News

The European Commission has published a list of 19 lifesaving safety technologies that could be made mandatory on new vehicles in the next update of EU vehicle safety rules expected next year. The European Transport Safety Council (ETCS) welcomes the announcement but says several critical areas for action are missing, and the proposed timescale is far too long considering that most of the technologies are already available. ETSC says 26,000 people die on European Union roads annually, with at least

WSP/Parsons Brinckerhoff has been awarded a contract by the American Center for Mobility (ACM) to develop a concept of operations, system requirements, and a procurement strategy for the technology elements of a major new connected and automated vehicle test site facility. The ACM will be built on more than 335 acres adjacent to Willow Run Airport in Ypsilanti, where B-24 bombers were made during World War II in a factory built by Henry Ford. It aims to become a national advanced automotive testing and p

Cohort business and road technology specialist SEA has been awarded a further contract by the City of Cardiff Council to help the Welsh capital to reduce the congestion impact of traffic growth. SEA’s ROADflow technology will be used to provide nearly 30 Flexi and Motion road traffic camera systems, plus Vision vehicles, to enforce yellow box-junctions and bus lane regulations. This latest order will double the number of bus lane cameras to about 20 and deploy a further five yellow box-junction cam

The US Department of Transportation’s Federal Transit Administration (FTA) has made a US$499 million federal grant agreement with the Fort Worth Transportation Authority (FWTA) to build TEX Rail, a commuter rail line between downtown Fort Worth and the Dallas Fort Worth International Airport. The project will link three of the region’s major activity centres and provide an alternative to travel on the area’s congested roads. The 26.8-mile commuter rail line will serve downtown Fort Worth, the City of Gra

According to Dr Peter Harrop of research company IDTechEx, there is still no agreement on the best type of electric motor to use in heavy trucks. The company’s analysis indicates that the booming, confusing traction motor business will rise to around US$400 billion in 2027. Its new report, Electric Motors for Electric Vehicles 2017-2027 navigates the jargon, the design options and the disagreements. The changing needs and evolving technology are matched to create forecasts and technology timelines based

UK road safety charity Brake is calling on drivers to stay sober if driving over the Christmas period or plan to get home by taxi or public transport, to prevent road casualties. Brake is renewing calls for a zero tolerance drink drive limit of 20mg alcohol per 100ml of blood, in line with evidence which claims that even one drink dramatically increases crash risk and to send a clear message it should be none for the road. Brake says a blood alcohol level of 20-50mg increases the likelihood of crashing t

Allstate Insurance Company is to work with the Intelligent Systems Laboratory at Stanford University, California to learn about and contribute to the tools and standards related to autonomous vehicles. The research project scope includes machine learning, artificial intelligence and highly autonomous vehicle systems. “We are proactively embracing and participating in the evolving landscape around personal transportation through our work with world-class institutions at the forefront of this automotive

Transport for London (TfL) has been recognised with the Prince Michael of Kent Road Safety Awards for its work to improve the safety of cyclists, pedestrians and motorcyclists in London. Analysis of police collision and travel demand data led TfL to put in place a range of initiatives which contributed to a three per cent drop in the number of people killed and seriously injured on London’s streets (2,092) in 2015, its lowest ever level. Projects included the launch of the Safer Lorry Scheme, the in

Cubic Transportation Systems (CTS) has been awarded a contract worth US$7.6 million (AU$10.2 million) from Transport for New South Wales to deliver a trial of an open loop payments ticketing technology to Sydney, Australia’s largest city. The trial, to begin in 2017, will allow Sydney commuters using participating payment schemes to tap their contactless bankcard directly on Opal readers at the trial site to pay for travel. According to Tom Walker, senior vice president and managing director of Asia

Australia’s Victorian government is to begin a trial to look at how automated vehicles can interact with Australian road infrastructure. VicRoads will work with industry to seek feedback on the government’s Future Directions Paper, which outlines the need for regulatory changes to allow testing of highly automated vehicles on public roads. The consultation will focus on how to ensure road safety during testing on public roads, what constitutes a driver ‘being in control’ and understanding how the changi

Investors are racing to claim a stake in the potential multibillion-dollar ridesharing market. Advances in Technology that aid in the adoption of ridesharing, while governmental policy support, such as high-occupancy vehicle (HOV) lanes and toll-fee waivers, are bolstering market evolution, says Frost and Sullivan. The North American and European ridesharing market will see strong growth, with rideshare operators rolling out new business models to target niche customer segments. And in the European marke

According to a new market research report published by MarketsandMarkets, Australia’s intelligent transportation systems is expected to grow at a CAGR of 14.41 per cent between 2015 and 2020, and reach US$1,130.2 million by 2020. The report is combined with an in-depth analysis of the various market dynamics such as drivers, restraints, and opportunities. Along with the market dynamics, the report also gives an insight about various market parameters, such as market share analysis, value chain analysis,

According to researchers at the University of Michigan, the 2022-2025 fuel-economy (CAFE) standards for light-duty vehicles, which were reaffirmed by the EPA on 30 November 2016 in the midterm evaluation of the standards, will substantially reduce future fuel consumption and emissions, even if the future vehicle mix (cars vs light trucks) does not change. However, in addition to these direct benefits, indirect benefits can also be expected via the influence of more stringent standards on the future mix o

Eton Community Association has commissioned the charity, the Outdoor Trust, to develop a promotional Walkway for the town in Berkshire in the UK. In advance of the launch in spring 2017 two Eco Pyro pedestrian counters, supplied by UK company Traffic Technology, have been installed in the town to study footfall along the High Street. Results indicate that on most days people are using the bridge as the main gateway to the town but that only 60 per cent of people crossing the bridge travel the distance o

Public contracts to supply domestic passenger rail services in EU countries will have be put out to tender under new rules backed by the EU Parliament this week. Under the new rules, which also aim to boost investment and the development of new commercial services, rail companies will be able to offer their services in EU domestic passenger rail markets in two ways. First, where national authorities award public service contracts to provide passenger rail services, bidding for public service contra