Feds give $17M for pilot program

Federal transportation officials awarded the Tampa-Hillsborough Expressway Authority a $17 million contract to develop a pilot program aimed at making vehicular travel “safer, smarter and greener.”

The “connected vehicle” pilot will outfit cars, buses and even roadside equipment with technology to communicate traffic conditions. The U.S. Department of Transportation funding hopes to improve vehicle, pedestrian and cyclist safety; improve traffic flow; and reduce the emission of greenhouse gases.

“Tampa's emergence as an incubator for innovation and pursuit of innovative transportation solutions continues to be recognized,” says Tampa Mayor Bob Buckhorn.

Expressway Authority executive director Joe Waggoner says he believes the Lee Roy Selmon Expressway and Meridian Avenue to be “ideal settings” for the pilot.

In time, the pilot hopes to combine “connected vehicle” technology with cellular phone and “smart car” apps, track carbon emission reductions and adapt new and emerging technologies with existing transportation systems and infrastructure, officials note.