News

The 42nd annual ASECAP study and information days, to be held in Athens from 26 to 278 May 2014, will explore the role of the tolled roads in ensuring sustainability in times of dwindling traffic. It will allow high-level panellists representing toll road infrastructure operators, EU decision-makers and ministers to discuss sustainability issues related to infrastructure financing, operation, maintenance, safety and the environment, while considering how intelligent transport systems contribute to the achie

Redflex Holdings has announced the appointment of non-executive director, Adam Gray to the position of chairman. Gray brings significant investment and operational experience to the Board of Redflex, having led a variety of operational turnarounds, financial restructurings and strategy development over the course of his career. He has a BSE Finance from the Wharton School and a BS Mechanical Engineering from the University of Pennsylvania.

One of Queensland’s highest priority road infrastructure projects has been secured for the state, with the federal and Queensland governments announcing they will deliver the long-awaited tolled Toowoomba Second Range Crossing (TSRC). Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Infrastructure and Regional Development Warren Truss called for the private sector to register interest in building the project. He said: “The registration process will move to a formal expression of interest stage over the next cou

Iteris has expanded its international distribution channels for road sensors with six new partners in Australia, Canada, Latin America and Middle East. The new partners include: GGI Road & Traffic, Eastern Canada (Ontario, Quebec, Maritimes); Alcolisti, Ecuador; Sutec Peru, Argentina, Colombia, Panama, Peru; Traffic Tech, Gulf/Middle East (Bahrain, Jordan, Qatar); KTC/Kazarooni Associates, United Arab Emirates; and Jenoptik Australia, Australia, New Zealand. “Our solutions offer traffic engineers and pla

Sensys Traffic has received orders worth US$13 million from the Swedish Transport Administration as part of its three-year contract with the authority. The orders are for equipment to be used in the Swedish automatic traffic control (ATC) system, indicating that the Swedish Transport Administration intends to expand the system. The orders include monitoring systems, roadside cabinets and spare parts for speed enforcement. Almost two-thirds of the order is for replacement of existing ATC systems, while

European traffic information provider Mediamobile and Volvo cars have joined forces to provide Mediamobile’s V-traffic information service in Volvo’s in-car navigation systems. Aiming to provide the traffic services best adapted to the needs of all drivers, wherever they are located, Volvo has opted for V-Traffic RDS-TMC Europe, a suite of local traffic services with European coverage. By offering drivers high-quality, lifetime traffic information, free to use – even across national boundaries – the car

Essential road resurfacing works in Melbourne, Australia, led to the closing of two major tunnels for five days over the Christmas period. Despite predictions of major congestion, extensive planning and the use of BlipTrack Bluetooth and wi-fi sensors at key locations, delays were minimised. Installed by BlipTrack’s Australian partner, Austraffic, the sensors provided VicRoads highway department with data to assess how a diversion route was operating and to compare journey times with previous days or

The results of a two-pronged investigation by researchers from the Minnesota Traffic Observatory at the US University of Minnesota on the safety related effects of flashing LED stop signs have just been released. They conducted two studies: a statistical study to compare the crash frequency after installation of a flashing LED stop signs at 15 intersections to a prediction of what that crash frequency would have been had the flashing LED stop signs not been installed; and a field study using video to exa

The European research project AdaptIVe (Automated Driving Applications & Technologies for Intelligent Vehicles), a consortium of 29 partners, began work on 1 February. It aims to achieve breakthrough advances that will lead to more efficient and safe automated driving. The consortium, led by Volkswagen, consists of ten major automotive manufacturers, suppliers, research institutes and universities and small and medium-sized businesses. The project has a budget of US$33.7 million and is funded by the Eu

A move by Transport for London (TfL) to modernise the London Underground, including the loss of 950 jobs and the closure of all ticket offices has led to the widespread strikes currently being experienced by travellers. The National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers (RMT) has called for the withdrawal of the cuts, saying that the plans are discriminatory and would leave important groups of staff vulnerable to abuse and assault as enforced lone working is pushed through. TfL claims the meas

Wavetronix is to carry out what it calls a first-of-its-kind installation of its SmartSensor Matrix in the city of Tustin, California for the Tustin Ranch Road Extension project. As part of the project, the city is incorporating cycle detection technology and is using Wavetronix radar in a unique ‘in-the-box detection designed to ensure that cyclists can safely pass through signal-controlled intersections before the light changes to red. SmartSensor Matrix is able to detect cycles and register them

In what is said to be an Australian first, infrastructure firm Global Road Technology (GRT) has been awarded a contract by the Indonesian military to build and develop roads across 1500 kilometres of the country’s border regions for civilian use with its specifically developed rapid deployment road stabilisation technology. The technology has been specifically designed using in-situ material that can be rapidly deployed across border regions by the Indonesian military. These road stabilisation products

Jenoptik’s Traffic Solutions division has received an iF design award 2014 in the public design category for its new camera housing, TraffiTower 2.0. The iF design awards recognise outstanding design as assessed by international expert juries. Jenoptik says its TraffiTower 2.0 combines design and high functionality for traffic monitoring using laser or radar. Two completely independently functioning measuring systems can be built into the housing, enabling users to flexibly monitor speed or red light vio

The regional European Electronic Toll Services (EETS) initiative is about to be kick-started by over US$3 million of co-financing from the European Union TEN-T Program. A a series of studies aimed at deploying EETS on a cross-border regional scale, selected for funding under the 2012 TEN-T multi-annual programme, specifically cover the electronically tolled primary road network of seven member states: Austria, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, Poland and Spain, and Switzerland, which receives no EU suppor

Responding to reports that the UK Highways Agency is to roll out speed cameras on stretches of ‘smart’ motorways, road safety charity Brake has spoken in support of the proposal. Julie Townsend, deputy chief executive, Brake, the road safety charity, said: "Speed cameras are an extremely well evidenced, cost-effective way to improve safety and reduce deaths and injuries on roads where they are placed, preventing families going through the trauma of a sudden bereavement or life-changing injury. Put simpl