Skip to main content

Tampa Hillsborough Expressway Authority seeks volunteers to test CV technology

After nearly two years of planning, design and testing, the Tampa Hillsborough Expressway Authority (THEA) is now recruiting volunteer drivers and pedestrians for the Tampa Connected Vehicle (CV) Pilot. The pilot aims to demonstrate the safety, mobility and environmental benefits of connected vehicle technology. THEA expects to equip approximately 1,600 privately owned automobiles with connected vehicle technology by May 2018. Volunteers’ automobiles will be outfitted with devices that communicate other con
August 16, 2017 Read time: 2 mins
After nearly two years of planning, design and testing, the 7384 Tampa Hillsborough Expressway Authority (THEA) is now recruiting volunteer drivers and pedestrians for the Tampa Connected Vehicle (CV) Pilot.


The pilot aims to demonstrate the safety, mobility and environmental benefits of connected vehicle technology.

THEA expects to equip approximately 1,600 privately owned automobiles with connected vehicle technology by May 2018. Volunteers’ automobiles will be outfitted with devices that communicate other connected vehicles to help prevent crashes. The cars will also communicate with downtown traffic and pedestrian signals to enhance safety, improve traffic flow and even reduce emissions of greenhouse gases. Hillsborough Area Regional Transit (HART) will also equip 10 buses and 10 TECO Line streetcars with this technology.

Eligible participating drivers will receive a 30 per cent toll rebate on the Lee Roy Selmon Expressway Reversible Express Lanes (REL).

Drivers must be 18 years of age or older, have a Florida driver’s license, own a car that is a 1996 model or newer and drive regularly on the REL or in the downtown deployment area. Prospective participants must take the online pre-screening questionnaire on the pilot %$Linker: 2 External <?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-16"?><dictionary /> 0 0 0 oLinkExternal website false http://www.tampacvpilot.com/ false false%>to determine whether they are eligible.

Pedestrians will also be able to participate in the pilot by installing an app on their smartphones. The app, which is expected to be available for download in February 2018, will enable pedestrians to request a ‘walk’ signal at several intersections on Meridian Avenue. On some downtown streets, it will also issue an audible alert if a bus or streetcar is starting to move nearby.

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Uber suspended from resuming Arizona self-driving tests
    March 28, 2018
    Arizona’s state governor Doug Ducey has ordered officials to suspend Uber’s right to test autonomous vehicles on local roads pending the outcome of inquiries by national transport safety regulations – in a report from the BBC. It follows a letter that Ducey sent to the car-hailing company in which he stated that there had been an unquestionable failure to make safety the top priority.
  • IBM brings Smart Cities Initiative to São Paulo
    September 9, 2014
    IBM announced the opening of a new information control centre in São Paulo, Brazil, capturing, linking and unifying data from 19 TMCs across the state–an area that includes 4,000 miles of state highways serving a population of 20 million people in 271 cities.
  • ITS America declare Detroit as success
    October 24, 2014
    ITS America, organisers of the 2014 ITS World Congress in Detroit, has declared the event a great success with more than 9,100 participants, 700 papers and 300 exhibiters plus the most extensive set of demonstrations ever staged. The introduction of Chief Technology Officer sessions was considered a big success attracting almost 800 attendees.
  • New multi-modal signal system from Econolite
    August 11, 2014
    Econolite Group, partnering with the University of Arizona, has deployed a Multi-Modal Intelligent Traffic Signal System (MMITSS) – a connected vehicle research initiative sponsored by Arizona’s Maricopa County Department of Transportation SmartDrive Program and its partners.