News

VisLab, a spin-off of the University of Parma, Italy, has been acquired by US image processing systems developer Ambarella for US$30 million. VisLab, founded in 2009 and managed by Alberto Broggi, professor of the Department of Information Engineering, specialises in computer vision software, particularly for automotive applications. The company has won several awards for its research and for its challenges such as the 15,000 kilometres autonomous vehicle driving test from Parma to Shanghai in 2010.

The Legacy Way expressway, in Brisbane, Australia, is now open to traffic. The seven kilometre long expressway is approximately and includes one 4.6 kilometre long twin-tube tunnel connecting the Western Freeway with the Inner City Bypass. Traffic on the expressway is forecast to rise from 34,200 vehicles on an average weekday to 50,800 in 2026. Brisbane City Council (BCC) awarded the contract for the design, construction, operation and maintenance of the seven kilometre long expressway to the Transcity

Swarco has installed a new dynamic parking guidance system in the city of Bergisch-Gladbach, Germany, in an effort to achieve a more efficient usage of the existing parking facilities in the city. Eight parking lots are integrated into the system, which features an open parking capability to detect vehicles entering and leaving cars via video technology. The system also includes 29 LCD variable message signs (VMS), five of which feature two-line information displays to display local event information.

According to a new market research report, Australia Intelligent Transport System (ITS) Market by application, system (ATMS, ATIS, ITS - Enabled Transportation Pricing System, APTS and CVO) and Territory (New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, Western Australia, Rest of Australia) - Forecast to 2020, published by MarketsandMarkets, the Australian intelligent transportation systems market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 14.41 per cent between 2015 and 2020, and reach US$1,130.2 million by 2020. The continuo

The US Department of Transportation (USDOT) is hosting a series of webinars on the key issues and opportunities facing automated vehicle and transportation systems. Fundamental Issues for Road Transport Automation is the first in this series of webinars produced from the 2015 Automated Vehicles Symposium. This 90-minute webinar will explore the issues that need to be addressed to advance the deployment of automated road transport systems.

The European Investment Bank (EIB) has provided two loans totalling over US$85 million for the purchase of modern energy-efficient low-floor trams for Krakow and Upper Silesia Agglomeration in Poland. The EIB will also finance the modernisation of the existing tram stock and infrastructure in Silesia.

Luxembourg's parliament has approved a law paving the way for the installation of 20 fixed and six mobile speed cameras along the Grand Duchy's roads. The bill was accepted on Wednesday following a debate in which deputies were reminded that 35 people lost their lives on the country's roads in 2014 and 245 were seriously injured. Studies have shown that in nearly half of all fatal accidents in the country, lives could have been saved by reducing speed.

Image Sensing Systems (ISS) has announced the sale of its automatic number plate recognition (ANPR/LPR) business to TagMaster for the purchase price of US$4.2 million in cash. ISS has decided to shift its strategic direction and focus to the intelligent transportation systems (ITS) market by investing in its Autoscope video detection and RTMS radar detection products and solutions. As of 9 July 2015, the ANPR/LPR business, including all products and solutions, will transition to TagMaster. TagMaster was fou

SES America, under contract with the Rhode Island Airport Corporation (RIAC), has successfully installed and commissioned the first full colour walk-in dynamic message sign in the state of Rhode Island. The sign is part of SESA’s Messenger 6000 family of highly energy efficient signs and will be used by the Airport Corporation to display information related to airport traffic, parking and public advisories. With its large size, high resolution, and ability to display both text and graphics, the sign will im

A new group called Fix 66 has been formed to advocate for a managed lanes and bus rapid transit system in the I-66 corridor, outside of the Capital Beltway, by maximising private sector investment and minimising potential impacts to its communities, businesses and commuters during construction. Anthony Bedell, a lifelong Fairfax County resident, local political leader and former official of the US Department of Labour and US Small Business Administration, says he is starting the Fix 66 group to give a vo

The International Bridge, Tunnel and Turnpike Association (IBTTA) has announced the winners of the 2015 Toll Excellence Award competition that recognises excellence, innovation and achievement in the tolling industry. “This year’s submissions were particularly innovative,” said Patrick D. Jones, executive director and CEO of IBTTA. “There were many great examples of projects highlighting new ideas and emerging practices throughout the international tolling industry. A new category, Private Sector Innova

KPMG has criticised the UK Chancellor for lack of investment in regional transport infrastructure in his Summer Budget 2015. Chris Hearld, chairman for KPMG in the North, said: “Once again we have seen the Northern Powerhouse being a key plank to the Chancellor’s Budget announcement. We have always maintained that for the Northern Powerhouse to succeed, all parts of the region need to be brought on board, so it was encouraging to hear that following the lead set by Manchester, devolution deals are in the

TransCore has unveiled new technology that will provide motorists with access to any toll road throughout the US, eliminating the need for a toll tag on the windshield. TransCore’s Universal Toll Module (UTM) multi-protocol toll tag is designed to be integrated into the vehicle manufacturing process rather than an after-market application. Because the UTM functions on all US toll roads, motorists will no longer need to cover their windshields with various types of toll tags for different regions of t

Siemens is switching 9,000 street lights to LED technology in the US city of Manchester in New Hampshire. Some 4,500 lamps have already been refitted and the work should be completed by the end of September. Siemens will also be responsible for service and maintenance work. Siemens says LED technology reduces power consumption by 60 per cent and will bring the city considerable financial benefits, with annual savings of US$500,000 in terms of energy and maintenance costs such as replacing light bulbs.

Heavy goods vehicles (HGVs) powered by compressed natural gas (CNG) will soon be able to fill up close to junction 28 on the M6 in Lancashire as CNG Fuels has secured planning permission for the UK's largest CNG filling station which should be open in late 2015. According to CNG Fuels, the new station will be the first high pressure connected, public-access CNG filling station in the UK, capable of refuelling five hundred plus HGVs per day, or as much as 3,500 kg of CNG per hour. CNG dispensed from local