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August 1, 2016
Canadian asset manager looking to buy Indian toll roads
Canadian asset manager Brookfield has emerged as the front runner to take over the portfolio of 11 road projects owned by Reliance Infrastructure in India, according to the country’s Economic Times. Reliance is among the largest NHAI concessionaire with concession periods ranging from 18-30 years. All its 11 roads - located in high traffic urban corridors including New Delhi, Bangalore, Jaipur, Agra, Gurgaon, Pune among others - currently generate revenues.
August 1, 2016
Brekford scoops enforcement contract in Maryland
US safety and security technology supplier Brekford Corporation has implemented the first three live speed camera systems for the Calvert County Sheriff's Office in Maryland under a multi-year contract. Brekford has implemented its third-generation portable P2S speed enforcement system, complete with solar power and wireless communication, enabling rapid redeployment to wherever speeding is a concern. The company will be working closely with the County to enforce safe speeds across 23 public school zones
July 29, 2016
In-vehicle infotainment services to account for majority of M2M data traffic by 2021
A new study from Juniper Research has found that new in-vehicle infotainment services such as Apple CarPlay and Android Auto will generate large amounts of new cellular M2M data traffic. Over the next five years, this will account for up to 98 per cent of all M2M data traffic. According to the new study, M2M: Strategies & Opportunities for MNOs, Service Providers & OEMs 2016-2021, data intensive applications such as Internet radio, music streaming applications and information services will generate appro
July 29, 2016
New clean diesel technology improving air quality and fuel efficiency, research finds
The introduction of more advanced diesel truck engines, innovative emissions control systems, and cleaner diesel fuel over the past decade have successfully resulted in major improvements in air quality and fuel efficiency, according to new research compiled by The Martec Group, a global technical marketing research firm, for the Diesel Technology Forum. The four million cleaner heavy-duty diesels introduced from 2007 through 2015 have saved US consumers: 29 million tonnes of C02; 7.5 million tonnes o
July 29, 2016
WSP/Parsons Brinckerhoff named general engineering consultant for US road extension
The Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) has awarded a contract to WSP/Parsons Brinckerhoff to serve as general engineering consultant on a planned extension of SR 167 in Tacoma. The project will provide a better freight connection between the Port of Tacoma and the Puyallup/White River Valley and also link industrial and urban centres. SR 167 will be extended four miles westward to connect with I-5 and then continue an additional two miles as the SR 509 spur to connect with SR 509 near
July 29, 2016
Turning off red light cameras costs lives, new research shows
Red light camera programs in 79 large US cities saved nearly 1,300 lives through 2014, researchers from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) have found. Shutting down such programs has cost lives, with the rate of fatal red-light-running crashes shooting up 30 per cent in cities that have turned off cameras. Red-light-running crashes caused 709 deaths in 2014 and an estimated 126,000 injuries. Red light runners account for a minority of the people killed in such crashes. Most of those killed
July 29, 2016
Ignoring deadly defects in autonomous cars serves no one, say auto safety advocates
The US Center for Auto Safety, Consumer Watchdog and former National Highway Traffic Administration (NHTSA) administrator Joan Claybrook have told NHTSA administrator Mark Rosekind that "you inexcusably are rushing full speed ahead" to promote the deployment of self-driving robot car technology instead of developing adequate safety standards "crucial to ensuring imperfect technologies do not kill people by being introduced into vehicles before the technology matures." In a letter to Rosekind in response
July 29, 2016
IAM RoadSmart ‘unconvinced about value of Edinburgh 20mph scheme’
IAM RoadSmart says it is unconvinced of value of the decision by City of Edinburgh Council to impose a 20mph speed limit on the vast majority of the capital’s streets as of 31 July. The multi-million pound scheme is the first of its kind in Scotland and will affect more than 80 per cent of the city’s roads. IAM RoadSmart, the UK’s independent road safety charity stated that the proposals amounted to a city-wide limit that didn’t address specific problematic roads. Neil Greig, IAM RoadSmart policy a
July 29, 2016
US DOT makes funding available for positive train control implementation
The US Department of Transportation has made US$199 million in competitive grant funding for positive train control (PTC) implementation. The grants, which will be selected by the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) and awarded and administered by the Federal Transit Administration (FTA), will help commuter railroads implement PTC, which prevents accidents and saves lives. FRA will accept applications until 5 pm EDT on 28 Sept. 28ember. Projects eligible for grants must develop information that ass
July 28, 2016
ADAS leads consumer preferences in new vehicle purchases, says survey
According to a new IHS Automotive global consumer survey, Connected Cars, 55 per cent of annual global new vehicle sales in 2020 will be connected vehicles and at that time, nearly half of the global fleet of vehicles in operation will be connected. Findings indicate that new advanced technologies and increased connectivity are driving consumer preferences as they consider new vehicles. More than 4,000 vehicle owners intending to purchase a new vehicle within the next 36 months were surveyed, representi
July 28, 2016
Introducing Here WeGo
Here, the location cloud company, has introduced its mobile trip companion Here WeGo, designed to simplify urban mobility by making it on-demand, personal and stress-free. Centred around route planning and giving directions, Here WeGo covers the user’s journey from start to finish, including parking suggestions and walking directions for the last mile. Its features include voice-guided, turn-by-turn drive and pedestrian navigation for more than 130 countries, with or without an internet connection. It a
July 28, 2016
Parkopedia, Apple collaborate on parking information
Parking services provider Parkopedia is to collaborate with Apple in a deal that will allow Apple Map users to view key information on more than 40 million parking spaces in 75 countries around the world. In addition, users will have the option to click through to Parkopedia's website and iOS app to view more detailed information including pricing, user reviews, special offers and real-time space availability. They will also be able to make reservations.
July 28, 2016
Australian transportation sector to remain stable through 2016, says Fitch
Fitch Ratings says in a newly published report, 2016 Mid-Year Outlook: Australian Transportation, that the agency's outlook on Australian transportation infrastructure is stable. It says toll roads will benefit from continuing healthy economic growth, while the weaker Australian dollar will help support ports with exposure to the commodity export sector. However, exposure to medium-term bullet debt could leave issuers vulnerable to refinancing risk in the event of a significant downturn in the Australian
July 28, 2016
Ford, MIT project measures pedestrian traffic, predict demand for electric shuttles
Ford Motor Company and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology are collaborating on a new research project that measures how pedestrians move in urban areas to improve certain public transportation services, such as ride-hailing and point-to-point shuttles services. The project will introduce a fleet of on-demand electric vehicle shuttles that operate on both city roads and campus walkways on the university’s campus. The vehicles use LiDAR sensors and cameras to measure pedestrian flow, which ultimate
July 27, 2016
Webinar - Smart Decisions, Smarter Cities
Vidsys is delivering a webinar on Thursday, 4 August at 1000 Pacific time/1300 eastern time, to discuss how data and increased connectivity will enable cities to transform the way we will live, work, and interact with one another. The challenge for cities is to not just gather the data, but to make better use of the data to make more informed decisions, creating actionable intelligence. Smart Cities will need to combine and correlate multiple data streams to provide a more holistic evaluation of the city’s