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September 16, 2019
Wyoming develops open-source RSU monitoring app
A connected vehicle project in the US state of Wyoming has developed an open-source application to allow third parties to monitor safety along the I-80 highway. The Wyoming Department of Transportation (WYDoT) Connected Vehicle Pilot includes the deployment of 75 roadside units (RSUs) along 400 miles of I-80. WYDoT’s app allows authorised transportation management centre (TMC) operators to monitor and manage each RSU on the route – and can also be used to let the travelling public know what is happening.
September 16, 2019
Inrix: micromobility could replace half of US metro car trips
Nearly 50% of all car trips in the most congested US metropolitan areas are less than three miles and could be replaced by micromobility services, says Inrix. The company analysed data points from connected devices to rank the top US, UK and German cities where micromobility services (shared bikes, electric bikes and electric scooters) could have the most significant impact on replacing vehicle trips. Findings from the National Association of City Transportation Officials estimated that scooters are
September 13, 2019
TomTom enters partnership to update HD Map
TomTom has partnered with Hella Algaia, a supplier of computer vision software, to update its high definition (HD) map in real-time using crowdsourced data from vehicles.
September 13, 2019
NACTO releases ‘blueprint’ for AVs in cities
Autonomous vehicles (AVs) must be part of future transport policies which prioritise efficiency and fairness, according to senior transport executives in the US and Canada. The second edition of the National Association of City Transportation Officials (NACTO)’s Blueprint for Autonomous Urbanism sets out what it calls “the concrete steps that will need to be taken to ensure an equitable, people-first city”. NACTO is a collection of 81 North American cities and transit agencies which exchange ideas and coo
September 13, 2019
UK organisations disagree on smart motorway ‘dangers’
A spat over how dangerous the UK’s all lane running (ALR) or ‘smart’ motorways are has broken out between Highways England and a leading motoring organisation. Smart motorways do not have hard shoulders, instead relying on emergency areas at intervals to provide refuge for stranded motorists. The AA recently highlighted Stationary Vehicle Detection, a Highways England report published in March 2016, which looks at how long it takes to identify a vehicle broken down in a live lane of smart motorway when s
September 13, 2019
‘Quarter of crashes’ caused by distraction, says FIA Region 2
FIA Region 2 has warned that a driver only has to be distracted for two seconds to cause a crash. The FIA’s data suggests that to 25% of road crashes are due to distraction, with up to 30% of total driving time spent on distracting activities. Commissioner Violetta Bulc, European Commissioner for Transport, recently warned against distraction caused by using mobile phones. She said: “Distraction from mobile devices has become one of the top crash factors. Reports show it has even overtaken speed and alc
September 12, 2019
Kerb bolsters parking app in UK and Ireland
Kerb has partnered with parking service provider Q-Park in a move which adds 63 car parks in the UK and 17 in Ireland to its app.
September 12, 2019
Bombardier supplies 30 trams to DVB in Germany
Bombardier Transportation is to supply 30 trams to German transport authority Dresdner Verkehrsbetriebe (DVB) in a €197 million deal. Bombardier says the Flexity trams come with obstacle detection and assistance systems and can carry up to 290 passengers – a 10% increase in capacity. Andreas Hemmersbach, DVB's board member for finance and technology, says: "We urgently need the new light rail vehicles, which provide larger capacity, in order to offer sufficient space for the rapidly growing number of ou
September 12, 2019
Curiosity Lab enters partnership on AV research
A US transport research organisation has partnered with the Georgia Institute of Technology and Delta Airlines to advance autonomous vehicle (AV) and infrastructure research. Curiosity Lab at Peachtree Corners is a 5G-enabled autonomous vehicle (AV) test bed with a 1.5 mile AV track. The deal will provide Georgia Tech researchers with access to Curiosity Lab’s test track and laboratory. The lab features dedicated fibre, smart poles and a network operations centre for researchers to track data from connecte
September 12, 2019
Zenzic identifies ‘golden threads’ to accelerate AV roll-out
A UK organisation has identified 500 ‘milestones’ to be passed in order to get connected and autonomous vehicles (C/AVs) on the road in numbers by 2030. Zenzic, which was set up by government and industry to coordinate a national platform for testing and developing C/AVs, has launched the UK Connected and Automated Mobility Roadmap to 2030. It identifies six ‘golden threads’ which highlight areas dependent on cross-industry collaboration to make self-driving services accessible to the public by the end of
September 11, 2019
Wini unveils dispatch software for Columbus taxis
Wini Technologies has launched Winicabs, an automated dispatch software which it says unites taxis under one app in the city of Columbus, Ohio. Beyene Gola, president of the Independent Taxicab Association of Columbus, says: "Taxi companies have historically been spread across the city with no easy way to connect.” Wini Technologies, an Irish technology start-up, says riders can hail the closest driver, track their rides, book trips in advance and pay fares through the app, money or credit card. Riders
September 11, 2019
Moscow to implement zero-emission area by 2030
The government of Moscow intends to establish an area within the Russian capital that is free from exhaust gases by 2030. By signing the C40 Green and Healthy Streets Declaration, the city says it will seek to improve public spaces, urban parks and streets, public transport and bicycle infrastructure and buy only electric buses from 2025. The C40 Climate Leadership Group is a network of cities committed to addressing climate change and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Mark Watts, C40 executive dire
September 11, 2019
Congestion could cost Australian cities $40bn by 2030, says minister
Australian state capitals are paying $25 billion per year on avoidable congestion - and could end up paying $40bn by 2030 unless there is a policy change. That is the stark warning from Alan Tudge, federal minister of population, cities and urban infrastructure, who spoke at Australia’s seventh ITS Summit. Discussing how ITS technologies can help solve gridlock, he described some of the projects which fall under the Australian government’s $100bn programme of transport infrastructure expenditure – suc
September 11, 2019
Washington Post game highlights AV flaws
Mind the kangaroos! That is among the more surprising suggestions in a new entertainment which purports to illustrate the pitfalls of autonomous vehicles (AVs). US media giant The Washington Post has created a short interactive game which “shows readers how autonomous cars function and breaks down the technology to educate viewers about their limitations and challenges”. These include sensor blind spots and confusion over what other road users are about to do. The five-minute game takes the form of a jou
September 10, 2019
NOCoE opens submissions for TSMO Awards
The US National Operations Center of Excellence (NOCoE) is accepting submissions for the second Transportation Systems Management and Operations (TSMO) Awards. The TSMO awards celebrate transportation management and operations that save lives, time and money. Judges will select a winner and runner-up from the following: •Best TSMO Project (Creative Solution) – A successful project, planning or response to a specific event, or other improvement for safety, congestion and/or travel time reliability. Thes