News

Germany’s largest public transport corporation Berliner Verkehrsbetriebe (BVG) has ordered around 900 ticket terminals from Höft & Wessel, including over 580 stationary ticket terminals for the underground and more than 300 mobile ticket vending machines for fare payment on trams. The Hannover-based company will also supply the central management system for the ticket vending machines. The order also includes a long-term service agreement. Delivery of the new ticket vending terminal system is planne

The US Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) plans to issue deployment guidance on connected vehicles to transportation infrastructure owner/operators in 2015 and is seeking input on what would best support decision-making and deployments at the state and local level. The FHWA is specifically seeking input on the following: • What type of guidance is needed to best support the successful deployment of connected vehicle technologies? • What specific issues would you like to see addressed for plannin

New York’s Super Bowl Boulevard is set to benefit from a transport management plan developed by Sam Schwartz Engineering (SSE), working with the National Football League and SP+ Gameday. Super Bowl Boulevard, a football-themed, fan-focused event along Broadway between 34th and 47th Streets, will be open to the public during the week of the Super Bowl from 29 January to 1 February. Wednesday, January 29 through Saturday, February 1. Broadway will be closed to traffic from noon to 12 pm during the even

The Mayor and Transport for London have awarded over US$26 million to boroughs across London so they can make key cycling improvements in their local areas. The money, which will be made available over three years, will enable boroughs to deliver measures to help increase the take up of cycling and make London more easily accessible and safe on two-wheels. Thousands of cycle parking spaces will be installed across London, with more than 5,000 delivered in Kensington & Chelsea and Waltham Forest al

According to Frost and Sullivan, the use of Ethernet technology in automotive is gaining pace in Europe and North America. The paradigm shift towards connected cars and associated services such as automotive app stores and connected location-based services is fuelling the uptake. Along with the need to integrate multiple consumer electronic devices, the importance of offering prioritised, personalised services and maintaining brand identity are compelling automotive OEMs (original equipment manufacturers) t

Brazil’s government has announced the investment of US$2 billion for the modernisation and expansion of the subway in Belo Horizonte, one of the host cities of the 2014 FIFA World Cup and the capital city of the state of Minas Gerais. The project will be a joint venture between the federal and state governments and the Belo Horizonte municipal government. Works include the construction of new stations and access improvements to existing stations, along with extensions and modernisation of existing lines

The UK Supreme Court has unanimously dismissed the appeals against the HS2 high speed rail line. Following a Court of Appeal ruling in which the government won on all seven areas of challenge, the Court of Appeal gave permission to appeal to the Supreme Court on two grounds: the claim that the government was required to comply with the Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) Directive, and failed to do so (this ground was led by HS2 Action Alliance, and supported by the Local Authorities and Heathrow Hu

French smart card supplier Ask has been selected by M2M Corporation in Casablanca to upgrade the M’dina Bus ticketing system by providing the contactless cards for the city’s new bus network. M’dina Bus is the main public transportation in Casablanca, with more than 1.5 million passengers a day. The company has installed a centralised system using Ask smart cards based on the CD 21 chip. “The new multi-purpose smart cards are easier to use and more reliable. They also have the potential to provide gr

To address the traffic needs of one of the busiest traffic corridors in the US, TransCore and the New Jersey Meadowlands Commission are on schedule to complete another phase of an adaptive traffic control system - just in time for Super Bowl 2014. To improve traffic flow and reduce congestion, TransCore began engineering and installing an adaptive traffic control system at more than 100 intersections throughout the 30-square miles of the Hackensack Meadowlands District.

Adaptis Solutions has implemented its dash park and go ANPR service at London’s North Greenwich underground station car park in close partnership with car park operator NCP. dash is used to provide cashless payments, season tickets and multi ticketing options. The system provides customers with the option to make payments by phone, text, mobile websites, mobile apps and a UK based call centre. The system includes a wi-fi hotspot at the car park to enable quick, easy and secure access to the dash cas

A new study by automotive company Continental finds a clear majority of motorists would welcome automated driving. The Continental Mobility Study 2013 indicates that 79 per cent of drivers in China, 77 per cent in Japan, 53 per cent in Germany, and 50 per cent in the US realise the benefit of automated driving. When asked about their individual intentions for using the technology, drivers specified they would primarily like to be driven through freeway roadworks and congestion and long freeway stretches.

As part of a US$7.2 million E-ZPass system upgrade, the cameras in E-ZPass lanes across New Hampshire are capturing the licence plates of all vehicles as they pass through the lanes. The devices have brighter, more visible LED flashes, and capture front and rear licence plates. The new systems have been installed in E-ZPass toll lanes within the last two months. They feature a better violation detection system and also upgraded technology that ensure vehicles that pass through the tolls match the vehicl

A consultant's report prepared for the Australian Capital Territory ACT) Roads department found that a full-scale rollout of intelligent transportation systems could cost about US$79 million but save US$116 million per year through lower rates of accidents and traffic delays. The government has included plans for a traffic management centre in its infrastructure, to be considered for future budget funding. The centre could eventually be linked to a network of cameras, road weather monitoring stations, v

San Francisco’s Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC) is to trial a ‘smart’ street lighting central management system, (CMS) developed by UK-based smart street lighting company Telensa. The SFPUC owns, operates and maintains over half the city’s street lights and recently announced a project to replace its high pressure sodium cobra-head style light fixtures with ultra-efficient light emitting diodes (LED) luminaires. Telensa’s PLANet (Public Lighting Active Network) street light central management sys

The leading international event for IT solutions in public transport, IT-Trans International Conference and Exhibition, takes place at the Karlsruhe Trade Fair Centre, Karlsruhe, Germany, 18-20 February 2014. Visitors will hear from a series of experienced international experts on a variety of topics, including Ralph Langner, a leading global expert on cyber defence. Exhibitors from 25 countries will display IT products and services for urban mobility, from e-ticketing and passenger information systems