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Developed by researchers led by civil engineering associate professor Henry Liu at the University of Minnesota, the SMART Signal (Systematic Monitoring of Arterial Road Traffic Signals) system is said to be reducing congestion on roads controlled by traffic lights. The system automatically collects and processes data from traffic signal controllers at multiple intersections. It then creates performance measures, including information on the times and locations congestion occurs on a given road. Traffic eng

The results of the US$33.8 million (€26 million) European Bus System of the Future (EBSF) project have been announced following four years of intensive research and high-profile work. The project, which started in the midst of the financial crisis in 2008 and achieved several key results, aimed to develop a new generation of urban bus systems adapted to the needs of European cities as well as improving the perception of bus transport. By defining the bus system as a whole, rather than looking just at the v

The urban business group of Finnish consulting and engineering company Pöyry has been awarded a contract from the Finnish Transport Agency for maintenance management of the 1,800 kilometre-long Eastern Finland railway network, which the company has been managing since 2005. The new contract, valued at around US$6.7 million (EUR 5.2 million) commences at the beginning of 2013 and will run for five years. The contract covers the maintenance management of railways, rail structures and equipment, land areas and

Taiwan’s Ministry of Transportation and Communications (MOTC) is to present a four-year public transportation program to the Taiwanese Cabinet. Over the next four years, the US$683.76 million programme will purchase more than 3,000 buses, including hybrid buses and electric buses, to replace the existing buses in Taiwanese cities. Low-floor buses will account for 30% of the total buses to be used in city area in 2016. The number of low-floor buses in metropolitan areas will increase by 2% a year, under the

The North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) is to install an advance warning system on the Interstate 277 (I-277) outer loop between Tryon Street and Interstate 77 in Charlotte, North Carolina. This system will detect traffic data such as volume and speed, alerting motorists to backups that frequently occur on the ramp from I-277 outer to I-77 north. The $188,000 project was awarded to Consolidated Power of Mooresville, who will install the detection warning system, consisting of two microwave

Making its public debut next week at the ITS World Congress will be Sanef ITS Technologies, a new leader for mobility and toll system integration. After decades operating under the CS brand, CS ITS has become Sanef ITS Technologies with the acquisition of the activity by Sanef Groupe, a leading operator and concessionaire. The company claims its unique set of references and expertise, are now part of a new market leader delivering best-in class mobility systems.

Wavetronix is adopting a low-key presence at this year’s ITS World Congress in Vienna, and will be appearing in the ITS America pavilion. The company’s message, ‘Rise Above the Road,’ encourages transportation professionals to move away from loops and embrace SmartSensor HD as an accurate alternative. But the secondary message is a declaration that SmartSensor HD is now an active part of European ITS programmes, with significant deployments in Denmark, France, Russia, and the United Kingdom. “Agencies under

Q-Free aims to reflect a broader and more accurate reality of the company’s strength and capabilities at the ITS World Congress. That’s not going to be difficult, if one considers the technological and geographical diversity of the company’s success since the beginning of this year alone. In March, Q-Free was awarded the contract for delivery of the congestion charging infrastructure for the Swedish city of Gothenburg which includes road side equipment, infrastructure and service and maintenance. Also in Ma

Traficon is bringing some exciting new technologies to the ITS World Congress and two of them are of particular note. Earlier this year, the company acquired Sumit, a provider of automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) technology. Traficon has been working ever since to incorporate the Sumit technology into its own portfolio and visitors to its stand will see the result – Eye-D, a dedicated Traficon camera product for intersection enforcement. The other major innovation at Traficon’s stand is the new VIP-

iCar Support will be hosting the iMobility Forum "Let’s Lunch" sessions on its stand (C30). Whilst enjoying a complimentary lunch, visitors will have the opportunity to discuss with iMobility Forum Working Group representatives the latest achievements and challenges of European mobility. All day long, demonstrations by European projects (HeERO, Instant Mobility and Citylog) will allow delegates to discover the latest technological developments in ITS, and project presentations will further introduce the cha

Swarco will use its ITS World Congress exhibition stand to focus on the company’s integrated solutions capabilities in urban and interurban traffic management, parking and e-mobility and public transport. The company’s Omnia all-in-one solution for intelligent traffic management will be on display as will its solution for energy-efficient intelligent street lighting. A premiere is a joint application of carmaker BMW with road operator Asfinag and signage specialist Swarco to foster knowledge about the Rettu

Cooperative systems in which vehicles communicate with each other (vehicle-to-vehicle or V2V) and to the road infrastructure (V2I) and collectively referred to as V2X, will build the backbone for safe driving as well as efficient and environmentally-friendly road usage in the future. So Kapsch is very much looking to the future with its V2X demonstration at the ITS World Congress by showcasing how such cooperative communication can avoid accidents, optimise fuel consumption, driving speed and travel time. P

A globally important event takes place on the opening day of the ITS World Congress when some 16 transport ministers from around the world will hold a Ministerial Round Table to focus on strategies to strengthen more rapid deployment of ITS on a global scale. The event, on Monday 22 October from 13:30-15:30, will be held under the chairmanship of Doris Bures, the Austrian Federal Minister of Transport, Innovation and Technology and Siim Kallas, the Vice-President of the European Commission and European Comm

Swarco will use its ITS World Congress exhibition stand to focus on the company’s integrated solutions capabilities in urban and interurban traffic management, parking and e-mobility and public transport. The company’s Omnia all-in-one solution for intelligent traffic management will be on display as will its solution for energy-efficient intelligent street lighting. A premiere is a joint application of carmaker BMW with road operator Asfinag and signage specialist Swarco to foster knowledge about the Rettu

Swarco will use its ITS World Congress exhibition stand to focus on the company’s integrated solutions capabilities in urban and interurban traffic management, parking and e-mobility and public transport. The company’s Omnia all-in-one solution for intelligent traffic management will be on display as will its solution for energy-efficient intelligent street lighting. A premiere is a joint application of carmaker BMW with road operator Asfinag and signage specialist Swarco to foster knowledge about the Rettu