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April 13, 2015
New survey reveals Edinburgh leads the way in urban mobility
A new survey from Xerox finds Edinburgh is making the best use of urban mobility opportunities in the UK. Edinburgh ranked first among 12 of the UK cities surveyed for having commuters who regularly use mobile services for parking, ticket buying and comparing transportation services. London was ranked second, Brighton third, while Glasgow ranked fourth. The research also suggested that integrating car and public transport options is a critical factor in increasing the use of urban spaces. While the majo
April 10, 2015
Brazil-Spain group could lose highway contract
An engineering consortium made up of Brazil's Mendes Junior and Spain's Isolux Corsán could be stripped of its US$208 million contract to build part of the northern stretch of the Mario Covas beltway surrounding the city of São Paulo. The consortium, led by Mendes Junior, is having difficulty honouring commitments due to a lack of cash flow and, according to São Paulo state highway company Dersa, it is not completing works according to the contract schedule signed in January 2013, local paper Folha de Sã
April 10, 2015
US to offer smart transportation solutions for three Indian cities
The US Department of Transportation has agreed to offer sustainable transport solutions for the cities of Allahabad, Ajmer and Visakhapatnam, India, according to a report from the Press Trust of India. Bilateral cooperation in the field of transportation was discussed during a meeting between visiting US Secretary of Transportation Anthony Foxx and Urban Development Minister M. Venkaiah Naidu. The two sides focused on cooperation on the transportation essentials of smart cities including efficient pub
April 10, 2015
Rennicks launches Bluetooth traffic monitoring at Traffex
Rennicks UK, in conjunction with Bluetrace, is using Traffex 2015 to launch a new traffic management system which it says is a significant leap forward in the battle to improve safety and reduce congestion. The system, developed in conjunction with Bluetrace, uses the most sensitive Bluetooth and wi-fi technology on the market to monitor and measure traffic movement from the roadside by connecting to devices inside vehicles. The data is transmitted to a central location to present a clear, real-time p
April 10, 2015
Potholes and road safety a bigger priority for future government, says survey
The next government must make road safety a top priority, with more than 50 per cent of motorists believing the current administration had not made the issue enough of a concern, according to a survey conducted by the Institute of Advanced Motorists (IAM). A total of 2,156 people took part in the IAM survey throughout March 2015. The number one gripe amongst those who answered the poll said reducing the number of potholes should be the government’s number one action point, with 70 per cent of respondents
April 10, 2015
Construction begins on I-11 connecting Las Vegas and Phoenix
Construction has begun on Interstate 11 (I-11), from I-515 to US 93, a 15-mile landmark project that will support Nevada’s continued economic prosperity through enhanced commerce, increased tourism and improved connectivity between Nevada and Arizona as well as beyond to Canada and Mexico. Designated by the federal government as the future highway, I-11 will connect Las Vegas and Phoenix, the only two cities in the nation with populations of more than one million residents not currently linked by an inte
April 10, 2015
Verona selects Nedap real-time parking sensors
Following a pilot project, the city of Verona in Italy has integrated Nedap’s Sensit wireless parking sensors with Wes Park software from Project Automation in a bid to manage parking in the city’s narrow streets. By introducing Nedap’s Sensit sensors, which improve utilisation of the city’s existing parking spaces, AMT, the service company managing the Verona Urban Parking Plan is now able to optimise parking. The system consists of wireless parking sensors that detect in real-time whether or not a s
April 10, 2015
Uber Technologies joins ITS America Leadership Circle
San Francisco-based Uber Technologies has joined the Intelligent Transportation Society of America (ITS America) Leadership Circle and will join 39 established members of the Circle. Thomas E. Kern, ITS America interim president and chief executive officer, said. “Uber is a perfect fit for this prestigious group of innovative transportation organisations,” Kern said. “The company created a new mobile platform that empowers individuals to make on-demand mobility decisions, and we are excited to bring th
April 10, 2015
Intuicom, Econolite awarded ITS communications systems upgrade
Traffic and intelligent transportation systems (ITS) supplier Intuicom has been awarded the traffic signal communication system upgrade by the City of Pueblo, Colorado. The award, made in conjunction with Intuicom’s technology partner, Econolite Group, followed extensive testing by the City’s Traffic Maintenance Division to validate system compatibility and the high-capacity throughput required of the radios to support Pueblo’s new array of Centracs traffic signal central operating system. The projec
April 9, 2015
Irish harbour invests in smart imaging technology
To support its growth into a major marine and leisure destination, Dún Laoghaire Harbour in Ireland has invested in smart imaging and detection technologies from Hikvision to provide up to date surveillance of the 100-hectare complex. The new system, designed and installed by Hikvision’s Cork-based distributor, Mercury SD, expands the existing CCTV system with new Hikvision SMART IP cameras to greatly extend the reach and scope of the surveillance to the outer reaches of the harbour. All the cameras link
April 9, 2015
Microsoft research aims to predict traffic jams
Microsoft Research is working with Federal University of Minas Gerais in Brazil to tackle the problem of traffic jams. The immediate objective of this research is to predict traffic conditions over the next 15 minutes to an hour, so that drivers can be forewarned of likely traffic snarls. The Traffic Prediction Project plans to combine all available traffic data, including both historic and current information gleaned from transportation departments, Bing traffic maps, road cameras and sensors and the so
April 9, 2015
India, USA sign Memorandum of Cooperation for transportation
A new Memorandum of Cooperation for India-US transportation aims to foster cooperative work on key issues of mutual interest for all modes of transportation, coordinating public and private sector resources and expertise to advance safe, secure, efficient and integrated transportation systems. It would cover areas like highway transportation, urban transportation, safety and environmental protections, vehicle and behavioural safety, fuel efficiency, rail transportation, maritime shipping and intermodal
April 9, 2015
Integrated public transport systems ‘make travel easier and more affordable’
Streamlining schedules, stops, fares, and passenger information among subways, buses and commuter rail, will make it easier for passengers, cut down on operational costs and boost operational revenue, according to a new World Bank paper published today, Public Transport Service Optimisation and System Integration. The paper, which is part of the China Transport Notes Series produced by the World Bank in Beijing to share experiences about the transformation of the Chinese transport sector, claims lack of
April 9, 2015
City of Toronto to use traffic data to get Toronto moving
The City of Toronto is investing in the power of data to help understand how, where and when people travel and how the City can use this information to better assist the public in moving around Toronto. The city is creating a Big Data Innovation Team which will build on some of the current big data work of Transportation Services, including: developing a Big Travel Data strategy for Transportation Services to determine ways to make this type of information available; partnering with McMaster University
April 9, 2015
Tolls ‘on the rise as highway funding dries up’
The US-based Brookings Institution has commented on the highway funding debate in the US in a paper by Robert Puentes, a senior fellow with the Institution’s Metropolitan Policy Program He says that, as uncertainties abound over federal transportation spending and another shortfall in the Highway Trust Fund looms, states and localities are stepping up to address their infrastructure challenges head on. By raising gas taxes, launching ballot initiatives, and forging public-private partnerships, regions ar