News

Vector and BaselabS have formed a partnership aimed at jointly creating products and services for the development of advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) and automated driving. Vector will focus on special software tools for the development of ADAS and automated vehicles, while Baselabs will concentrates on software for data fusion in multiple-sensor scenarios, including the necessary algorithms. Baselabs will also provide application support in the development of ADAS and automated vehicles. Th

PTV Group’s truck parking app, Truck Parking Europe has been awarded this year's telematics award in the Best Innovation category at the recent IAA Commercial Vehicles exhibition. Launched in November 2013 for iOS devices, the app now lists over 15,000 registered parking spaces along Europe's main traffic routes. It is now available as an Android application and is said to be the largest free platform for lorry parking, with plenty of additional features and information on their availability. Drivers

Volvo Trucks has developed new technology specifically to protect pedestrians and cyclists. The technology, developed in a research project called Non-Hit Car and Truck in cooperation with Volvo Cars. Volvo Trucks’ research shows that limited visibility is one of the main causes of heavy truck accidents with vulnerable road users in Europe. It claims its new technology enables a vehicle to do a 360 degree scan of everything that happens around it, receiving information via sensors, radars and cameras

A recently updated report by IDTechEx, Electric Vehicle Forecasts, Trends and Opportunities 2015-2025, indicates that the global market forecast for all hybrid and pure electric vehicles is expected to exceed US$533 billion in 2025. Sales of the BMW i3 and Tesla Model S pure electric cars are rising rapidly, with Tesla holding back demand because it cannot produce enough for at least a year. Those are premium priced vehicles. The major problem with mainstream pure electric cars is price. However, App

A detailed survey carried out by international tyre manufacturer Bridgestone, road charity Brake and internet-based market research firm YouGov has revealed that a third of primary school parents have witnessed near misses outside the school gates. More than half of parents are also worried about their child’s safety near roads on the school run, as autumn arrives and the nights get darker. The survey also revealed that: Two thirds see 4-11 year olds crossing the road without holding the hand of an a

TransCore is to develop, integrate, and maintain a network of express lanes on behalf of San Francisco’s Metropolitan Transportation Commission’s (MTC) Bay Area Infrastructure Financing Authority (BAIFA). The competitively procured US$54.6 million project will see 90 miles of existing high occupancy vehicle (HOV) converted lanes into express lanes on I-680, I-880 and I-80. The aim is to improve connectivity by closing gaps in the existing HOV network and improve freeway efficiency by making the best use

Red-light safety cameras are reducing traffic dangers in Orange County, Florida, according to a recent program update presented to the Board of County Commissioners that showed drivers are stopping on red and crashes are diminishing. The presentation from the Traffic Engineering Division of the county's Public Works Department included two years of red-light camera program data (July 2011 to June 2013) from the annual reports submitted to the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, which

In a new effort to warn drivers to focus on the road, the Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT) is using its more than 250 dynamic message signs on interstates and major highways to send safety messages to drivers. The state says speeding, impaired driving, not wearing seatbelts and distracted driving are some of the leading causes of the 550 deaths to date in 2014. "Messages like ‘Put Down Your Phone and Drive, It Can Wait' or ‘Leave All Tailgating at the Game' are designed to raise awareness o

Southern Railway’s the key ITSO smart card, developed by Cubic Transportation Systems, has won the prestigious Putting Passengers First category at the National Rail Awards 2014 in London. The award recognises the close cooperation of the two organisations with the judges noting that together, Cubic and Southern have produced the first mass application national rail smart card. It provides passengers with unrestricted travel on most of the Southern network, stretching along the south coast of England, t

Austrian traffic technology corporation Swarco has acquired Munich-based transport research and consultancy firm Transver, in an agreement that will see them aggregate their comprehensive knowledge of international transportation systems (ITS) and push their cooperation with universities and research institutions in the field of intelligent traffic management. Swarco sees the acquisition as an important step in mastering the mobility challenges of the future. Both companies have extensive experience in t

Parsons Brinckerhoff, in conjunction with architect Miguel Rosales, has been awarded a contract by Cuyahoga County, Ohio for the conceptual design of a pedestrian and bicycle bridge on the lakefront in Cleveland. Intended to connect Cleveland’s downtown and the lakefront, the bridge will provide convenient access for pedestrians and cyclists and create an iconic structure, symbolising the renewed vibrancy of the lakefront district. The Parsons Brinckerhoff team will develop preliminary plans, includi

The City of Cape Town has installed an average speed over distance, or average speed enforcement, system on Nelson Mandela Boulevard in its latest attempt to address speeding and promote road safety. The system, supplied by local company Syntell, consists of three sets of cameras that will cover all incoming and outgoing lanes and will become operational later this month, measuring the speed of all vehicles travelling in both directions between the bottom of Nelson Mandela Boulevard and the N2 and M3.

According to Belgian entrance control company Automatic Systems, the market for automatic licence plate recognition (ALPR) systems is set to reach over US$800 million in 2018. Automatic Systems says its ParkPlus and TollPlus barriers for toll and parking applications are fully compatible with the ALPR technology and its mechanical and electronic components can be seamlessly integrated within the robust barrier housing. Designed for highway toll booths, the TollPlus series of barriers offer a wide rang

A US$4.6 million Highways Agency project to boost safety and reduce congestion around key junctions along the A585 south of Fleetwood in Lancashire, UK, is underway. The road is to be widened and improved at two junctions, boosting capacity between Bourne Way and West Drive and providing an additional lane in each direction. Signals at the junction with Bourne Way will improve the safety and ease for drivers joining and leaving the A585. Work on the improvements started on Monday 15 September and is due

A new study published in the International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) World Economic Outlook suggests there is a strong case for advanced economies to take advantage of low borrowing costs to increase spending on key infrastructure projects. The study examines the effects of public investment in a large number of countries; it claims that many advanced economies are stuck in a low growth and high unemployment environment and borrowing costs are low. The report says ‘an increase in infrastructure investmen