News

MaaS America, a non-profit association founded to advance a model of Mobility as a Service (MaaS) in the US, has announced the members of its charter advisory committee. The MaaS America Advisory Committee (MAAC) is a volunteer group that will offer advice to MaaS America on matters ranging from association policies, programmes and events to communications and operation. MAAC members include: • Timothy J. McGuckin, founder, MaaS America • Randell H. Iwasaki, P.E., executive director, Contra Costa Tran

Siemens Mobility has opened an office in Michigan to support its ITS portfolio and deliver road transportation products and solutions. Marcus Welz, president of Siemens Mobility intelligent traffic systems in North America, says the office will allow the company to serve nearby customers and improve engagement with the automotive industry in Michigan. “As both the road infrastructure and automotive industry makes a shift towards an autonomous and connected future, it is important that we grow in lockst

Immense Solutions has secured $4.6 million to develop its ‘Simulation as a Service’ platform which it claims increases efficiencies for public authorities and mobility service providers. Software firm Immense says the solution uses simulation and artificial intelligence (AI) to improve how transport stakeholders make decisions about the movement of people and goods. It provides simulations of travellers, places and mobility systems that enable rapid operational understanding of how a city moves, the com

Bus manufacturer New Flyer of America has partnered with Robotic Research to develop driverless bus technology. The partners will deploy advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) in heavy-duty transit bus applications. New Flyer says the partnership supports the Federal Transit Administration’s plan to assess potential risks, barriers and mitigation strategies associated with the implementation of automation technologies in transit buses. Both companies will seek to develop an Xcelsior Charge battery-e

Cubic Transportation Systems (CTS) is to continue providing maintenance and technical support for the TAP regional fare programme in Los Angeles for five and a half years. The contract extension, valued at $68.2 million, is part of an agreement with the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (LAMetro). TAP, LAMetro’s contactless system that links 26 regional transit providers on a common contactless smart card, is being improved to include a mobile app to complement LAMetro’s cloud

Sick has launched a vehicle measurement system which it says enables accurate 3D profiling of vehicles across multiple lanes in free-flow traffic. The Free Flow Profiler is an all-weather system suitable for vehicle tolling and classification uses, especially in operations such as optimal weight loading of ferries or trains and for verifying vehicle dimensions to maximise revenue recovery, the company adds. During multi-lane, free road movement, Sick’s 2D Lidar sensors scan traffic and measure vehicle l

Transport for London (TfL) is to deploy 20 hydrogen double decker buses in London next year in a bid to improve air quality in the UK capital.

The National Association of City Transportation Officials (NACTO) has partnered with five US cities to accelerate the implementation of high-quality bike and transit corridors by 2020. This work is expected to help the cities of Atlanta, Boston, Denver, Minneapolis and Philadelphia meet or beat their near-term carbon reduction goals. Corinne Kisner, executive director of NACTO, says: “By dedicating more space for high-quality bike and transit lanes, cities can increase access to low-carbon transportatio

Perfect Data has launched a ride-hailing app across the UK which it says will provide local authorities with a map of all vehicles operating in their areas. Darren Tenney, founder of Perfect Data, says Xooox [pronounced ‘Zooks’] will allow regulators to see what’s happening at street level. “At last they will have the power to take action against unlicensed, banned or out of jurisdiction drivers,” he continues. “This will not only help keep passengers safe, it will help protect the income of the hundred

PTV has joined forces with Arcadis with the stated aim of reshaping the way data is used to plan and manage future mobility in cities. PTV says its partnership with Arcadis, a design and consultancy organisation, will provide decision makers with a blend of methods and tools to establish new mobility concepts while allowing simulations of different scenarios to run faster. Stephan Ritter, Arcadis executive innovation and transformation, says the company’s blend of management consultancy and engineering

NEC Technologies India is to install a surveillance system for traffic enforcement in the city of Gurugram and industrial town of Manesar. The NEC subsidiary says its cameras will be deployed across 115 sectors of both locations to also provide general surveillance. Takayuki Inaba, managing director, NEC Technologies India, says the company is working with Gurugram Municipal Development Authority to create a safer environment for residents. The video surveillance system is expected to help enforc

Proposed US legislation which advocates funnelling hundreds of millions of dollars into smart city developments has been brought back before lawmakers. Congresswoman Suzan DelBene, senator Maria Cantwell and congressman Ben Ray Luján have re-introduced the Smart Cities and Communities Act to promote the advancement of smart cities. DelBene says: “Utilising smart technologies to our advantage will allow cities to invest in clean infrastructure projects that reduce pollution, create good-paying jobs, and e

Tritium has added its Veefil-PK 350kW DC High Power Chargers to Chargefox’s ultra-rapid network site at the Toombul Shopping Centre in Brisbane, Australia. Marty Andrews, CEO of public EV charging network Chargefox, says: “Our new Brisbane station at Toombul Shopping Centre is the next stepping stone on our journey to connect Australia’s major cities for the thousands of drivers using efficient, clean electric vehicles (EVs).” Tritium says the two 350kW chargers can add up to 400km of range to an EV

Neuron EV has launched a smart transportation shuttle called Hub which it says integrates renewable energy, telecommunications and cloud computing for ease of mobility. The firm claims Hub can operate as an autonomous ride-sharing service or as an emergency vehicle. For ride-sharing, the six-seated electric vehicle (EV) can run autonomously within a five-mile radius. The input or scan of a blockchain ID allows a Hub service to operate without reservations while traffic detection software directs the

Keysight Technologies is extending its collaboration with Chinese company Gohigh Data Networks Technology to accelerate cellular Vehicle to Everything (C-V2X) technology for connected car applications. Keysight says the collaboration allows manufacturers of long-term evolution vehicles (LTE-V) standard-based chipsets, devices and on-board units and roadside units to validate the radio frequency (RF) performance of the PC5 interface. The PC5 refers to a reference point where user equipment (UE) such as a