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Urban Traffic Control

Seattle DOT chooses Peek ATC1000
September 21, 2012
Seattle Department of Transportation has chosen the Peel Traffic ATC-1000 controller for a King County Metro Rapid Ride corridor project. Rapid Ride is Seattle’s bus system; buses send signals to traffic lights so green lights stay green longer, or red lights switch to green faster. The systems have many advanced features including transit signal priority to help synchronise traffic lights with an approaching Rapid Ride bus, enabling the traffic signal controller to provide an effective transit priority re
Telvent’s urban mobility control centre for Spanish city
September 20, 2012
Telvent GIT, real-time IT solutions and information provider, is to implement its urban mobility control centre and traffic light installation maintenance service for the city of Castellón de la Plana, Valencia, Spain. As a component of this maintenance contract, Telvent will employ its integrated service management platform, Telvent SmartMobility ICM, which will enable coordinated management of all aspects of the city’s urban mobility. The initial platform focus will concentrate on centralised monitoring o
Developing integrated transport networks
September 20, 2012
A major initiative in managing numerous transport networks as a single system has moved into a significant phase with design of sophisticated new ITS systems. Jon Masters reports. Detailed design work is under way on two pilot projects pursuing a common principle – that transportation can be made more efficient or effective if the various networks and modes of travel are managed as a whole system. This is the central tenet of the US Department of Transportation’s (USDOT) Integrated Corridor Management (ICM)
Improving traffic flow with the SignalGuru app
September 19, 2012
Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology have developed SignalGuru, an app that uses dashboard-mounted smartphones to help drivers avoid red lights and reduce fuel consumption. Researchers say that SignalGuru predicts when a traffic signal is about to change, and the speed that should be driven when approaching an intersection in order to cruise through without stopping.
Arizona upgrades traffic operations centre
September 18, 2012
The Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT) has invested more than US$2 million in a major refurbishment of the agency's Phoenix-based Traffic Operations Centre (TOC), which opened in 1992. The upgrade gives TOC personnel a variety of tools to use: roadway sensors, overhead message boards, video cameras, on-route travel time estimates, ramp meters and the 511 Traveler Information system to manage Arizona's nearly 7,000 miles of highways.
Cyprus to get intelligent transport system
September 17, 2012
Cyprus is to introduce a central Intelligent Transport System (ITS), which will inform drivers of traffic congestion via sms, radio or digital billboards. The project, which is expected to cost in the region of US600,000 is aimed at reducing congestion, improving road safety and reducing fuel consumption on the island. The system will also notify police and hospitals of road accidents, so they can respond faster.
Pelmorex enhances traffic and traveller information
September 13, 2012
Ontario-headquartered Pelmorex Media, parent company of The Weather Network and MétéoMédia, has acquired Beat The Traffic, Californian provider of vehicle traffic reporting solutions for broadcast media and consumers. The acquisition gives Pelmorex Media a significant boost to its expertise in traveller information and access to technology and patents that will enhance the services that will be provided by Travelers Network, to be launched in late October. Travelers Network will be established as its own d
Siemens short-listed for Traffic Excellence award
September 13, 2012
An traffic management solution to reduce queues and congestion around Barnsley, UK, designed and deployed by Siemens, has been selected as one of three finalists for the Highways Magazine Excellence Awards, Congestion Reduction Scheme 2012. Celebrating excellence and achievement, the award recognises traffic management schemes where innovation, design, technology, and changes to driver behaviour have improved traffic flow for road users. Award winners will be announced and presented at a special ceremony in
Rectangular rapid flashing beacon
September 12, 2012
The latest technology in crosswalk warning systems, the solar-powered R920 rectangular rapid flashing beacon (RRFB), has been launched by Carmanah Technologies. The pedestrian-actuated system provides a high-intensity rapid flash pattern to alert vehicles approaching a crosswalk that pedestrians are present. The US Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) has issued an interim approval of the RRFB within the Manual of Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD). “The design and performance of this new product pres
New webinar series: connected vehicles and the environment
September 12, 2012
The United States Department of Transportation (US DOT) has announced a series of webinars for its Applications for the Environment: Real-Time Information Synthesis (AERIS) program. The webinars will review the conclusions of an extensive benefits/cost analysis, three draft concepts of operations devised by the program to describe Transformative Concepts, as well as a summary of the results of an eco-approach field experiment. The webinars are free and open to the public, but interested attendees need to re