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Northwest Transit Systems Partners JV to oversee Sound Transit light rail expansion
August 23, 2017
Northwest Transit Systems Partners (NTSP), a joint venture consisting of US transportation design and construction management firm STV, and Mott MacDonald, is to oversee the systems construction of two new light rail extensions for Sound Transit’s light rail system in Seattle, US. The NTSP team will perform systems construction management services for the US$3.7 billion East Link Extension, a 14-mile-long extension connecting Seattle, Mercer Island, Bellevue and Redmond; and the US$1.9 billion 4.3-mile
Q-Free awarded toll tag contract in Russia
August 23, 2017
Q-Free has recently signed a three-year framework agreement to supply toll tags to Northern Capital Highway, a toll operator in St. Petersburg, Russia. The agreement has a total value of approximately US$1.4 million (NOK11 million) over the period. According to Q-Free, the tag market in Russia has been picking up over the last years and the company has received orders from several customers, although the framework agreement with Northern Capital Highway is the largest single agreement for Q-Free in Russi
Young Tae Kim takes office as ITF Secretary-General
August 22, 2017
The International Transport Forum (ITF) at the OECD has a new Secretary-General. Dr Young Tae Kim, a Korean national, took up his position at the organisation’s Paris headquarters on 21 August. Kim is the first non-European to lead the world’s only all-modes transport organisation. The ITF acts as a policy think tank for its 59 member countries and organises the annual summit of transport ministers. Created as global intergovernmental transport organisation in 2006, the ITF evolved out of the European
Chicago Transit Authority’s Ventra mobile app hits two million downloads
August 22, 2017
Chicago Transit Authority’s (CTA) Ventra mobile app, implemented by Cubic Transportation Systems (CTS, and also used by suburban bus operator Pace and commuter rail system Metra, has reached a milestone with a download of more than two million and was used to purchase nearly US$250 million in fares. The Ventra app, developed and launched by Cubic, CTA and its transit partners in November 2015, is a free, regional transit application in the US that allows customers to plan, manage and pay for journeys ac
Foreign drivers cannot avoid paying Dart Charge, says RHA
August 22, 2017
The news that over one million non-UK drivers have managed to avoid paying the Dart Charge when travelling over the Dartford Crossing comes as little surprise to the Road Haulage Association *RHA). Speaking to BBC Kent, RHA policy director Duncan Buchanan said: “This issue was identified from the moment the Freeflow system was introduced, and it is still a problem. Foreign drivers should pay: it’s as simple as that. It is very concerning that there are still hauliers making the crossing for free.” Fin
Nepal government implements ANPR-readable number plates
August 22, 2017
The Department of Transport Management (DoTM) in Nepal has begun issuing high security embossed number plates, which are readable by automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) camera systems. The number plates carry a chip which is connected to the vehicle’s GPS system; this helps to locate the vehicle in the event of theft. The government plans to replace the old number plates over the next five years, beginning with government-owned vehicles in the first phase, followed by diplomatic and personal ve
DfT appoints TRL to evaluate performance of low emission buses
August 22, 2017
The UK’s Transport Research Laboratory (TRL) has been commissioned by the Department for Transport (DfT) to monitor and evaluate the performance and impacts of low emission buses in 13 locations across the country. Positioned across the UK, variations of gas, full-electric, hybrid-electric and hydrogen fuel cell buses will be procured and operated by bus operators. TRL will carry out data collection and analysis of bus and infrastructure performance, cost savings and environmental impacts to create insig
Texas DOT, institutes demonstrate wrong way driving alert system
August 21, 2017
In a joint partnership with the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT), Texas A&M Transportation Institute (TTI) and Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) are researching wrong-way driving, reports the Houston Chronicle. Almost 240 wrong way crashes happen each year in the state, according to the TTI. More than half of those resulted in a fatality crash. Researchers said most of those crashes occur at night, with alcohol impairment often a factor. On freeways, the most common way for someone to drive t
Texas DOT, institutes demonstrate wrong way driving alert system
August 21, 2017
In a joint partnership with the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT), Texas A&M Transportation Institute (TTI) and Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) are researching wrong-way driving, reports the Houston Chronicle. Almost 240 wrong way crashes happen each year in the state, according to the TTI. More than half of those resulted in a fatality crash. Researchers said most of those crashes occur at night, with alcohol impairment often a factor. On freeways, the most common way for someone to drive t
Securitas partners with GreenRoad to improve driver safety
August 21, 2017
UK security provider Securitas has partnered with driver safety and behaviour technology company GreenRoad to reduce risks associated with driver behaviour and improve driver safety among its 11,000 employees. GreenRoad technology will allow Securitas to track the movements of its fleet, monitoring driver behaviour, such as harsh braking, cornering, lane handling, acceleration and speeding.
VDOT launches SmarterRoads transportation data portal for developers
August 21, 2017
The Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) has launched SmarterRoads, a new cloud based data portal initiative that provides free, widespread access to a range of VDOT information to organisations interested in creating value-added transportation applications and products for end users. SmarterRoads provides direct access to road and transportation information, beyond currently available VDOT traffic operations data, in one portal site.
Delphi partners with Innoviz Technologies on LiDAR solutions for autonomous vehicles
August 21, 2017
UK connected automotive technology company Delphi Automotive is to team up with Israeli LiDAR technology company Innoviz Technologies, which is developing a product that provides a high performance intelligent sensing solution to help advance automated driving technology. Innoviz's proprietary LiDAR sensing solutions will be integrated into Delphi's systems to provide automakers with a comprehensive portfolio of autonomous driving technologies.
Proterra to deliver North Carolina's first electric airport passenger bus fleet
August 18, 2017
Heavy-duty electric transportation manufacturer Proterra is to supply Raleigh-Durham Airport (RDU) Authority in the US with four Proterra Catalyst E2 zero-emissions battery-electric transit buses and related charging infrastructure. Currently, RDU has 14 diesel-powered transit buses that are replaced every 7-10 years. The new buses will replace four older diesel buses on trips between the airport’s two ParkRDU Economy lots and terminals.
Proterra to deliver North Carolina's first electric airport passenger bus fleet
August 18, 2017
Heavy-duty electric transportation manufacturer Proterra is to supply Raleigh-Durham Airport (RDU) Authority in the US with four Proterra Catalyst E2 zero-emissions battery-electric transit buses and related charging infrastructure. Currently, RDU has 14 diesel-powered transit buses that are replaced every 7-10 years. The new buses will replace four older diesel buses on trips between the airport’s two ParkRDU Economy lots and terminals.
Trend Micro discovers 'indefensible' car security/CAN standard flaw
August 18, 2017
Trend Micro claims to have discovered a hack is found that is not only successful in being able to drastically affect the performance and function of the car, but is also stealthy and vendor neutral. Discovered by researchers at Politecnico di Milano, Linklayer Labs and Trend Micro’s Forward-looking Threat Research (FTR) team, the hack is said to be currently indefensible by modern car security technology and to completely resolve it would require broad, sweeping changes in standards and the ways in-vehi