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GIS/ Mapping & Location Based Systems

November 13, 2015
UK regions to be offered legal powers to transform transport
UK government plans to give the regions new powers to transform transport in their areas took a major step forward this week with the publication of proposals in Parliament. As part of the government’s drive to deliver economic growth across the country, including the creation of a Northern Powerhouse and Midlands Engine, organisations like Transport for the North (TfN) are now closer to becoming statutory bodies. The legal powers and duties being offered as part of this commitment to devolution will
November 12, 2015
Forum8 appoints new partner in Portugal
Japanese 3D VR simulation specialist Forum8 has appointed a new member of their growing network of partners worldwide. CR&M of Lisbon, Portugal is the latest sales and distribution partner for Forum8’s real-time interactive 3D VR simulation and modelling software VR-Design Studio. CR&M specialises in the provision of the latest driving simulation technology with particular emphasis on driver training and human factors research. The agreement enables CR&M to market and sell any of the large selection o
November 11, 2015
CRASH Predicts ‘unpredictable’ in traffic incidents
Road crashes are not as random as they may appear and analysing data can reveal patterns that can help various authorities target their resources more accurately. David Crawford reports. Figures from the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) show that in 2013 there were 32,719 people killed on American roads and 2.31 million injured. While these form part of an overall 25% drop over the decade from 2004, US Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx continues to stress that reaching the procl
October 22, 2015
LowCVP calls on truck operators and others to focus on cutting truck emissions
To coincide with its participation in the new Freight in the City event on 27 October, the LowCVP is calling on fleet operators, local authorities and others to join forces in building the market for heavy goods vehicles which cut carbon, reduce emissions and lower fuel costs. In earlier research, the LowCVP has identified three main opportunities for cutting emissions from HGVs which pointed to the need for specific interventions: independent testing to validate the effectiveness of retrofit technology
October 19, 2015
PTV launches latest Visum 15 software
The new release of PTV’s transport planning software, PTV Visum 15, is said to set new standards in multimodality and allow even more sustainable transport planning. New functions available in the software include the ability to analyse the demand, quantity and placement of park and ride (P+R) sites, enabling users to evaluate existing and future capacities. To allow users to model cycle and vehicle route-planning, PTV has enhanced the stochastic assignment so that path-level impedance elements can now be r
October 15, 2015
PTV Group targets international expansion
The PTV Group has expanded its international business with the opening of a new branch in Sao Paulo, Brazil, to improve infrastructure usage of in the South American market through a local office. PTV, which has operations worldwide, including in Mexico City, Portland, Oregon and Arlington, Washington, sees the move as further strengthening its position in the American market. The group now has 14 branches and subsidiaries across five continents, and some 600 employees, generating a turnover of US$90
October 8, 2015
PTV Group retains TfL modelling software contract
PTV Group has been appointed as one of the framework contractors for three years to provide tactical and microsimulation operational modelling software to Transport for London (TfL). TfL uses PTV Visum operational software for the development of the Operational Network Evaluation (ONE) model, a tactical highway assignment model for London, said to be the largest of its type in the world. An earlier version of the ONE model, covering the central London road network, was successfully used for the operatio
September 25, 2015
Aimsun helps TfL retain detail in traffic modelling
Transport for London (TfL) has selected Transport Simulation Systems’ Aimsun modelling software following a lengthy evaluation. With London’s population predicted to reach 10million by 2030, the authority needed to increase its modelled area by a factor of 10 to more than 2,300km2 along with improved cyclist, pedestrian and air quality predictions. For a market assessment it divided its modelling requirements into three categories: tactical - for city wide policy evaluation, micro-simulation for modelli
September 10, 2015
UK council awards highways asset management contract
Norfolk County Council has awarded a five year, US$770,000 contract to highways asset management software provider Yotta. The deal includes Internet hosted versions of Mayrise highways and street works software, as well as Yotta’s visualised asset management platform, Horizons. The contract also includes multi-platform support for mobile devices as well as integration with the Council’s customer relationship management (CRM), finance system and third party contractor works management system. The Mayrise
August 3, 2015
Electric buses: more billion dollar orders
China will spend up to one trillion dollars on electric buses over the coming 15 years according to analysts IDTechEx. This will reduce the impact of over 22.5 trillion dollars from air pollution over that time, at least one percent of GDP. More insurrection will occur if corrective action is insufficient because hundreds of thousands are dying from traffic pollution and far more are suffering resultant serious disease. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), outdoor air pollution caused 3.7 m