CABA Virtual Lunch & Learn - Joe Waggoner: Tolling in Tampa Bay, Who is THEA

Description

Our Guest speaker for the Lunch and Learn Tuesday 6/22 is Joe Waggoner the Executive Director, and CEO of the Tampa Hillsborough Expressway Authority.
Waggoner is an internationally recognized thought leader with over four decades of public sector experience in a variety of transportation modes within the transportation industry. He and THEA are committed to bringing the best technology and progressive concepts possible to address our transportation challenges.

THEA’s forward-thinking approach to find solutions to regional congestion first brought the agency international recognition with the opening of The Reversible Express Lanes (REL).  That project attracted transportation leaders from around the world, won dozens of awards, and has been replicated at other locations in Florida and Georgia. 

 Joe will be discussing:

• Tolling in Florida / Tampa Bay
• Who is THEA
• Recent Studies
• Upcoming Projects

Bio for Joe Waggoner

Joe Waggoner is the Executive Director, and CEO of the Tampa Hillsborough Expressway Authority (THEA) - a dynamic transportation agency that owns, manages and operates the Selmon Expressway. The Selmon Expressway serves 1.8 Million customers. Those customers make over 58 million transactions each year on the Selmon Expressway. 

Waggoner is an internationally recognized thought leader with over four decades of public sector experience in a variety of transportation modes within the transportation industry. He and THEA are committed to bringing the best technology and progressive concepts possible to address our transportation challenges.

THEA’s forward-thinking approach to find solutions to regional congestion first brought the agency international recognition with the opening of The Reversible Express Lanes (REL).  That project attracted transportation leaders from around the world, won dozens of awards, and has been replicated at other locations in Florida and Georgia.  

Under Waggoner’s leadership, the Selmon Expressway converted to an All-Electronic Tolling System, making it the first expressway in Florida to be entirely electronic. More recently THEA was awarded a grant from the USDOT to implement a $22 million Connected Vehicle Pilot Project that allows vehicles and infrastructure to communicate for delivery of a safer and more efficient travel experience for all modes of travel. That project was recently inducted into the ITS World Congress Hall of Fame as the 2019 Americas Winner.  The ITS Hall of Fame was created to recognize luminaries and true thought leaders in the ITS field. 

Waggoner’s sound fiscal leadership strategies have helped the agency to become a top-ranked credit performer. During his tenure THEA has risen 3-steps on national bond rating scales. This achievement has placed THEA in a sound financial position to deliver over $1.2 Billion worth of capital improvements to the Selmon Expressway over the next 10-years. 

Waggoner has built a legacy of organizational leadership, fiscal acumen, and innovation throughout his distinguished career. This provides him with a broad perspective on crucial issues in transportation and how they can be addressed.