2026 IBTTA Global Tolling Summit

2026 IBTTA - Montreal

30th September 2026 - Alistair Gollop for ITS Now

The IBTTA Global Tolling Summit in Montreal arrived at a moment when the tolling and road-user charging community is grappling with profound shifts in how mobility is financed, managed, and secured. Montreal’s blend of historic streets, modern infrastructure, and a strong culture of innovation provided a fitting backdrop for a gathering focused on the future of smart road charging, digital mobility strategies, and the evolution of tolling infrastructure. The conversations unfolding across the Summit reflected a sector that is no longer simply refining established systems, but actively reimagining how roads, data, and users interact in a digital-first transport landscape.

The tone for the event was set by a clear emphasis on resilience and risk management. Infrastructure operators are facing a widening spectrum of threats, from cyberattacks to extreme weather events and shifting political priorities. A session on global risks highlighted how agencies are reassessing vulnerabilities with new urgency, recognising that digitalisation brings both opportunity and exposure. Speakers explored the implications of cyber threats targeting tolling systems, the operational disruptions caused by severe storms, and the political turbulence surrounding user-pays and polluter-pays principles. These discussions underscored the reality that modern tolling infrastructure must be robust not only in its physical form but also in its digital architecture.

Montreal’s Summit also showcased how international perspectives are shaping the next generation of tolling policy. European operators described the political headwinds facing road-user charging, particularly as governments weigh environmental imperatives against public acceptance. North American agencies offered insights into congestion pricing, with New York City’s system providing a case study in how urban tolling can be used to manage demand and support sustainable mobility. The global nature of the Summit allowed delegates to compare approaches, revealing both shared challenges and region-specific strategies.

Technology innovation formed a central thread throughout the event. A session on global market hotspots explored how AI-powered tolling systems, automation, and next-generation road pricing models are moving from concept to deployment. Speakers noted that the most significant shifts in tolling may already be underway, even if they are not yet visible in every market. The discussion focused on how operators are modernising enforcement, upgrading roadside infrastructure, and improving customer interactions through digital platforms. These developments point toward a future where tolling becomes increasingly seamless, with intelligent systems handling classification, detection, and payment in real time.

The Summit’s agenda also highlighted the growing importance of integrated mobility platforms. Agencies and technology providers are moving beyond point solutions, recognising that the future of ITS lies in systems capable of orchestrating multiple modes, data streams, and operational functions. A session on integrated mobility explored how platforms can unify tolling, traffic management, and user engagement, creating a more coherent experience for travellers and more efficient operations for agencies. This shift reflects a broader trend across the ITS sector with the move from siloed systems to interoperable, data-driven mobility ecosystems.

Canadian perspectives on governance, financing, and resilience added further depth to the Summit’s discussions. Speakers from Transport Canada and Québec’s transport ministry examined how national and provincial policies are shaping the future of road infrastructure. Their insights revealed a strong focus on sustainable mobility, long-term resilience, and the need for financing models that can support both maintenance and innovation. Canada’s approach to smart mobility, with its emphasis on integrated planning and digital readiness, provided valuable lessons for international delegates seeking to modernise their own networks.

The Summit’s technical tours reinforced the importance of operational excellence. Delegates visiting Highway 407 ETR in Toronto during the pre-summit events programme, were able to see firsthand how advanced tolling systems and data-driven operations can deliver high levels of reliability and customer satisfaction. The tour showcased how mature tolling networks are leveraging digital tools to optimise performance, demonstrating that innovation is not limited to new projects but can also enhance long-established infrastructure.

Montreal itself played a role in shaping the event’s atmosphere. The city’s transport landscape, with its mix of expressways, tunnels, and multimodal corridors, reflects many of the challenges facing global mobility networks. Delegates were encouraged to explore the city through organised tours, providing opportunities to observe how urban design, public transport, and road infrastructure intersect. These experiences helped contextualise the Summit’s discussions, grounding abstract concepts in real-world mobility environments.

Across the Summit, one theme emerged repeatedly, that the future of tolling is inseparable from the future of digital mobility. Smart road charging is evolving beyond traditional toll collection, becoming a tool for managing demand, supporting sustainability, and enabling more equitable transport systems. Digital mobility strategies are increasingly central to how agencies plan, operate, and communicate, with data serving as the connective tissue linking infrastructure, vehicles, and users. Tolling infrastructure itself is undergoing transformation, shifting toward lighter, more intelligent systems that minimise physical footprint while maximising digital capability.

The discussions in Montreal revealed a sector that is both ambitious and pragmatic. Operators recognise the need to innovate, but they also understand the importance of resilience, public trust, and operational reliability. The Summit’s blend of technical insight, policy debate, and international collaboration reflected a community committed to shaping mobility systems that are smarter, safer, and more sustainable.

The Summit was also marked by a significant moment of international collaboration as IBTTA formalised a new Memorandum of Understanding with PIARC, the World Road Association. The agreement signals a deliberate step toward deeper global cooperation on the future of road pricing, sustainability, and digitally enabled mobility networks. It creates a structured pathway for sharing technical expertise between tolling specialists and the wider road community, bringing together knowledge on funding models, operational resilience, and the digital transformation of road infrastructure. The MoU reflects a growing recognition that smart road charging cannot evolve in isolation, it depends on coordinated thinking across borders, disciplines, and transport modes. By linking IBTTA’s tolling and user-charging expertise with PIARC’s broad international road network, the partnership promises to accelerate the development of sustainable, data-driven mobility strategies that can support the next generation of ITS and road management systems.

The IBTTA Global Tolling Summit offered a clear view of where the tolling and ITS sectors are heading. Smart road charging is becoming more dynamic and data-driven. Digital mobility strategies are expanding beyond apps and dashboards to encompass integrated platforms capable of managing entire networks. Tolling infrastructure is becoming more intelligent, more resilient, and more aligned with broader mobility goals.

Montreal’s Summit demonstrated that the future of tolling will be defined not only by technology, but by the ability of agencies, operators, and innovators to work together across borders and disciplines. The conversations and insights shared across the event will shape the next generation of mobility systems, ensuring that roads remain not just conduits for travel, but active participants in a connected, digital transport ecosystem.