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July 31, 2015
Denver light rail contract awarded
Denver’s Regional Transportation District (RTD) Board of Directors has approved a US$140 million two-phased contract award to Balfour Beatty Infrastructure (BBII) to design and build the Southeast Rail Extension. Design will begin during the fall with construction expected to start in spring 2016. The Southeast Rail Extension will build an additional 2.3 miles of light rail on the existing Southeast Rail Line south of Lincoln. When complete it will include an end-of-line station at RidgeGate Parkway,
July 31, 2015
ITS World Congress - don't miss the technical tours
ITS World Congresses are packed with content and none more so than this year. While you can pick and choose to attend or participate in most of that content when you are in Bordeaux, there are numerous exclusive and unmissable opportunities you need to think about and decide on right now, or you will risk missing out. So, think about Sunday 4 October, the day before the Congress has its official opening. And also Saturday 10 October, at the end of the event for those who stay a few extra days in this beauti
July 31, 2015
Welcome to the 22nd ITS World Congress
As we reach the 22nd edition of the ITS World Congress, I look back to the first ITS World Congress in 1994 and feel so proud for all the achievements of these past decades. With less than 10 weeks away, the Programme is taking its final shape and form into one of the most exciting industry events of this year. Over 200 Sessions and meetings have been organised for the five days, including the impressive open
July 30, 2015
Impact of driverless cars on logistics and insurance at GIL 2015
To help industry leaders identify the way forward and future growth strategies, Frost & Sullivan brings together a global network of visionaries and thought leaders at its annual Growth, Innovation, and Leadership (GIL) conference 2015 in Monaco on Friday, 23 October. The event at the Monte Carlo Bay Hotel & Resort will feature a mix of Frost & Sullivan experts and distinguished industry visionaries. The impact of new business models and a new world of opportunities that are shaking the marketplace are
July 30, 2015
China leads the way in road, railway projects investment in Asia-Pacific
According to a new report by Timetric’s Construction Intelligence Center (CIC), the major economies in Asia-Pacific are investing over US$2.86 trillion in road and railway projects in the coming years. China - as the leading economy - heads the 13 countries analysed by CIC with projects valued at over US$1.15 trillion, followed by India at almost US$500 billion and Australia with US$289 billion. China, apart from investing within its own borders, is also expanding its influence in the region with the re
July 30, 2015
Most EV charging ‘takes place at home’
New analysis by plug-in vehicle campaign Go Ultra Low suggests that British motorists could no longer have to rely on the conventional petrol station. More than 90 per cent of electric vehicle (EV) charging takes place at home while total charging volumes have almost tripled since 2014, according to new usage data from leading infrastructure provider Chargemaster. Coupled with bumper uptake of plug-in vehicles – more than 14,500 were registered in the first half of 2015 – the new findings point to the po
July 30, 2015
Canada invests in new Asia-Pacific Gateway transportation infrastructure projects
The Canadian government has announced an investment of approximately US$12 million for nine Asia-Pacific Gateway transportation infrastructure projects in British Columbia that support Asia-Pacific trade and boost the competitive advantages of Canada's Asia-Pacific Gateway. These new projects will create jobs and economic growth by reducing bottlenecks, addressing capacity issues and enhancing the efficiency of the transportation system in moving goods, services and people to and from the fast-growing As
July 30, 2015
European transport investment plan approved
EU national representatives have endorsed a proposal to fund hundreds of transport projects worth US$14 billion, reports the European Commission. The Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) coordination committee, which is made up of representatives of the 28 Member States, approved the funding for 276 projects which the Commission proposed on 29 June. EU Commissioner for Transport Violeta Bulc said "I am very pleased that following constructive discussions in the CEF coordination committee, the Member Stat
July 29, 2015
Rapid progress with pure electric buses
China is where most of the hybrid and pure electric buses will be made and sold over the coming decade, as discussed in the report by IDTechEx Research, Electric Buses 2015-2025. Given the concentration of government support on long pure electric range from hybrids and the far simpler pure electric buses, the latter are proving very popular. Indeed articulated and double decker buses are available in pure electric form in China. According to the latest statistics from the Chinese bus industry, the total
July 29, 2015
Dutch companies work together on automated people mover
Dutch companies Benteler Engineering Services and transit systems developer 2getthere have teamed up to work on the engineering of the third generation Group Rapid Transit (GRT) people mover vehicle, which will feature all-wheel steering, allowing for even better control of the vehicle and shorter radii in addition to being able to ‘crab’, or drive sideways, at stations. With the system being capable of carrying 5,000 passengers per hour per direction, the companies claim it is an affordable alternative
July 29, 2015
Siemens opens new traffic service operation in London
Traffic technology supplier Siemens officially opens a new regional traffic service operation in London today, solely dedicated to contracts in the capital placed with Siemens by Transport for London (TfL). The brand new depot in Enfield, one of 20 facilities around the country, is a strategic move by Siemens to manage all London activities from one location including two Traffic Control Maintenance Services contracts and the new Detection and Enforcement Infrastructure (D&EI) contract for TfL. The new E
July 29, 2015
Side road accidents ‘increase by 12% in a year’
The number of car accidents involving a driver pulling out of a side road accounted for an estimated 198,000 crashes nationwide last year, according to latest research by Accident Exchange. The accident management company analysed data from 39,000 cases of accidents it handled in 2014 and found that 9% were the result of a motorist emerging from a side road without paying enough attention. That figure in 2013 was 7.9%, representing an increase in real terms of 12% in the space of just 12 months. F
July 29, 2015
Reduced street lighting has no effect on road casualties and crime, says study
Reduced street lighting at night has no impact on road collisions or crime, says a study, led by the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine in partnership with University College London and published in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health. Many local authorities in England and Wales have reduced street lighting at night to save money and reduce carbon emissions. According to the UK’s Automobile Association (AA), its 2014 research showed that although night-time accidents in bad weat
July 29, 2015
New York’s FDR Drive gets LED signage
Dynamic LED signs supplier SES America (SESA) has successfully upgraded dynamic message signs (DMS) along Franklin D. Roosevelt Drive in Central New York City, utilising an upgrade process where the housing of the DMS is left intact on its support structure. There is no requirement to remove the sign for the upgrade installation, enabling the upgrade to be installed, tested and commissioned in less than one day. According to SESA, the FDR new high intensity LED signs and energy efficient power controls
July 28, 2015
Hitachi Rail Europe wins UK first traffic management contract
Passengers on some of the busiest commuter lines in the UK can look forward to more frequent and more reliable trains following a deal to provide new traffic management technology on the Thameslink route through central London. Network Rail and the Thameslink Programme have signed a contract with Hitachi Rail Europe (HRE) to deliver a step-change in technology through state-of-the-art traffic management technology.