Skip to main content

Siemens technology supports UK’s first connected road test environment

Intelligent traffic systems company Siemens has begun working on its latest Connected and Autonomous Vehicles (CAV) project, in a collaborative partnership to create one of the most advanced environments for CAV technologies in the UK. Together with nine other consortium members, the UK Connected Intelligent Transport Environment (UK CITE) project will see trials on UK roads as early as next year, following a successful application for funding from the Government’s US%$144 million (£100 million) Intelli
June 2, 2016 Read time: 2 mins
RSSIntelligent traffic systems company 189 Siemens has begun working on its latest Connected and Autonomous Vehicles (CAV) project, in a collaborative partnership to create one of the most advanced environments for CAV technologies in the UK.

Together with nine other consortium members, the UK Connected Intelligent Transport Environment (UK CITE) project will see trials on UK roads as early as next year, following a successful application for funding from the Government’s US%$144 million (£100 million) Intelligent Mobility Fund.

The project aims to enable automotive, infrastructure and service companies to trial connected vehicle technologies in real-life conditions on 40 miles of roads within Coventry and Warwickshire, using combinations of DSRC and LTE talking car technologies to compare their performance.

Siemens will develop, supply and install roadside units which will communicate with the vehicles and the traffic infrastructure. Siemens Stratos hosted traffic management system will be used as the back office for all communications to and from the vehicles.  This technology will help to prove use cases that will establish how technology can improve journeys, reduce traffic congestion and provide in-vehicle entertainment and safety services through better connectivity.

The UK CITE consortium comprises leading industry, academic, local and national governmental organisations. It is jointly led by 2165 Visteon Engineering Services Limited and 7998 Jaguar Land Rover and includes Coventry City Council, Coventry University, 8101 Highways England, HORIBA 4310 MIRA, 6787 Huawei Technologies (UK), Siemens, Vodafone Group Services and WMG at University of Warwick.

The first phase of the project will continue until the end of 2016 and will include the preparation of infrastructure on routes along the M40, M42, A46, and A45 – as well as an urban route in Coventry – and the preparation of a Vehicle, Systems and Gantry App, which will ensure variable roadside messages appear in-vehicle, either on the vehicle display or smartphone. Finally, pre-test trials will take place on HORIBA MIRA’s City Circuit, following which trials are likely to start on public roads as early as 2017.

Related Content

  • June 20, 2016
    Thales builds on Canadian connection for transit R&D
    The Canadian province of Ontario is continuing to benefit from its ongoing investment in transit R&D. David Crawford looks at the impact of new investment. Developing the next generation of urban rail signalling solutions worldwide, with the emphasis on transit security and efficiency, is the goal of a recently-created business partnership between the government of the Canadian province of Ontario and Thales Canada. The wholly-owned subsidiary of the France-HQ'd global defence, aerospace and transportation
  • January 10, 2014
    The sunshine subsidy for Colorado’s tollways
    David Crawford reports on energy cost cutting on US highways. Just over a year after switch-on and with two global awards under its belt, the longest solar-powered toll road in the US is generating heightened interest in highway applications of alternative energy. The E-407, which loops around the eastern perimeter of the Denver metropolitan area in Colorado, won the International Bridge, Tunnel and Turnpike Association (IBTTA) President’s Overall Award for Excellence at its September 2013 Annual Meeting in
  • December 10, 2018
    UK’s Loughborough University attempts to smooth Europe’s path to C/AVs
    Loughborough University in the UK is leading a three-year initiative which aims to assess the impact of introducing connected and autonomous vehicles (C/AVs) in Europe. The £5.7m project, called Levitate, is funded by the European Union and will help European cities to plan for the effect C/AVs will have on infrastructure and society. Levitate began this month and will consider how AVs might improve safety, congestion and the environment, while looking at key policy decisions which would maximise thei
  • October 17, 2018
    Inrix’s platform for HAV testing
    Inrix says its new platform will help cities and road authorities communicate with operators for safe deployment of highly automated vehicles (HAVs) on public roads. Called AV Road Rules, the solution will allow users to validate and manage traffic rules and restrictions for these vehicles. The platform also creates a channel to communicate road infrastructure needs from HAVs back to transportation agencies to improve safety. The company says the solution will allow cities and road authorities to