News

New Zealand’s first on-road research trial of autonomous vehicles has been launched at Christchurch Airport, with the arrival of a fully autonomous Smart Shuttle which will begin testing in the next few weeks. Christchurch International Airport has partnered with the country’s intelligent transport system (ITS) supplier, HMI Technologies for the trial, which will use a French manufactured NAVYA ARMA autonomous shuttle vehicle operating on private roads of the Christchurch International Airport campus. Th

Cost-effective, high-resolution light detection and ranging (LiDAR) sensors capable of long-range object detection will be necessary for high to fully-automated driving applications. Demand for 3D mapping and imaging, better overall performance, automated processing of graphic data gathering and self-sufficient sensor with best-in-class performance in low-visibility conditions are factors driving the development and adoption of LiDAR sensors within the advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) sensor suite

Flir is offering two-day training course on incident detection and data collection from 22-23 March at the Novotel in Bruges, Belgium. The interactive and hands-on training aims to provide participants with the ability be able to select the right camera for a project (analogue, IP, thermal), configure the detection boards on a fundamental level and manage received events and data from the detectors. More details and registration information are available on the Flir website. (link http://www.flir.eu/

US transportation company Hyperloop Transportation Technologies (HTT) has agreed with the city of Toulouse, France to open a facility for the development and testing of Hyperloop-related technologies. As part of this agreement, the city, known Aerospace Valley, is providing a 3,000 square metre facility along with outdoor terrain. The agreement will enable HTT and local government to tap regional aerospace talent pool for continuous development and improvement of Hyperloop technology in Toulouse, France

Interoperable smart ticketing systems supplier Rambus Ecebs is to partner with Strathclyde Partnership for Transport (SPT) in Scotland in a pilot program for the newly announced host card emulation (HCE) ticketing solution, which will be delivered by Nevis Technologies, the joint venture company formed between Strathclyde Partnership for Transport (SPT), Scotland’s regional transport partnership and Rambus Ecebs. Roll-out for the first HCE ticketing solution is planned during 2017. The program uses a com

The city of West Bend in Wisconsin, US, is to upgrade its traffic pre-emption solution to Global Traffic Technologies’ (GTT) Opticom, which works alongside intersection controllers to help ensure emergency vehicles can move through intersections rapidly and safely. The Opticom emergency vehicle pre-emption (EVP) system in West Bend is used by both fire and police vehicles. It has been deployed to two of the city’s busiest intersections and 49 vehicles. There are plans to expand to further intersections i

Zero tolerance on drink driving, additional hazard perception training and graduated forms of licensing should become the norm to help tackle the risks faced by young drivers and motorcycle riders in Europe, according to the YEARS report (Young Europeans Acting for Road Safety. More than 3,800 young people (aged 18-24) are killed each year on EU roads – the biggest single cause of death for this age group. A report by the European Transport Safety Council (ETSC) and the UK Parliamentary Advisory Council

The Council of British Chambers of Commerce for Europe (COBCOE) has announced a trade delegation to Dubai, UAE, to provide UK and European businesses with access to decision-makers in the UAE focusing on the theme of Future Cities. Europe is currently active in many of the critical Smart City technologies like IoT, sustainable design, urban mobility and renewable energy, while Dubai is home to an ambitious smart city project, with a pledge to make 25 per cent of all journeys in UAE driverless by 2030.

TomTom and Mappy have extended their long-term relationship, increasing Mappy’s access to TomTom traffic data from ten countries to the whole of Europe, matching its coverage access to TomTom maps. Mappy is also positioned to leverage TomTom’s next generation map database, leading the way to smarter mobility. Mappy is licensing TomTom map and traffic information to power its Internet mapping site and mobile consumer app via app stores. Mappy leverages traffic information from TomTom when calculating a ro

Parsons has been awarded a three year initial contract with two optional renewals by the Hawaii Department of Transportation (HDOT) to continue running its Freeway Service Patrol (FSP) program on Oahu, one of the most congested regions in the United States. Under an existing FSP contract that ends this year, Parsons has been delivering these services on the island for the last four years, providing roadside assistance to motorists, helping emergency responders at traffic incidents and removing roadway de

Transport mobile ticketing specialist Masabi has launched JustRide Express, a new offering which it claims provides small and mid-sized transit agencies and private operators with a complete mobile ticketing system, based on the technology deployed in major cities such as New York, Boston, Los Angeles, Athens and London. Available for a cost-effective fixed monthly fee and with no upfront costs, the system is deployable in less than 90 days and is available on a one year contract. JustRide Express com

The Texas Automated Vehicle (AV) Proving Ground is one of ten sites designated as an automated vehicle proving ground. Formed by an alliance that includes the Southwest Research Institute (SwRI), the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) and Texas A&M Transportation Institute (TTI), other members are the University of Texas at Austin’s Center for Transportation Research (CTR), and 32 municipal and regional partners. The Texas group plans to offer a full and varied range of testing environments, from

The Energy Technologies Institute (ETI) has published a new report in which it highlights affordable measures and technologies that could be taken to reduce the fuel consumption and carbon emissions from shipping. The International Maritime Organisation has stated that maritime emissions could rise by up to 250 per cent by 2050 compared to 2011 levels unless action is taken. According to ETI, eliminating fossil-fuels for shipping does not appear credible in the next few decades; it believes the best

Repairing or replacing aging transportation infrastructure, such as roads and bridges, will require US states to shoulder additional cost burdens since federal funding has stagnated over the last 20 years, Moody’s Investors Service says in a new report. States with large maintenance burdens and backlogs will face budgetary challenges in meeting these needs. US federal highway aid has seen little growth from fiscal 2009-15 and is projected to remain flat when adjusted for inflation through fiscal 2020. Th

Eberle Design (EDI) is re-broadcasting its 45 minute webinar on the EDI and Reno A&E (RAE) iCITE Data Aggregator DA-300 on 31 January at 0900 MST/1000 EST. The webinar will show traffic operations technicians and traffic engineers how the data aggregator monitors and reports on mission critical traffic cabinet or intersection faults via SMS or email. It will also feature an update on the G2 User Interface. Co-presented by EDI vice president of Business Development Dr Bill Sowell and Technical Product