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February 6, 2015
Call for new standard for parking space sizes
YourParkingSpace.co.uk, the UK’s car parking marketplace, is calling for the introduction of SizeMark; a new parking industry standard designed to ensure that car parking spaces are large enough to accommodate modern motor vehicles. The move is needed, it claims, after research showed that while parking spaces have remained approximately the same size over the last 60 years, some vehicle models have grown by more than 20 per cent in width. Backed up by a recent survey by the AA, the result revealed that
February 6, 2015
Iteris reports growth in sensors and transportation systems
Intelligent traffic management systems supplier Iteris has reported financial results for its fiscal third quarter ended 31 December 2014, and the sixth consecutive quarter of double-digit year-over-year growth in roadway sensors revenues. Total revenues in the third quarter of fiscal 2015 increased six per cent to US$17.5 million compared to US$16.5 million in the same quarter a year ago. The increase was primarily driven by a ten per cent increase in roadway sensors and a four per cent increase in transp
February 6, 2015
Redflex fixed speed enforcement approved in Holland
RedflexSpeed-radar, Redflex’s fixed speed enforcement system, has undergone testing by the Dutch metrology institute, NMi, and verified to meet Dutch approval requirements. Under extensive testing the camera was found to perform accurately at speeds from 20km/h to 320km/h, or 12mph to 200mph. The first fixed speed enforcement system to utilise dual radar detection, maximising detection rates and eliminating anomalies such as phantom signals, reflections and other noise-related issues, RedflexSpeed-radar
February 5, 2015
London’s cycle superhighways get the go ahead
London’s streets will become more accessible for cyclists now that the Transport for London (TfL) Board has approved plans for the construction of four new cycle superhighways and upgrades to the four existing cycle superhighway routes as part of the Mayor’s Cycling Vision. The schemes, which will cost around US$243 million to deliver between now and the end of 2016, will help treble the number of cycle journeys made over the next ten years and transform London’s streets and spaces to places where cyclis
February 5, 2015
Prison sentence for holding a mobile device while driving
As of 1 February, it will be illegal for drivers in Singapore to hold any type of mobile device while driving. Previously, only calling or texting someone on a mobile phone was barred. Anyone caught holding any mobile device, phone or tablet, while driving can be found guilty of committing an offence; this means mobile phones and tablets. The new changes include not just talking or texting but also surfing the web, visiting social media sites and downloading material. The law also applies to just hold
February 5, 2015
Impact of new European Directive on toll concessions: ASECAP conference
ASECAP, the European association of operators of toll road infrastructures is organising a high level conference to analyse the impact of the new European Directive on the award of concession contracts across Europe, focusing specifically on the transport sector. The conference, whose theme is Concession model, an efficient tool to foster growth across Europe: how to build a level-playing field to attract private investors, will be held on 30 March 2015 from 1030 to 1630 at the European Economic and Soc
February 5, 2015
Colombian police turn on Raytec ALPR illuminators
Raytec illuminators have been put to an interesting use by the police force of Bogota, Colombia. With a growing need for accurate, reliable and mobile licence plate capture to combat speeding in areas with no fixed monitoring, Bogota police cars were fitted with licence plate cameras from IndigoVision and Vario infra-red illuminators from Raytec. A mobile and flexible solution was essential, with proper illumination which is mandatory to allow licence plate cameras to perform properly 24 hours a day. The
February 5, 2015
Dynamic lighting control for San Francisco’s Presidio Parkway
Canadian lighting specialist Nyx Hemera Technologies is to provide its intelligent lighting control system for the four tunnels of the Presidio Parkway in San Francisco in California, US. The company will install its tunnel lighting addressable control system (TLACS) in the four tunnels built to access the Golden Gate Bridge as a replacement for the former Doyle Drive or Route 101. All four tunnels will be equipped with the TLACS to dynamically control the luminance at the tunnel portal according to the
February 5, 2015
Praise for Obama’s FY2016 budget
US Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx joined Google executive chairman Eric Schmidt at the Google Campus in California today where he discussed the budget and unveiled Beyond Traffic, a new US Department of Transportation (DOT) analysis outlining the trends that are likely to shape the needs of our transportation system over the next three decades. Beyond Traffic includes a strong focus on how ITS technologies, including vehicle-to-vehicle communication, vehicle automation and other new technologies are
February 5, 2015
Siemens tops ABI Research’s traffic management systems vendor ranking
Siemens ranks first in ABI Research’s latest competitive assessment, Smart Transportations Market Research, which evaluates traffic management systems hardware, software, solution, and data providers. It performs strongly on innovation criteria across the board, with an extensive portfolio for traffic monitoring and video surveillance, operations and management centres, modelling and planning, intelligent traffic lights, digital signage, and dynamic tolling. It also scores high on implementation criteria
February 4, 2015
Daktronics DMS receives TERL approval
Florida’s Traffic Engineering Research Laboratory (TERL) has added Daktronics’ most recent transportation innovation, a single-line 20mm high-resolution (HRFC), full-colour dedicated dynamic message sign, the VM-1020 series LED display, to its approved product listing. In addition to expanding Daktronics product offering, the VM-1020 features variable character and background colours such as black letters or numbers on a white background. The sign’s HRFC capabilities allow agencies to match the display’s
February 4, 2015
PTV Group honoured as world market leader
Germany-based software company PTV Group has been awarded the prestigious 2015 Global Leadership Seal awarded by the business publisher German Standards (Deutsche Standards). The new edition of the Encyclopaedia of Global Market Leaders, published by Deutsche Standards, details the position and power of innovation of German companies, documenting their outstanding global position in their sectors. Publisher Dr Florian Langenscheidt says: "World market leaders from Germany stand for quality and technol
February 4, 2015
A better use for the UK’s commuter railways?
A new report by think tank the Institute of Economic Affairs looks at an alternative to expanding the rail network in the UK. The report, Paving over the tracks: a better use of Britain’s railways?, by Paul Withrington and Richard Wellings outlines how commuters could pay over 40 per cent less for their journeys and more passengers could enjoy the luxury of a seat if the industry was sufficiently liberalised to allow some commuter railways in London to be converted into busways. The success of the bu
February 4, 2015
Reviving rural public transport
A recent seminar in Krakow, Poland, on proactive marketing for sustainable rural transport, delivered as part of the EC-funded project SmartMove, provided advice to local authorities and others on the use of individualised marketing to maximise patronage of rural transport systems on tight budgets. About 40 people attended the event, including several local politicians and public transport stakeholders in Poland. The SmartMove project is based on a successful pilot project carried out in 2009 in a rural
February 4, 2015
Jacobs wins TxDOT traffic engineering contracts
Jacobs Engineering Group has been awarded three contracts by the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) to provide services for various projects state-wide. The three contracts will see Jacobs provide: traffic engineering and planning studies primarily in the El Paso District; engineering services for the preparation of plans, specifications and estimates (PS&E) and related documents for various on-system and off-system bridge replacements state-wide; and professional land surveying services within