Along an 18-mile corridor in Tampa, the quiet machinery of daily commuting is being reimagined. TransCore, extending a partnership nearly two decades old, has been chosen to replace the Tampa-Hillsborough Expressway Authority's aging toll infrastructure with an AI-driven platform capable of detecting, classifying, and billing vehicles with minimal human involvement. The project speaks to a broader truth about modern infrastructure: the roads we build must eventually be rebuilt not in asphalt, but in intelligence.
TransCore Wins Contract to Modernize Tampa's Toll Collection System
Better visibility into what's happening across its toll collection network in real time
Mark
Why does a toll authority need to replace its entire roadside system now? Isn't the old one still working?
Mimi
It is, but aging infrastructure becomes a liability. Equipment fails more often, requires more maintenance, and can't handle the data demands of modern operations. THEA needs visibility into what's happening across 18 toll zones in real time. The old system wasn't built for that.
Mark
So this is really about data and automation, not just replacing broken equipment?
Mimi
Exactly. The new system uses AI and machine vision to detect and track vehicles automatically, create transactions without human intervention, and give THEA staff instant insight into performance. It's a different kind of toll collection.
Mark
What's the SmartPass piece? That sounds like it's about something beyond just collecting tolls.
Mimi
It is. SmartPass enables credential-based tolling and expanded account management. THEA is thinking ahead about how tolling might evolve—maybe integrated with other mobility services, maybe with different payment options. The new system is built flexible enough to support those possibilities.
Mark
Why does the timing with the capacity expansion matter so much?
Mimi
Because you can't easily retrofit tolling infrastructure into new lanes after they're built. By coordinating the deployment with the roadway expansion, TransCore and THEA ensure that new lanes have tolling equipment from day one, and the whole system stays synchronized. It's cleaner operationally.
Mark
This partnership has lasted nearly twenty years. What does that longevity suggest?
Mimi
It suggests TransCore has delivered on its promises and understands THEA's specific needs. When you're modernizing critical infrastructure, that institutional knowledge matters. You're not starting from scratch with a new vendor; you're building on a foundation that's already proven.
Le Pouls
- THEA's existing toll equipment has aged past its reliable performance window, creating operational blind spots across 18 collection zones on the Selmon Expressway.
- TransCore's VCATS platform — powered by machine vision, license plate recognition, and AI — will automate vehicle tracking and toll transactions, sharply reducing the need for manual intervention.
- The upgrade must be carefully synchronized with THEA's simultaneous roadway expansion, ensuring new lanes come online with tolling infrastructure already in place rather than scrambling to catch up.
- SmartPass credential-based tolling is being woven into the new system, giving THEA the flexibility to adapt its collection model as transportation habits and policy priorities evolve.
- For daily commuters, the transition promises faster processing and fewer bottlenecks; for THEA, it means real-time network visibility and lower operational overhead for years to come.
Along an 18-mile corridor in Tampa, the quiet machinery of daily commuting is being reimagined. TransCore, extending a partnership nearly two decades old, has been chosen to replace the Tampa-Hillsborough Expressway Authority's aging toll infrastructure with an AI-driven platform capable of detecting, classifying, and billing vehicles with minimal human involvement. The project speaks to a broader truth about modern infrastructure: the roads we build must eventually be rebuilt not in asphalt, but in intelligence.
The Selmon Expressway, an 18-mile artery through the Tampa-Hillsborough region, is undergoing a full technological overhaul. TransCore — a Nashville-based tolling systems company — has been selected to replace aging roadside infrastructure across 18 toll zones, extending a partnership with the Tampa-Hillsborough Expressway Authority that spans nearly two decades.
At the heart of the modernization is VCATS, TransCore's Vehicle Capture and Tracking System. Built on machine vision and artificial intelligence, it continuously detects and classifies vehicles as they move through the corridor, generating toll transactions automatically through integrated license plate recognition — with little need for human oversight.
