida Department of Transportation has entered into an agreement with Neology, a subsidiary of SMARTRAC Technology Group, for the patents associated with specific licensed products that offer the 6C protocol for electronic toll collection (ETC). “The licence provided through the agreement with Neology allows the Department to implement a variety of strategies to provide toll collection services,”
February 13, 2015 Read time: 2 mins

Florida is one step closer to meeting national mandate for interoperability, with the announcement that the 4503 Florida Department of Transportation has entered into an agreement with Neology, a subsidiary of 6370 SMARTRAC Technology Group, for the patents associated with specific licensed products that offer the 6C protocol for electronic toll collection (ETC).

“The licence provided through the agreement with Neology allows the Department to implement a variety of strategies to provide toll collection services,” said Florida Secretary of Transportation Jim Boxold. “The use of the 6C protocol will be managed by the Department’s tolling arm, the Florida’s Turnpike Enterprise.”

All Florida’s tolling agencies are already compatible; the Georgia State Road and Toll Authority (SRTA) also uses the 6C protocol ensuring SRTA and Florida are interoperable for ETC.

Florida’s Turnpike executive director Diane Gutierrez-Scaccetti said, “We also accommodate motorists from North Carolina and Georgia’s electronic systems, but there is a tremendous amount of back office work involved to make that happen. The new licensing agreement eliminates that in favour of a faster, more efficient and accurate real-time lane reader” she said. “This means that Florida is one step closer to welcoming travellers from states all around the country onto our system of tolled highways and bridges so they can enjoy their visit hassle-free.”

The International Bridge, Tunnel and Turnpike Association (63 IBTTA) has been coordinating discussions amongst US tolling agencies to determine the most effective way to implement national toll interoperability. “The work of the Florida Department of Transportation to secure this license puts Florida in a position to be interoperable with almost all protocols being used in the US today,” said Javier Rodriguez, executive director of the Miami-Dade Expressway Authority and the 2015 president of IBTTA.

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Wider uses for weigh in motion data
    March 18, 2014
    Colin Sowman talks to Terry Bergan of International Road Dynamics about the latest uses of weigh-in-motion systems. Raising allowable truck weight limits improve transport efficiency but leaves an ever-increasing number of bridges vulnerable to being overloaded and damaged by vehicles heavier, and in some cases far heavier, than they were designed to carry. The simplistic solution is to impose weight restrictions and erect appropriate signs - but this could have severe knock-on effect on trucking operations
  • HDR to bolster Florida’s C/AV efforts
    September 2, 2019
    Engineering firm HDR has been chosen by the Florida Department of Transportation (FDoT) to deploy and evaluate statewide investment in connected and autonomous vehicle (C/AV) technology. HDR will develop a business plan aimed at realising full-scale C/AV deployments. The company says it will also provide programme support, thought leadership and training for FDoT staff. Additionally, HDR is to serve as the prime construction engineering and inspection services consultant for Florida’s Turnpike Enter
  • ASECAP examines tolling during downturns
    September 22, 2014
    ASECAP debated the impact of the financial crises on Europe’s tolling companies and considered the future in diverse economies. Colin Sowman picks some of the highlights. This year ASECAP (Association Europeenne des Concessionnaires d’Autoroutes et d’Ouvrages a’ Peage, with members in 21 countries managing 46,000km of roadway) held its annual Study & Information Days in Athens, Greece – one of the country hardest hit by recent economic problems. While the theme of the conference, Ensuring Sustainability in
  • How does transit prepare for the next pandemic?
    November 30, 2020
    Covid-19 has taught us that once-in-a-generation events do actually happen sometimes. But Ronald E. Boénau suggests that transport agencies can prepare for the next pandemic - without exactly preparing for it at all…