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BMW has announced a new enhancement for customers who have subscribed to the BMW Assist and BMW Online features in the company’s ConnectedDrive telematics service. Access to the latest traffic reports via real-time traffic information (RTTI) from the web portal with any internet-enabled device is now being offered. Previously users could only access this service while in the vehicle.

New York’s Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA)has awarded a four-year, US$6.9 million contract to VeriFone Systems for delivery, installation, and warranty and maintenance services for 1,000 TransitPay systems to provide real-time bus information to customers on Staten Island buses.

“Despite all the hype about hybrid and smartphone-based telematics solutions, embedded connected car systems still have a bright future,” says ABI Research telematics and navigation group director Dominique Bonte. “On the OEM side, solutions such as GM’s OnStar and Hyundai’s Blue Link offer more reliable safety and security functionality such as emergency calling. Similarly, embedded aftermarket systems for insurance telematics, road user charging, or stolen vehicle tracking offer the best performance. Fina

Friday’s proposal by the Obama Administration to increase fuel efficiency standards for cars and light trucks to an average 54.5 miles per gallon (4.32 litres/100 km) between 2017 and 2025 would result in the loss of more than $65 billion in federal funding for state and local highway, bridge and transit improvements, an analysis by the American Road & Transportation Builders Association (ARTBA) shows.

In an effort to reduce congestion in a busy corridor for motorists and commercial freight carriers, Delaware Department of Transportation (DelDOT) appointed TransCore as the lead integrator on a project to convert the Newark Toll Plaza on I-95, adding two new electronic highway speed lanes on both the north and south bound plazas. Plaza throughput is now about to jump from 250-300 transactions per lane per hour to an estimated 2,000. The US$32 million “shovel ready” project was fully funded through the Amer

PB/RK&K, a joint venture of Parsons Brinckerhoff and RK&K in association with AECOM, has been selected to serve the Maryland Transit Administration (MTA) as an on-call general engineering consultant for statewide transportation projects.

Disney is offering special discounted attraction tickets for anyone attending the 18th World Congress on ITS in Orlando, Florida in October, to use before, during and after the event. The deadline to purchase specially priced “Magic Your Way” tickets is 16 October, but they can be used anytime during the week of the World Congress, and through the end of the calendar year.

High Sierra Electronics and Innovative Dynamics have announced a new partnership focusing on the ITS industry through which new optical sensor products originally developed by Innovative Dynamics for the aerospace industry will now be manufactured in California by HSE for use in the transportation sectors.

Pöyry's Urban & Mobility Business Group has been awarded a US$3 million contract to provide specialised technical assistance to the consortium in charge of project management for the design and construction of Line 1 of the Panama Metro. Pöyry's services are related to the implementation of the whole metro system. The project began in July 2011 and is expected to be completed by June 2014.

Amerigon Incorporated has been awarded an US$8 million grant from the US Department of Energy (DOE) to lead the development of an energy recovery system that can improve passenger car fuel efficiency by five per cent by converting waste heat from gas exhaust into electric power using a thermoelectric generator.

The Brazilian Development Bank (BNDES) has announced financing for a project by WEG electric motors to develop technology for electric vehicles (EVs). The company will receive US$4.72 million from the Bank, representing 62.3 per cent of the total investment of $7.55 million.