News

New research by the UK’s RAC Foundation indicates that speed cameras reduce the number of fatal and serious collisions in areas where they are installed. Analysis of data for 551 fixed speed cameras in nine areas shows that on average the number of fatal and serious collisions in their vicinity fell by more than a quarter (twenty-seven per cent) after their installation. There was also an average reduction of fifteen per cent in personal injury collisions in the vicinity of the 551 cameras.

Norwegian toll systems supplier Q-Free is to supply its OBU610 on board toll tag to the Expressway Authority of Thailand (EXAT). Due to Q-Free’s use of new production technology, the US£2 million order will be delivered within a month. Q-Free’s universal OBU610 is designed to blend into the interior of any modern vehicle and supports all 5.8GGhz CEN DSRC protocols for automatic vehicle identification and toll fee collection.

TransCore’s SCATS adaptive signal control technology is featured as one of the notable success stories in the recent American Society of Civil Engineer’s (ASCE) 2013 Report Card for America’s Infrastructure. In the road category, the report spotlights the Atlanta smart corridor project that deployed SCATS along an extended stretch of highway with twenty-nine intersections. The speedy return on investment showed savings estimated at US$5.9 million annually due to reduced vehicle travel times and a 34 percent

A jury of six telematics experts from across the industry selected WirelessCar as the Best Telematics Product or Service Launch in an Emerging Market (BRIC Region) and recognised Martin Rosell, managing director of WirelessCar, who received the Telematics Leadership Award. These awards were presented in Detroit at the telematics conference and hosted by Telematics Update.

A number of towns and cities in England will benefit from US$7.7 million in funding to reduce pollution from local buses, local transport minister Norman Baker has announced. Local authorities will be able to bid for grants of up to US$1.5 million from the Department for Transport’s Clean Bus Technology Fund. This will allow them to upgrade local buses with pollution-reducing technologies such as cleaner engines or exhaust after-treatment equipment.

Audi drivers are to get a little help in their search for a parking spot, thanks to the new Inrix Park service. The new offering, which is being rolled out to Audi Connect users, provides detailed analysis of the best off-street parking options at 34,000 parking garages and structures across Europe. Audi drivers who use the service can get turn-by-turn directions to the car park, as well as rates and hours. In some cases, the service will even show the number of available parking spots.

Vitronic is to supply police forces in the Gulf region with 300 fixed PoliScan speed enforcement systems, including service and maintenance. The order is for the latest generation PoliScan speed LIDAR–based enforcement systems with high-resolution colour cameras. Delivery of the first fifty systems is scheduled for the end of July.

The European Drive C2X project has reached its main milestone in the successful implementation of the Drive C2X communication system and the start of field operational tests (FOT) of cooperative systems all over Europe. The third and final demonstration event on 13 and 14 June at the project's Swedish test site at Lindholmen Park in Gothenburg provides a unique opportunity for visitors to gain hands-on experience of the Drive C2X functions in a running FOT. Fostering the global deployment of cooperative sys

Hoping to lay the groundwork for a future integrated system across the state, Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) officials launched its first comprehensive transit plan that will attempt to create a complete picture of existing local systems, future needs and gaps in service. With no funding available to create a complete statewide transit system, transportation leaders are instead working towards integration among the existing local and regional systems, possibly with a CDOT-managed connector ope

Congested roads across England are to be tackled with US$253 million of funding, UK transport secretary Patrick McLoughlin has announced. This is the second tranche of funding from the US$291 million Local Pinch Point Fund, first announced in December 2012. A further 62 schemes have won department funding, bringing the total number of schemes financed by the fund to 72. Combined with local contributions, the total investment rises to more than US$460 million.

This year’s ITS Europe conference saw the launch of a new weigh in motion (WIM) system from Kapsch TrafficCom. The innovative solution allows vehicles to be weighed whilst on the move, helping to control the number of overloaded heavy vehicles on the roads, increasing road safety, reducing wear and tear and lowering emissions. The solution uses a number of sensors to detect whether the vehicle exceeds the permitted weight along with a number of other enforcement functions. The sensors identify the vehicle b

Nottingham Trent University undergraduate Charles Gale hopes his new hologram road signs which ‘pulse’ at drivers will lead to a revolution in the way motorists are given information on the roads. Utilising lenticular hologram technology, the signs display an animated reflective image which appears to pulse in day or night as road users approach and pass them.

Lithuanian Railways are set to benefit from new rolling stock following a US$65.3 million loan agreement with the European Investment Bank (EIB). After the support for the upgrading of railway infrastructure and purchase of new locomotives, this is now the third EIB operation aimed at modernising Lithuanian railways. “The EIB strongly promotes sustainable transport, and railways will remain one of the most energy-efficient and least polluting land transport modes. We therefore particularly welcome this agre

The International Bridge, Tunnel and Turnpike Association (IBTTA), the worldwide transportation association has announced the winners of its 2013 Toll Excellence Award competition that recognises excellence, innovation and achievement in the tolling industry. “This year’s submissions were particularly innovative,” said Patrick D. Jones, executive director and CEO of IBTTA. “There were many great examples of operations, technology, customer service and social responsibility, which made it difficult for our j

Siemens is to supply an intelligent transportation system for the Polish city of Poznan to integrate public and private transport in an effort to reduce congestion and enhance the attractiveness of public transportation. The contract, awarded by the Poznan transportation authority Zarząd Dróg Miejskich w Poznaniu (ZDM) is valued at around US$20 million. Commissioning of the system is scheduled for spring 2015.