UTC

Genetec has upgraded its Security Center platform for automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) and video surveillance to include cybersecurity and privacy features. The Security Center 5.8 comes with a security score which ranks compliance with guidelines and firmware available. The score is available through the built-in system health dashboard and measures individual cybersecurity processes. The open-architecture platform works with the Genetec KiwiVision Camera integrity monitor feature to detect pot

McCain is to deploy 13 variable message signs (VMS) in San Jose, California, showing the availability of parking garages in the city. Niko Stieldorf, project lead at McCain, says the signs will help drivers locate available parking, thus reducing congestion and greenhouse gas emissions. McCain says its VMS will be used to direct travellers to more than 6,200 spaces in eight parking garages throughout the metropolitan area. Additionally, the solution utilises Skidata’s parking access revenue control sys

BMW and Daimler are investing €1 billion to cooperate on developing their mobility offerings in car-sharing, ride-hailing, parking, charging and multimodal transport. Harald Krüger, chairman of BMW, says: “These five services will merge ever more closely to form a single mobility service portfolio with an all-electric, self-driving fleet of vehicles that charge and park autonomously and interconnect with the other modes of transport.” The partnership will combine existing services to form five joint vent

Volkswagen Financial Services (VWFS) is acquiring a 75% stake in Utrecht-based Truck Parking Europe with the aim of improving safety for truck drivers in the Netherlands. Truck Parking Europe - a PTV company - offers a range of services for truck drivers, planners, dispatchers and parking operators via a free app for Android, iOS and the web. These services allow users to filter and find truck platooning locations, connect with other truck drivers, the possibility to claim and secure parking locations a

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) and non-profit organisation Partnership for New York City have announced six finalists for the inaugural Transit Tech Lab programme. The eight-week project will allow the technology companies to introduce products to New York’s transportation agencies which are expected to improve subway and bus services. Participants will employ predictive maintenance to help reduce cost and subway delays, deploy a platform for transit network planning, utilise comp

US space agency Nasa is moving into the final phase of its four-year programme to prove that it can safely control drones flying over urban centres. Drones, less commonly called unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), are likely to form an increasing proportion of the transportation mix for future cities, but questions remain over their safety – particularly in built-up, heavily populated areas. Nasa will test them in two areas – the gambling hotspot of Reno, Nevada, and the Texan city of Corpus Christi.

Moscow is the most gridlocked city in the world, according to a survey of snarl-ups by Inrix. The company’s annual Global Traffic Scorecard found that road users in the Russian capital lost 210 hours last year because of congestion. Inrix weights the data for population, and found that the next four cities on the congestion roll-call were Istanbul, Turkey; Bogota, Colombia; Mexico City; and São Paulo, Brazil. Brazil had another entry on this unwanted list, with Rio de Janeiro in seventh place. Russ

The Dallas Entrepreneur Center Network (DEC) – backed by tech giants AT&T, Cisco and Microsoft - is launching an initiative to help regional companies and entrepreneurs develop urban technologies. The DEC says its Innov8te Smart Cities Incubator will support technologies which seek to improve mobility, citizen engagement, inclusion, infrastructure, governance and public health as well as public safety and sustainability. The incubator - located in the Dallas Innovation District and Smart Cities Livin

Flir has upgraded its thermal traffic sensor and detector with traffic data collection features. The company says ThermiCam2 uses thermal energy emitted from road users – rather than light - to detect vehicles and vulnerable road users at night, over long distances and in harsh weather conditions. According to Flir, the solution can be used to detect vehicles and bicycles approaching an intersection, detect wrong-way drivers, count and distinguish vehicles from bicycles and collect traffic data using

Conduent Transportation is to modernise the tolling system on ExpressLanes in Los Angeles County to help reduce congestion and improve safety along the I-10 and I-110 corridors. The eight-year contract is an extension to a six-year partnership with the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (LA Metro). The scope of the project includes the installation of overhead scanners and automatic vehicle identification equipment which corresponds with the FasTrak transponders installed on commuter v