Skip to main content

Adding intelligence to transportation

Restarting city transportation systems following a natural disaster can take time. The impact of a storm cannot be predicted, but transportation systems and fleets of vehicles with embedded intelligence can provide the knowledge needed to get up and running faster. Machine to machine (M2M) technology can help collect and process information to better monitor and manage transportation systems on an ongoing basis. In the event of a disaster, technology could provide cities with critical data about bridges, r
November 6, 2012 Read time: 2 mins
Restarting city transportation systems following a natural disaster can take time. The impact of a storm cannot be predicted, but transportation systems and fleets of vehicles with embedded intelligence can provide the knowledge needed to get up and running faster.

Machine to machine (M2M) technology can help collect and process information to better monitor and manage transportation systems on an ongoing basis. In the event of a disaster, technology could provide cities with critical data about bridges, roads, rail, and other public transit systems, alerting leaders where action needs to be taken.

According to a recent report, technology can go even further, providing passengers with information about delays. A recent report suggests the penetration of on-board computer units with GPS and wireless communication in buses and trams will increase. With a smartphone, travelers can receive instant information about the expected arrival time of the public-transit system.

The report, from 6817 Global Information, says the use of technology in buses and trams will increase from 40 per cent in 2011 to 56.1 per cent in 2016. Also, as a whole, ITS is expected to grow at an annual rate of 15%, reaching US$1.9 billion by 2016 in Europe alone.

ITS is also likely to see a some growth in the United States as well.  MAP-21 (Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century) provides funds for states to develop and implement an asset-management plan and grants to accelerate the use of ITS.

Aside from developments in the public sector, the private commercial vehicle telematics market is also set to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 9.09 per cent from 2011 to 2015, according to Global Information.

Related Content

  • New USDOT report points to need for more investment in highways, transit
    March 3, 2014
    US Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx has announced that a new report on the state of America's transportation infrastructure, 2013 Status of the Nation's Highways, Bridges and Transit: Conditions and Performance, confirms that more investment is needed to maintain and improve the nation's highway and transit systems. Last month, Secretary Foxx highlighted the need for transportation investment in a speech that took aim at America’s infrastructure deficit and identified ways to use innovation and improv
  • Cubic adds NextBus to solutions portfolio
    January 25, 2013
    Cubic Transportation Systems has broadened its portfolio of transportation solutions with the acquisition of NextBus from Webtech Wireless. The US-based integrator of payment and information technology and services for intelligent travel solutions says the acquisition also positions NextBus to accelerate its growth by leveraging Cubic's global presence and customer base. NextBus is a software-as-a-service (SaaS) solution that accurate, real-time arrival information for buses, subways and trains. The system
  • Transportation management market set to grow 12.3 per cent by 2019
    February 13, 2014
    MarketsandMarkets recently conducted a study on the Transportation Management Market [Transportation Management Systems, Fleet Management Solutions, Freight Audit & Payment, Route Planning & Optimisation, Managed Services, Business Services] - Global Advancements Market Forecasts and Analysis (2014 - 2019), which analysed and studied the major market drivers, restraints, and opportunities in North America, Europe, Middle East and Africa, Asia Pacific (including Japan), and Latin America. The study report
  • Road user charging comes a step closer in Oregon
    December 19, 2017
    Having been the first US state to introduce the gas tax a century ago, Oregon is now blazing the road user charging trail. Colin Sowman looks at progress to date. For more than a decade, authorities in Oregon have known of the impending decline in fuels tax income and while revenue increased by more than 5% in 2016, that growth will slow considerably this year and income is projected to start declining in 2020.