The upgrade serves two immediate purposes for THEA: retiring equipment that has outlived its optimal performance window, and gaining real-time visibility across the entire toll network. The new platform consolidates operational data in ways the legacy system never could, enabling staff to monitor performance and respond to problems far more quickly.
Looking further ahead, TransCore's SmartPass capability introduces credential-based tolling and expanded account management, positioning THEA to adapt as transportation needs shift over time. The system is designed not just for today's operations, but for whatever comes next.
Timing adds another layer of complexity. THEA is simultaneously expanding the expressway's lane capacity, and TransCore's deployment is being coordinated with that construction — ensuring new tolling equipment is ready as each new lane comes online. The synchronization is deliberate, meant to prevent the disruption that would arise from upgrading roads and tolling systems on separate schedules.
TransCore President and CEO Whitt Hall described the selection as a continuation of earned trust, noting that nearly twenty years of institutional knowledge makes the company uniquely suited to modernize infrastructure that thousands of commuters depend on daily. The project is now underway, and the expressway will transition gradually toward a system built to carry it through the next decade.
The Selmon Expressway, an 18-mile corridor threading through the Tampa-Hillsborough area, is getting a technological overhaul. TransCore, a tolling systems company based in Nashville, has been selected to replace the aging roadside infrastructure that collects tolls across 18 zones along the expressway. The contract extends a partnership between TransCore and the Tampa-Hillsborough Expressway Authority that has now lasted nearly two decades.
The modernization project amounts to a full lifecycle replacement of THEA's existing toll collection equipment. What's being installed is TransCore's next-generation platform, built around machine vision and artificial intelligence. The system, called VCATS (Vehicle Capture and Tracking System), is designed to detect vehicles as they move through the tolling corridor and track them continuously. Using integrated license plate recognition and vehicle classification technology, it creates toll transactions automatically, with minimal human intervention required.
For THEA, the upgrade addresses two immediate needs. First, it replaces infrastructure that has aged beyond its optimal performance window. Second, it gives the Authority significantly better visibility into what's happening across its toll collection network in real time. The new platform consolidates data and operational insights in ways the older system could not, allowing THEA staff to monitor performance, identify problems, and respond more quickly when issues arise.
But the contract is also forward-looking. TransCore's SmartPass capability, which will be integrated into the new system, enables credential-based tolling and expanded account management options. This flexibility matters because THEA is evaluating how its toll collection operations might evolve as transportation needs change. The modernized platform is intentionally designed to support current operations while remaining adaptable as the Authority's priorities shift.
Timing is important here. THEA is simultaneously undertaking roadway capacity improvement projects that will add new lanes to the expressway. TransCore's deployment will coordinate with these construction efforts, installing new roadside tolling equipment on the lanes being added. This synchronization helps THEA maintain consistent toll collection operations as additional capacity comes online, avoiding the disruption that might occur if tolling infrastructure were upgraded separately from the roadway expansion.
Whitt Hall, TransCore's President and CEO, framed the selection as a continuation of established trust. "THEA has been a valued customer for nearly two decades, and we are honored by the opportunity to continue supporting its mission," he said. The language reflects a relationship built on proven performance and institutional knowledge. TransCore's team understands THEA's operations in detail, which matters when modernizing critical infrastructure that affects thousands of daily commuters.
The contract represents a broader industry shift toward automated, AI-powered toll collection. Systems like VCATS reduce the need for manual toll booth operations and human error in vehicle identification and billing. For THEA, the modernization means lower operational overhead, faster transaction processing, and better data for planning and management. For drivers, it typically means faster toll processing and fewer delays at collection points.
The project is now underway, with deployment coordinated around THEA's capacity expansion timeline. The expressway will gradually transition from its aging infrastructure to a system built for the next decade or more of operations.
Citations marquantes
THEA has been a valued customer for nearly two decades, and we are honored by the opportunity to continue supporting its mission.— Whitt Hall, President and CEO of TransCore
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