News

Designer and provider of acoustics and air pollution simulation software for environmental modelling, SoundPlan, is calling on the bodies responsible for setting noise standards around the world to ensure that they implement and maintain high quality standards with thorough test procedures and scenarios. According to SoundPlan, the USA’s Federal Highway Administration’s Traffic Noise Model (TNM) is identified as an example of poor practice in this arena. When testing the standards SoundPlan software engi

Intelligent Transport Systems New Zealand (ITSNZ) is enthusiastic about the future of their industry following the publication of Ministry of Transport guidelines for testing of autonomous vehicles on New Zealand roads. The guidelines outline rules and offer advice to any organisation considering testing of autonomous vehicles in New Zealand and encourage companies to share findings with the Ministry and NZ Transport Agency so that the country can benefit from the opportunities this emerging technology

Oakville Transit in Ontario, Canada has implemented real-time bus tracking technology, a web-based tool that uses GPS to predict bus arrival times. Customers can easily access real-time bus tracking from their computer or smartphone by using the Bus Finder tool online or by downloading the Oakville Transit app available in the iTunes App Store for Apple devices and in Google Play for Android devices. A Track by Text feature allows customers to text their bus stop number to find out when the next bus

Cubic Transportation Systems (CTS) is to install mobile validators on the Minneapolis Metro Transit bus fleet to replace previous card validators used in the Go-To smart card system. The state-of-good-repair project was awarded under a US$5 million contract. The new validators meet Europay, MasterCard and Visa (EMV) compliance and include the capability of adding technologies in the future such as NFC-mobile payments, open payments and account-based processing. Metro Transit ordered more than 2,000

A study by the US Federal Highway Administration’s Highways for Life has found a small but consistent reductions in mean and 85 percentile speeds on dangerous bends through the use of Tapco’s BlinkerChevron dynamic curve warning and guidance system (DCWGS) instead of static warning signs. The system's detects oncoming vehicles up to 90m (300ft) from the curve and will trigger the flashing LEDs on the signs if the vehicle’s speed exceed a predetermined level to warn the driver of the dangerous curves with e

The City and County of Denver, Colorado is piloting a new mobility platform from Xerox to help residents and tourists make transportation choices more easily. The platform, which includes the Go Denver app, also will provide data-driven insights into how Denver’s transportation infrastructure can be improved as the population continues to grow. The app takes an individual’s destination and desired arrival time, and calculates the different routes available, categorised by ‘sooner’, ‘cheaper’ and greener’

GMB, the union for professional drivers, is calling on Transport for London to reconsider some proposals that it put forward as preliminary indications as to how it wishes to proceed on the regulation of cab drivers, which it says waters down protection for passengers and drivers. It claims that mandatory Disclosure and Barring Service (DMS) checks for support staff have been watered down so that they do not apply to office-based staff. GMB consider that operators will be able to substitute office based

Vietnam’s transport ministry plans to implement electronic toll collection (ETC) systems all toll booths nationwide from 2020, to end delays and cut costs. Systems will be installed on national highways 1 and 14 before 30 June, followed by 25 more systems along national highway 1 and Ho chi Minh Road. The system uses radio frequency identification (RFID) technology combined with automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) cameras. Drivers are issued with an e-tag which is attached to the vehicle windscree

US Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx has announced that US$500 million will be made available for transportation projects across the country under an eighth round of the highly successful Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) competitive grant program. The 2016 TIGER discretionary grants will fund capital investments in surface transportation infrastructure and will be awarded on a competitive basis for projects that will have a significant impact on the nation, a metropoli

Sensys Gatso Group has received an additional order for in-vehicle speed enforcement systems valued at €700,000 (US$768,500) from France. The order is a continuation of the project that Sensys Gatso Group started in 2013 and is scheduled to be delivered during the second quarter 2016. According to Sensys Gatso, the use of in-vehicle systems has proven to be a very effective way to reduce road casualties.

Registration is now open for ITS America, 12-15 June 12 2016 at the San Jose McEnery Convention Center. It’s a new event with an exhibition, conferences, papers and demonstrations, where companies, public agencies, academics, engineers, researchers, regulators, lawmakers, app developers, infrastructure security agents, financiers and the media will meet to make new contacts, transfer knowledge and generate new ideas about what is next in a world where transportation is at the centre of the IOT. More

International Road Dynamics (IRD has announced record financial and operating results for the three and twelve months ended 30 November 2015. The company saw net earnings increased 85 per cent to US$1.8 (CA$2.5) million, with revenue up 29 per cent to US$42 (CA$58) million on growth in key geographic markets and product segments. EBITDA rose by 58 per cent on revenue growth and strong gross margin. "We generated record results in fiscal 2015, the result of strong growth in all of our major markets a

In a deal worth US$282 million, Siemens is to replace the Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR) suburban train fleet on the Great Northern route. The 25 climate-controlled six-carriage units (150 vehicles) will be built at the Siemens plant Krefeld, Germany and will enter service by the end of 2018. The trains will run between Moorgate in the City of London and Welwyn and Hertford, Stevenage and Letchworth. They will be made by Siemens as a variant of the Class 700 trains, based on the Desiro City platform, whi

Speaking at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Ford president and CEO Mark Fields said that the company will triple engineering investment in driver assist technology, speeding the roll-out of semi automated systems that make it easier to park and drive in heavy traffic as the company continues to expand its Ford Smart Mobility plan. Fields’ keynote at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona focused on Ford’s transition from an automotive company to an auto and a mobility company through Ford Smart Mobil

The Public Transport Authority of Western Australia has selected the Salini Impregilo - NRW Joint Venture, comprising Salini Impregilo and NRW Pty, as its preferred bidder to design, construct and maintain the Forrestfield-Airport Link. The US$1.5 billion state government-funded project is a new train line that will connect Forrestfield to the city, opening up Perth’s eastern suburbs to the rail network for the first time and giving Perth Airport users a travel option five minutes faster than by car.