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London Mayor Sadiq Khan has committed to spending US$194 million (£154 million) per year on cycling over the next five years, representing an average US$21 (£17) per head per annum, a level of spending on a par with Denmark and the Netherlands. The investment, part of the Transport for London (TfL) draft Business Plan, goes beyond his manifesto commitment to increase the proportion of TfL’s budget spent on cycling. It will also include substantial benefits for pedestrians with new pedestrian crossings an

Metro Vancouver's regional transportation authority, TransLink, has inaugurated the SkyTrain Evergreen extension to the Millennium line, a significant expansion of the city’s integrated transportation network, connecting the Tri-cities to the existing SkyTrain system, regional bus network and West Coast Express. The SkyTrain line was first inaugurated in December 1985, utilising Thales’ communication-based train control system, SelTrac. Today, SelTrac rail signalling equips 100 per cent of the SkyTrain

Dynamic LED sign manufacturer SES America (SESA) has completed the installation and commissioning of seven dynamic message signs (DMS) signs along part of I-75 in Michigan. The signs were installed by J. Ranck Electric as part of the second phase of a project with the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) and utilised SESA’s unique Messenger 5000 embedded DMS technology to display toll rate, lane status, and traffic control information. This operation is the second phase of a collaboration betw

A new edition of the standard used by the traffic management industry, NTCIP 1103 v03 Transportation Management Protocols (TMP), has been jointly published by the National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA), the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) and the Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE). The revised TMP standard includes ‘traps’ functionality, which allows a user to specify conditions under which reporting might occur on an immediate or expedit

Building on the US Department of Transportation’s (US DOT) future-focused Beyond Traffic draft report outlining forthcoming trends of the next 30 years, Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx has announced a solicitation for applicants to be designated as US DOT Beyond Traffic Innovation Centers. These centres will be capable of driving solutions to the challenges identified in Beyond Traffic through research, curriculum, outreach, and other activities. Some of the challenges outlined include 45 per cent

The Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT) has installed a wireless communication system allowing technicians in Phoenix to monitor conditions and adjust signal timing accordingly on State Route 347 through Maricopa. The system has a series of infrared and video cameras installed at each SR 347 intersection, allowing an ADOT technician in Phoenix to see exactly what is happening and modify the length of traffic signals to improve traffic flow. Another part of the system automatically monitors tra

SES America (SESA) is hosting a webinar on 15 December, dedicated to solar ITS solutions, from 1300-1400 ET, 1000-11000 PT. The webinar, Powering ITS anywhere, anytime with solar energy solutions, will discuss the seven myths about solar-powered DMS (dynamic message signs) and why the rise of solar power has paved a way for ITS. It will also discuss how to calculate an optimised solar ITS system.

Josh de Wit, a second-year mechanical engineering student from the University of Sussex, has won the Autocar-Courland Next Generation Award for 2016 with a concept that could dramatically reduce charging times for electric vehicles (EVs) and reduce the weight of their batteries. Josh’s design harnesses the remarkable qualities of graphene, a form of pure carbon in sheets that are just one atom thick. A car battery made with stacked graphene, he says, would take far less time to charge, store more energy

US transportation solutions provider McCain has recently completed the first deployment of its low-voltage 350i ATC cabinet for the Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) in an effort to improve congestion and traffic flow at a troublesome dual-intersection location. The McCain low-voltage 350i ATC Cabinet was delivered to GDOT by local McCain distributor, Utilicom Supply Associates and offers GDOT the ability to control up to 32 channels, twice the industry norm. Powered by Schneider Electric's inn

The International Association of Public Transport (UITP), IRU and the European Disability Forum (EDF) have jointly published an Accessibility Guide to improve customer service for people with disabilities and reduced mobility. The guide is one of the initiatives that these three associations are undertaking to raise awareness amongst staff about the barriers still existing to a fully inclusive public transport system and how to best overcome them. It is targeted at public transport staff who regularly i

US Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx has announced US$300.3 million in grants to 32 university Transportation Centers (UTCs) to advance research and education programs that address critical transportation challenges facing the country. The announcement includes awards of up to US$72.5 million for fiscal year (FY) 2016. Subsequent awards using federal fiscal years 2017-2020 funding will be made annually, subject to availability of funds and grantee compliance with grant terms and conditions. “Our n

Research by UK organisations the University of Surrey and Augmented Optics, in collaboration with the University of Bristol, has developed technology which could revolutionise the capabilities of appliances that have previously relied on battery power to work. It could also revolutionise electric cars, allowing the possibility for them to recharge as quickly a regular non-electric car refuels with petrol, instead of the current process which takes approximately 6-8 hours. They believe the development by

The UK government has announced a US$3 million (£2.5 million) package of transport innovation grants for companies, individuals and academics to make travelling safer, quicker and more reliable. These grants include 33 Transport Technology Research Innovation Grants (T-TRIG) worth a total of US$1 million (£833,000) awarded to early-stage science, engineering or technology innovations as well as a further round of competition for T-TRIG awards worth approximately US$834,000 (£700,000). A new Innovation Ch