News

Hosted by ITS Australia in partnership with the Queensland Department of Transport and Main Roads, the ITS Summit on Connected Autonomy in Smart Cities takes place on 23-24 May at the Queensland University of Technology. The growing international focus on smart cities where transport, utilities and healthcare communicate with each other to allow coordination and reduce waste, is a key driver for the provision of intelligent infrastructure across the road network. Such initiatives are being actively pursu

The US Department of Transportation's (USDOT) Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) has announced US$60 million in grants to fund cutting-edge transportation improvement technologies that will improve safety, efficiency, system performance, and infrastructure return on investment. The new program, Advanced Transportation and Congestion Management Technologies Deployment Program (ATCMTD), is aimed at addressing the concerns outlined in Beyond Traffic, the USDOT report issued last year that examines the c

A zero-emission LED street light which its Danish developer, Scotia, claims eliminates electricity costs and feed energy back into the grid has been installed in a car park in Copenhagen for seven years and, says have consistently produced five per cent above their initially predicted yield, with no fall-off. Commissioned by the Danish Government and the United Nations as examples of future zero-emission street lighting for the COP 15 Conference on Climate Change which was held there in December 2009,

According to TomTom’s latest Traffic Index, traffic congestion has increased 13 per cent globally since 2008. But there are big differences between continents; while North America’s traffic congestion has jumped by 17 per cent, Europe has risen just two per cent. TomTom believe the contrasts probably are driven by economic growth in North America and financial troubles in the many parts of Europe. In particular, some countries have recorded a marked drop in traffic over the past eight years, including It

Formula 1 technology could soon make family cars lighter, improve fuel efficiency and help plug-in vehicles go further - after an innovative research project won a share of a US$54.6 million (£38.2 million) UK government prize. The project is one of more than 130 car manufacturers, technology companies and research centres across the country to have won a share of the money, announced in the Budget, which will create hi-tech jobs and help Britain become a global leader in exporting state of the art, emis

WSP/Parsons Brinckerhoff is to develop a transportation improvement strategy (TIS) to address existing congestion and physical/geometrical issues as well as projected future development on the North Shore of Staten Island. The study, which emerges from the recommendations developed as part of the North Shore 2030 Plan, will be carried out on behalf of the New York City Economic Development Corporation, the New York City Department of City Planning and the New York City Department of Transportation. The s

Vehicle safety innovations are still benefitting too few road users in Europe due to an over-reliance on a voluntary testing programme rather than regulatory standards, according to a new report by the European Transport Safety Council (ETSC). For almost twenty years, increases in levels of car safety in Europe have been driven mainly by the voluntary Euro NCAP programme which awards the safest cars with a 5-star rating. But according to new data, only around half of new vehicles sold in 2013 had been aw

As part of Taiwan’s Ministry of Transport and Communications’ initiative to respond to the need for wider interoperability, the Taipei Rapid Transit Corporation, which operates the concession for the metro network in Taipei, has opted for Thales’s fare collection solution, to be rolled out progressively throughout 2016. The upgrade covers the entire metro network, including more than 1,500 fare gates across 120 stations, with a daily flow of over 1.97 million passengers. The Thales solution includes the

The Idaho Transportation Department (ITD) in the US has awarded International Road Dynamics (IRD) a US$2,623,703 contract to supply and install a two-sided mainline weigh-in-motion (WIM) and electronic pre-clearance system on Interstate 15 at the Inkom Port of Entry. The contract includes a two-year equipment, software, and database maintenance provision to commence upon completion of the system's installation. This system will weigh and measure commercial vehicles at highway speeds upstream of the weigh

Skanska has been awarded a contract worth about US$47.96 million by the Swedish Transport Administration for the expansion of Mälarbanan (Malar Line) between Spånga and Barkarby, north of Stockholm. The turnkey project includes the expansion of Mälarbanan from two to four tracks on a three-kilometre section as well as a new platform. Commuter trains will have two separate tracks, while other trains will pass freely on the two outer tracks. Construction start of preparatory work is planned for the su

Transport for London (TfL) has introduced what is said to be the world’s first zero-emission, long-range, all-electric BYD double-decker buses into service on a route operated by bus operator Metroline. Electric vehicle manufacturer BYD will fast charging equipment at Metroline’s Willesden bus garage in north London and provide driver training for the bus operators. BYD designed and developed the 33 foot long vehicles to TfL specifications, feature air conditioning, seats for 54 passengers and space for

Electronic toll collection has gone live on the I-580 express lanes, one of the most congested and regionally significant corridors in eastern Alameda County, California. Operated by the Alameda County Transportation Commission the I-580 express lanes span 14 miles, providing one express lane westbound and two express lanes in the eastbound direction to commuters. Electronic Transaction Consultants installed the dynamically priced express lanes, providing a new choice to solo drivers while supporting

The European Commission has adopted a series of rules for road hauliers and road passenger transport operators. They include a common classification of serious road safety infringements under transport legislation, as well as new specifications for smart tachographs (the device that records driving times of lorry, bus and coach drivers) making the best use of new digital technologies such as Galileo. The objective is to enhance road safety, contribute to a fairer competition between road transport operators

A nine-month programme to upgrade traditional wait indicator lamps with longer-lasting and energy-saving LED lights across more than 500 traffic signal sites is underway in Manchester, UK. As part of a contract awarded to Siemens by Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM), wait indicators will be upgraded at pedestrian crossings and junctions throughout all ten districts of Greater Manchester. This follows the successful completion of a major traffic signalling upgrade programme by Siemens in 2014, with the

New guidance from the BRE National Solar Centre shows how car park owners can maximise the economic and environmental performance of their assets by deploying photovoltaic (PV) technologies. The guide gives details on selecting the best sites, how to tap into various revenue streams and how to develop a strong and effective business case for solar investment. A number of design concepts and considerations are set out in detail and the guide is accompanied by a financial model.