News

Eleven days ago, President Obama signed the conference report to accompany H.R. 4348 (MAP-21), which reauthorises the America’s surface transportation programmes through the end of Fiscal Year 2014. ITS America will host a webinar from 2:00 – 3:00 p.m. EST this Friday, 20 July, 2012 to provide an update on the newly passed surface transportation reauthorisation bill. Normally reserved for ITS America members, this special edition webinar is free for anyone interested in learning more about what the new bil

The government of Sindh in Pakistan is planning to implement a bus rapid transit (BRT) system in Karachi and the first phase will cost US$5 million. The system will enable 200 buses to carry around 15,000 passengers an hour and there will be special lanes for buses to operate.

Russia's State Traffic Safety Inspectorate (STSI) has presented a draft concept of federal target programme on traffic safety for the period 2013-2020 which mainly focuses on decreasing road accident mortality. It features a commitment to address the death rate among children and provides for bulk acquisition of school buses.

GO Transit, a division of Metrolinx, located in Toronto, Canada, that carries 61 million passengers a year has chosen INIT to deploy a new fleet management system for 424 GO buses, 47 GO rail cars and 50 non-revenue vehicles. The contract calls for an advanced ITS solution which includes an intermodal CAD/AVL system, on-board mobile data terminals, automatic passenger counting technology, next stop announcements, in-vehicle variable message signs, real-time vehicle diagnostics and interfaces to existing des

A technology collaboration between InnovITS Advance and TRL has led to the creation of an advanced form of pedestrian detection target which it is claimed will help those specifying and developing automotive safety systems based on pedestrian recognition to test and certify their products in a more flexible, accurate and repeatable manner. The new pedestrian target is based around a robust, free standing dummy that provides a realistic human aspect and moves under remote control with a programmable range o

The first US installation of the latest Iris Matrix automatic passenger counting system will be on Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport's PHX Sky Train, scheduled to begin service early next year. The new technology with 3D sensors, developed by German company Iris Gmbh and being installed by Bridge Technology, generates a 3D-image of the door space, so that individual people are detected even in tightly packed crowds. “Sky Train customers will benefit with less congestion, which means getting to their

A dummy in motorcycling gear sliding into a guardrail was displayed in the European Parliament in Brussels, to present the Smart RRS project which developed a road restraint system effectively protecting motorcyclists from impacting against guardrail posts. The system also features sensors to warn road users of hazards and call the emergency services after an accident. It was the final event of Smart Road Restraint Systems, a project co-funded by the European Commission.

Gatwick Express, the non-stop rail-air link between central London and Gatwick Airport, has introduced new barcode ticket scanners on the gates at London Victoria and Gatwick Airport stations for people who print their e-tickets or have their tickets sent to their UK mobile when booking online

The UK's Department for Transport has unveiled new guidance that will make it easier for 40mph (64km/h) speed limits to be imposed on quiet rural roads. These roads currently have a typical speed limit of 60mph but the Government is keen to change this in a bid to reduce road casualties. The latest figures from the government show that there were 1,901 road deaths in 2011, a three per cent increase on 2010. In 2010, 68 per cent of road deaths occurred on rural roads, of which almost 50 per cent had a speed

An important and significant step on the road to construction of a railway line to Eilat has been announced. Israel and China began initial negotiations for the possible construction, via the Chinese government, of the t railway line that will transport passengers and cargo from Eilat to the centre of Israel.

Research from the British Insurance Brokers’ Association (BIBA) shows that ‘black box’ motor insurance sales have increased five fold in the last two years, and are set to snowball to around 500,000 in the next two years. BIBA says that the telematics technology can offer savings on motor insurance of around 2530 per cent and some young drivers can save up to US$1,554.

Clever Devices, a technology solutions for all modes of public transportation, including fixed-route, bus rapid transit, paratransit and rail, has closed a transaction to acquire substantially all of the assets of Digital Recorders. Formerly, Digital Recorders, a provider of ITS to public transit agencies throughout North America, was a wholly-owned subsidiary of Digital Recorders, (DRI), which filed for bankruptcy in March, 2012.

In October 2012, an electric car rental service will be unveiled by Seoul City in South Korea to promote eco-friendly transportation. A total of 200 electric cars will be provided by the city for the car sharing service programme that will be unveiled in collaboration with two firms, with a target to ease traffic congestion, cut air pollution and save energy. The two companies that will join the programme are Korea Car Sharing and LG CNS, under a deal sealed with the city.

TomTom has announced a partnership with MapQuest, wholly owned by AOL, to power the company’s mobile app with TomTom maps. Available for Android and iOS, MapQuest’s free apps provide access to a wireless version of the well-known MapQuest website.

Tom Blair, an experienced software industry leader, has joined Iteris and assumed the new position of senior vice president of Iteris’s recently established iPerform group. The group was established in 2011 to focus on the development and deployment of software-based performance measurement and information management solutions. It was expanded with the acquisition of Berkeley Transportation Systems in October 2011, and has since made several key management appointments.