News

The Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) has awarded a contract to WSP/Parsons Brinckerhoff to serve as general engineering consultant on a planned extension of SR 167 in Tacoma. The project will provide a better freight connection between the Port of Tacoma and the Puyallup/White River Valley and also link industrial and urban centres. SR 167 will be extended four miles westward to connect with I-5 and then continue an additional two miles as the SR 509 spur to connect with SR 509 near

Red light camera programs in 79 large US cities saved nearly 1,300 lives through 2014, researchers from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) have found. Shutting down such programs has cost lives, with the rate of fatal red-light-running crashes shooting up 30 per cent in cities that have turned off cameras. Red-light-running crashes caused 709 deaths in 2014 and an estimated 126,000 injuries. Red light runners account for a minority of the people killed in such crashes. Most of those killed

IAM RoadSmart says it is unconvinced of value of the decision by City of Edinburgh Council to impose a 20mph speed limit on the vast majority of the capital’s streets as of 31 July. The multi-million pound scheme is the first of its kind in Scotland and will affect more than 80 per cent of the city’s roads. IAM RoadSmart, the UK’s independent road safety charity stated that the proposals amounted to a city-wide limit that didn’t address specific problematic roads. Neil Greig, IAM RoadSmart policy a

The US Department of Transportation has made US$199 million in competitive grant funding for positive train control (PTC) implementation. The grants, which will be selected by the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) and awarded and administered by the Federal Transit Administration (FTA), will help commuter railroads implement PTC, which prevents accidents and saves lives. FRA will accept applications until 5 pm EDT on 28 Sept. 28ember. Projects eligible for grants must develop information that ass

According to a new IHS Automotive global consumer survey, Connected Cars, 55 per cent of annual global new vehicle sales in 2020 will be connected vehicles and at that time, nearly half of the global fleet of vehicles in operation will be connected. Findings indicate that new advanced technologies and increased connectivity are driving consumer preferences as they consider new vehicles. More than 4,000 vehicle owners intending to purchase a new vehicle within the next 36 months were surveyed, representi

Here, the location cloud company, has introduced its mobile trip companion Here WeGo, designed to simplify urban mobility by making it on-demand, personal and stress-free. Centred around route planning and giving directions, Here WeGo covers the user’s journey from start to finish, including parking suggestions and walking directions for the last mile. Its features include voice-guided, turn-by-turn drive and pedestrian navigation for more than 130 countries, with or without an internet connection. It a

Parking services provider Parkopedia is to collaborate with Apple in a deal that will allow Apple Map users to view key information on more than 40 million parking spaces in 75 countries around the world. In addition, users will have the option to click through to Parkopedia's website and iOS app to view more detailed information including pricing, user reviews, special offers and real-time space availability. They will also be able to make reservations.

Fitch Ratings says in a newly published report, 2016 Mid-Year Outlook: Australian Transportation, that the agency's outlook on Australian transportation infrastructure is stable. It says toll roads will benefit from continuing healthy economic growth, while the weaker Australian dollar will help support ports with exposure to the commodity export sector. However, exposure to medium-term bullet debt could leave issuers vulnerable to refinancing risk in the event of a significant downturn in the Australian

Ford Motor Company and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology are collaborating on a new research project that measures how pedestrians move in urban areas to improve certain public transportation services, such as ride-hailing and point-to-point shuttles services. The project will introduce a fleet of on-demand electric vehicle shuttles that operate on both city roads and campus walkways on the university’s campus. The vehicles use LiDAR sensors and cameras to measure pedestrian flow, which ultimate

Vidsys is delivering a webinar on Thursday, 4 August at 1000 Pacific time/1300 eastern time, to discuss how data and increased connectivity will enable cities to transform the way we will live, work, and interact with one another. The challenge for cities is to not just gather the data, but to make better use of the data to make more informed decisions, creating actionable intelligence. Smart Cities will need to combine and correlate multiple data streams to provide a more holistic evaluation of the city’s

The US Department of Transportation’s Federal Transit Administration (FTA) has announced the 20 transit providers in 13 states which will receive a share of US$55 million under its Low or No-Emission (Low-No) Bus Competitive Grant Program. The program provides funding for buses and related technology that replaces aging diesel fuel buses with battery-electric or fuel cell-powered vehicles and incorporates other innovations. Among the projects selected to receive 2016 Low-No funding are the Santa Clara Va

To capitalise on the opportunities posed by new technology, the UK’s Transport Research Laboratory (TRL) has formed a strategic alliance with the Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL) at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Joining organisations such as Apple, Google, BP, Intel, BT and BAE Systems as a member of the CSAIL Alliance Program, TRL will work closely with MIT to enhance its existing knowledge and capabilities in the areas of artificial intelligence, robotics

TomTom Telematics is to collaborate with accounting software specialist Sage in a deal which will combine TomTom WEBFLEET and Sage Live to deliver real-time accounting for companies with fleets of vehicles. WEBFLEET is used by small to large businesses to help improve vehicle performance, save fuel, support drivers and increase overall fleet efficiency. The combined solution will allow Sage Live customers to automatically view fleet data from connected vehicles – including trucks, light commercial vehic