TransCore technology to broker toll merger

18 November 2003

TransCore  is to provide the radio frequency identification hardware that will enable Texan drivers to use two major toll road networks using just one tag.

Harris County Toll Road Authority (HCTRA) and the North Texas Tollway Authority (NTTA) have agreed to create user interoperability between their toll collection systems.

HCTRA's system has more than 1.2 million users in the Houston area while the NTTA system boasts more than 750,000 in the Dallas/Fort Worth area.

TransCore was the original supplier of technology for both systems. Now it is to deliver the hardware that will enable wireless toll transactions on either authority's roads.

The plan will enable seamless access across four major metropolitan toll roads covering hundreds of miles. It will also create a critical mass of two million plus motorists who use the same type of electronic technology.

The project has special significance in Texas where Governor Rick Perry has long-term plans for a trans-Texas Corridor and recent legislation has given extra momentum to toll road growth in the state.

As the toll-road network in Texas grows, interoperability will become a major issue for motorists who want use one tag to travel in many areas of the state.

"We view interoperability as the best way to create efficiency and maximise motorist convenience," says John Worthington, TransCore president and chief executive. "We've been fortunate enough to see wireless RFID growth spread internationally as well as in these two major Texas cities, enabling strong foundation for regional planning and cooperation to develop."

 

ITS Daily, Madrid

 

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