News

Advances in biometrics will radically transform the driving experience, health wellness and wellbeing (HWW) and security of vehicles by 2025, according to Frost and Sullivan. As one in three new passenger vehicles begin to feature fingerprint, iris, voice and gesture recognition, heart beat and brain wave monitoring, stress detection, fatigue, eyelid and facial monitoring and pulse detection, these will be driven by built-in, brought-in and cloud enabled technologies, the automotive biometrics network wi

Cubic Transportation Systems (CTS), is to participate in Microsoft CityNext, a global initiative which aims to help cities do ‘new with less’, by combining the power of technology with innovative solutions to connect governments, businesses and citizens with services that increase efficiencies, reduce costs, foster a more sustainable environment and cultivate thriving communities. NextCity is Cubic’s coordinated framework for building a smarter tomorrow in the world’s urban centers where increasing popu

TomTom and Elgin are to collaborate to in a bid to deliver more accurate and validated real-time traffic information to drivers, fleet managers and traffic management professionals. TomTom Traffic in the United Kingdom now includes relevant roadworks and traffic management information from Elgin. This collaboration ultimately enables drivers to reach their destinations more quickly and highway authorities and utility companies to monitor and respond to the impact of roadworks on road users in real-time.

US-based engineering and planning consulting service Michael Baker International has expanded its inspection services with the purchase of a Topcon Falcon 8 unmanned aircraft system (UAS), offering a new perspective for its pilots to achieve precise aerial imagery and mapping during the inspection of infrastructure elements. Combined with the company’s mobile and static Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) systems for data collection and by utilising the system’s flight stability and high-resolution 32-me

Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) has implemented digital variable speed limit signs over a thirty-mile stretch of Interstate 84 between Baker City and La Grande, replacing the standard speed signs in that area. The new signs will use traffic, road, weather and visibility sensors to lower the legal speed limit when ice, snow, fog or a wreck ahead requires drivers to slow down. Along with identifying the current legal speed limit, the digital displays can also show the reason for a reduced speed,

Variable message sign (VMS) manufacturer, Bartco UK is to partner with European intelligent transport system (ITS) manufacturer, Signature Group (France), in a deal set to increase the range of ITS products available in the UK, while expanding the international market of the UK firm. The partnership will involve the two companies working together to develop new ITS products for manufacture both by Bartco UK and Signature Group’s industries. These will include UK regulation-compatible versions of existing

The Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) has explored a number of ways to find sustainable road funding. It is facing a nearly US$1 billion annual funding gap over the next 25 years and is looking to explore transportation funding alternatives as the fuel tax continues to become less reliable over time, due decreased purchasing power and more fuel efficient and electric vehicles. This pilot is the first step in an extensive process of evaluating the concept alongside other funding alternatives. I

Wireless solutions provider Intuicom, in conjunction with its authorised distributor, Twincrest Technologies, has supplied the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) Laredo with additional wireless solutions to expand its wireless traffic communications network. The system utilises Intuicom’s Nitro58 wireless broadband radios, augmented by the company’s BroadBandPro enterprise network management software. This software automatically discovers, configures, optimises and secures their Intuicom wireles

International technology company Thales has entered into exclusive negotiations with French private equity firm Latour Capital with a view to divesting its ticketing and revenue collection, road tolling and car park management systems business, in line with the company’s strategy of business portfolio optimisation. With close to 850 employees mainly based in France, the Netherlands, Denmark, Italy, Mexico, Hong Kong, India, New Zealand and Egypt, this business generated sales of US$165 million (€155 mil

Cubic Transportation Systems (CTS) has been awarded a US$40.3 million contract extension from the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) New York City Transit (NYCT) for software programming and maintenance support for the agency’s MetroCard automated fare collection (AFC) system. The extension is on an as-needed basis until the system is decommissioned, which is expected to occur in 2022, when it will be replaced by MTA’s new fare payment system, featuring mobile ticketing and open payments via co

The 54th International Making Cities Livable Conference takes place in New Mexico, USA on 2-6 October 2017, with the theme of public places for community, democracy, health and equity. Paper proposals are invited from elected officials, scholars and practitioners concerned with the issues such as active mobility, walkable ten minute commuting/reshaping suburbia, integrating public health and planning, health impact assessment and more. For more details and to submit a proposal, please see the confere

The majority of people in the UK has reservations about new driving concepts such as driverless and electric cars, but believes the popularity of such technologies will surge in the future, according to a new survey carried out by industrial connectors and components distributor Northern Connectors. The survey revealed that almost two-thirds of respondents cited safety issues, such as the driver not being in full control of their vehicle, as a main disadvantage of driverless cars. Almost half are worried

A prototype sensor developed at the University of Birmingham, UK, is could end the annual autumn rail chaos caused by wet leaves on the line. Funded by EPSRC and the Rail Safety and Standards Board, Lee Chapman, Professor of Climate Resilience at the University worked with Alta Innovations, the University’s technology transfer company, to transform the concept into a reality. His new technology, called AutumnSense, uses low-cost sensors to continuously measure the level of moisture on the railway l

As the driverless vehicle project in Masdar City, Abu Dhabi began its seventh year of operations, it also welcomed its two millionth passenger. The project has collected a wealth of data which is used for further development of autonomous vehicles, both in relation to the technology and in the interaction with the users. The data collected by vehicle supplier 2getthere shows an increasing number of passengers using the system, from an average of 787 per day in May 2014 to 1,382 per day in 2016, a 75 per

Following a request from New York City Councilman Ydanis Rodriguez to measure the impact of Car Free Day NYC held in April, Cubic Transportation Systems (CTS) and Mastercard have now published their report about transportation demand and retail impact assessment resulting from the initiative. Rodriguez organised the initiative with a strong coalition of local support towards the goal of reducing single-occupancy vehicle use and stimulating dialogue around environmental issues. The assessment leveraged