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January 31, 2012
Do we need a new approach to ITS and traffic management?
In an article which has implications for the European Electronic Toll Service, ASECAP's Kallistratos Dionelis asks whether the approach we currently take to major ITS system implementations is always the best or healthiest. I was asked recently to write a paper on the technology-oriented future of transport. To paraphrase, I started with: "The goal of European policy-makers is to establish a transport system which meets society's economic, social and environmental needs, satisfying in parallel a rising dema
January 31, 2012
Innovative traffic information system
From the roadside James Foster compiles some eye-catching news, deployments and product picks from the work zone
January 30, 2012
New Gridsmart generation
Aldis has launched two new generations of its GridSmart product that employ new threedimensional omni-directional tracking technology for vehicle detection on intersections. In addition to a new look and more intuitive navigation, GridSmart 3.0 features a client/server architecture, SCATS-compatible system configuration, visual indicators for vehicle presence and light state, a software based pan-tilt-zoom of the entire intersection, as well as a customisable four panel live viewing capability.
January 30, 2012
Traffic light retrofit
Transport for Buckinghamshire (TfB), part of Buckinghamshire County Council in the UK, has awarded a contract to leading traffic signal supplier Peek to replace all of its traditional tungsten halogen traffic lights with low-energy LED alternatives.
January 30, 2012
Mounting benefits of dynamic tolling project
Wisconsin's four-year HOT lanes pilot project, launched in May 2008, cost US$18.8 million to construct. Halfway into the project, which uses variably priced, or dynamic, tolling to improve highway efficiency, the benefits are mounting. The problem was obvious, and frustrating, to anyone who ever sat in bumper-to-bumper traffic on State Route 167 and watched a lone car whiz by every 20 seconds or so in the carpool lane. But for planners at the Washington State Department of Transportation, the conundrum was
January 30, 2012
The Swedish Transport Administration
The Swedish Government has established a new authority, the Swedish Transport Administration, which has become the national authority with responsibility for long-term planning of the transport system for road, rail, maritime and air traffic.
January 30, 2012
UTMC ANPR communications protocol aids traffic management
Telematics Technology's Peter Billington describes the effort to give English local authorities and police forces a UTMC ANPR open communication protocol. The story of the impact of communication protocols on the development and utilisation of intelligent equipment is a familiar one both inside and outside the ITS industry. At the outset, a company pioneering its latest technology invariably develops a proprietary protocol. This enables the company's products to talk to the customer systems which need to a
January 30, 2012
Wireless traffic management reduces costs and commute times
The County of Los Angeles is widely known for having among the worst traffic problems and the most road congestion in the US. To combat these problems, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Works decided to deploy a wireless communications system to connect over 1,000 of the most congested intersections so they could dynamically monitor and manage the congestion and reduce commute times.
January 30, 2012
Toll performance exceeds expectations, improves travel times
Jean Harito, Attica Tollway Operations Authority and Steve Morello, Egis Projects describe how looking to exceed contractual obligations makes good operational and business sense. The Attica Tollway is a modern, 65km, access-controlled urban motorway with three lanes in each direction. It constitutes the ring road around the extensive metropolitan area of the Greek capital, Athens, and forms the backbone of the entire road network in the Attica region. By ensuring freeflow operating conditions, the Attica T
January 30, 2012
Open road tolling: safer with less congestion
Michael J. Davis of PBS&J looks at the positive effect that open road tolling can have on safety