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Researchers at Oxford University in the UK are testing a combination of off-the-shelf technology which could enable a car to drive itself for sections of a familiar route. Dr Ingmar Posner of the University’s mobile robotics group is part of a team working on the car which he believes could affordably reach the showrooms in ten or fifteen years.

Launched in October 2011, Transport for London’s Countdown real time bus information service has proven extremely popular. The latest research shows that around 830,000 bus journeys made in London each day are informed by live bus arrival information. Building on this success, TfL has developed a new way of delivering live bus arrival information to a range of public locations, such as hospital waiting rooms or shopping centre foyers. This means that real time bus arrival information can be provided to pa

On show for the first time at Traffex 2013 is Siemens’ Stratos, which the company says demonstrates the future of traffic management. Developed using the latest cloud-based technology, Stratos delivers scalable real-time traffic management, information and control; from basic monitoring to strategic control of complex urban traffic environments. According to Mark Bodger, product manager, Stratos is the latest generation of traffic management, information and control systems from Siemens and the most effect

Toll roads in Orange County California are due to go cashless and all-electronic (AET) in the spring of 2014 according to an announcement from the Transportation Corridors Agencies (TCA) which has just has just approved a contracts with TransCore. The contract is for US$36.42 million and provides for provision of a new toll system that is regular AET mix of RFID transponder tolling and image based licence plate reads in an open road setting. TransCore will also maintain the system for ten years. A statement

As part of an initiative to create 3,000 public and workplace stations over the next five years and to put 40,000 plug-in hybrid vehicles on the road in the state, New York is to have more than 360 electric vehicle (EV) charging stations installed throughout the state to help reduce fossil fuel use. Announcing the project, Governor Andrew Cuomo said, “Building this network of innovative charging stations will encourage New Yorkers to use fuel-efficient alternatives like electric vehicles as well as grow the

Road experts led by Australia’s University of New South Wales (NSW) professor Mike Regan are to conduct what is said to be the most thorough traffic safety study in Australian history. Cameras inside and outside cars will film 400 volunteers in Victoria and New South Wales in an effort to analyse the cause of crashes and change driver education and road safety campaigns. The cameras will record how drivers behaved and reacted in ''real world'' situations. John Wall, manager of road safety technology with N

Sick is taking advantage of Traffex to launch its TIC102 laser measurement system at Traffex 2013, part of the company’s growing portfolio of vehicle and traffic management solutions in the UK, Following the acquisition of the Swiss-based company ECTN. The TIC102 offers real time vehicle profiling and classification for multi-lane, free flowing or stop-go traffic. As well as providing collection data for tolls, it can be used for monitoring vehicle speed, vehicle dimensions and vehicle intervals, even with

Engineering and technology company Delcan has been awarded a five year contract to operate and maintain the Hawaii Department of Transportation’s freeway service patrol (FSP) program. Delcan will install, operate and manage the entire program, including procurement and maintenance of FSP vehicles and equipment; provide and train staff; and manage FSP vehicle dispatch. As a popular vacation destination, the Hawaii FSP program will benefit both local motorists and tourist who require motorist assistance, such

Schneider Electric will use the ITS America Annual Meeting to highlight its Integrated Transportation Management which it says is a unique solution that improves mobility through efficient operation of the transportation network and city resources. This provides the comprehensive structure necessary to foster information-sharing and coordination across multiple government agencies. The solution is part of Schneider Electric’s complete suite of SmartCity and SmartMobility solutions that promote more efficien

Daktronics comes to the ITS America Annual Meeting with an offer to help agencies ‘Sharpen the Image’ of their dynamic messages signs with the introduction of its new 20mm full-colour Vanguard product line. As the company points out, the dissemination of critical information to drivers is a leading priority for transportation agencies across the United States. Enabling this effort is the recent evolution of NTCIP and MUTCD standards encouraging the use of colour and legible graphics. These efforts allow age

As part of an effort by policymakers to make better use of the nation’s airwaves, Congress last year directed the National Telecommunications & Information Administration (NTIA) to examine the potential for spectrum sharing in the 5.4 GHz and 5.9 GHz bands, the latter of which was set aside by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in 1999 for the development of connected vehicle technology. On January 25, the NTIA issued an initial report expressing concern about the potential interference risks asso

As part of a larger effort to curb emissions from port-related vehicles, the Port of Seattle and its container terminal operating tenants have gone live with a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag program in support of the port’s Clean Truck Initiative. The program roll-out was a success, involving an average of over 2,000 truck gate moves a day with less than two percent of all port registered trucks reporting issues, which were able to be resolved in most cases within fifteen minutes. By gathering t

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is seeking comments on a proposed rule that would make the 5.85-5.925 GHz band of spectrum available for expanded wi-fi services. The band is currently dedicated to uses associated with connected vehicle programs. FCC officials announced earlier this year that the commission is seeking to open up the 5 GHz band in order to alleviate wi-fi congestion at major hubs, such as airports and convention centres. However, there are concerns that the technology to prevent

Management consulting and technology company Accenture and Rail Solutions, an SNCF subsidiary, have successfully delivered a range of passenger-focused systems for new Italian rail operator, Nuovo Trasporto Viaggiatori (NTV), including an advanced reservation and distribution platform, a revenue management system and a customer relationship management (CRM) system. Having chosen Navitaire Rail’s hosted reservation solution, developed by Accenture subsidiary Navitaire, NTV awarded its implementation to Accen

To support its growing video camera business worldwide, TRW Automotive Holdings has launched production of camera systems in the US and is investing in its electronics facility in Illinois. TRW's scalable video camera (S-Cam) family incorporates technology from Mobileye and can provide a range of safety functions including lane departure warning, forward collision warning, headlight control, traffic sign recognition and pedestrian detection. When integrated with vehicle chassis systems, the S-Cam can provid