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Announcing the short list of finalists for the enhanced National Intelligent Transport Systems Awards Judging Panel Chair and ITS Australia Director Gino Dompietro said the high quality and record number of entries for the 2014 National ITS Awards reflects the growth and maturity of the Australian ITS industry and presented judges with a challenging task.

Inrix is expanding its partnership with Volkswagen to launch Inrix Park and Inrix Fuel services in new Passat models equipped with Discover Pro and Car-Net navigation in Europe.

Road users on the vast majority of the UK’s M25 will benefit from four-lane capacity now that the final section between junctions 25 and 27 has become a smart motorway. The road has been upgraded from three to four lanes in each direction, with the hard shoulder converted for use as a permanent traffic lane and enhanced on-road technology to manage traffic flow to improve the reliability of journey times, providing a boost for businesses and the wider economy.

Sixty percent of transit initiatives before voters on election day in the US last week were approved, according to the American Public Transportation Association (APTA). The group said that 15 out of 25 local public transportation initiatives were approved, totalling more than US$6 billion.

The Electronica exhibition in Germany this week sees the start of a large-scale practical test of vehicle-to-X (V2X) communication technology, according to a report in EE Times. NXP, Cohda Wireless, Siemens and Honda, along with safety validation company TÜV Süd will depart from NXP’s booth for a communicating cars test drive along the projected Cooperative Intelligent Transportation Systems (C-ITS) corridor between Vienna and Rotterdam, travelling through Germany, Austria and the Netherlands.

The Skanska joint venture with Traylor Brothers, Inc. and J.F. Shea Construction has been awarded a design-build contract by the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority to extend the Los Angeles Metro Purple Line.

The market for hybrid and pure electric cars homologated as such is set to be US$188 billion in 2025 according to IDTechEx analysis. However, according to Dr Peter Harrop, chairman of IDTechEx, the world has changed for cars overall and now big is not always beautiful for mainstream car manufacture. EVs will reflect this. Although Sergio Marchionne, boss of Fiat Chrysler, famously said six million units a year is needed for a car maker to be profitable, his head of research Pietro Perlo left to successf

In an effort to boost a weakening economy, Chilean President Michelle Bachelet has announced a nearly US$4.2 billion transport infrastructure plan, including one new metro line in Santiago, cable car systems in three other cities and rail projects. The plan includes US$1.9 billion in new concessions, with the expansion of public-private partnerships (PPPs) to the metro system and US$2.2 billion in works directly funded by the government. In Santiago, the program involves developing feasibility studie

With the economic prosperity of British Columbia and Western Canada relying increasingly on global trade and our ability to deliver goods to foreign markets, the Business Council of British Columbia (BCBC) has released Building BC for the 21st Century: A White Paper on Infrastructure Policy and Financing in advance of its second annual BC Business Summit today. The paper examines the existing infrastructure networks – including transport, utilities, telecommunications, hospitals and schools – and their

A new report shows a 30 per cent increase in fatal traffic collisions and a 117 per cent increase in total traffic crashes at 51 intersections in Houston where red-light safety cameras once stood. New figures from the Houston Police Department released by the National Coalition for Safer Roads (NCSR) show total traffic collisions more than doubled from 4,147 in 2006-2010 when cameras were in use to 8,984 in 2010-2014, when cameras were not in operation. The city ended its red-light safety camera program

Blind spot detection and rear-view cameras with park assist were the two features that tied for consumers' most-wanted car safety technology in a recent Edmunds.com survey. Edmunds polled more than 2,000 active site visitors to explore the vehicle safety technologies that most appealed to them for their next car purchase. “The most wanted features, like the blind spot detection, act more like co-pilots for your car,” said Edmunds senior analyst Ivan Drury, “providing drivers with 360 degrees of informati

After a period of research and testing by Florida International University, OHL School of Construction, and supported by the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT), officials have opted to deploy the Sensit truck parking system from Belgian company Nedap. The combination of increased commercial motor vehicle traffic, tighter delivery schedules, and federally regulated limits on driving time (HOS rules) has led to a nationally recognised problem on interstate highways: increased demand for commercial

The largest highway operator in Europe, French highway concessionaire Vinci Autoroutes has extended its frame agreement for tags with Q-Free with an order estimated to be a minimum of US$4.2 million. The contract will be fulfilled within 2016, with an option for further extension. “Q-Free has been present in the French market for many years. We are very pleased to receive this extension of the frame agreement with this important customer. During the delivery period, Q-Free will be able to introduce new e

Liverpool transport chiefs are planning a two-year US$14.3 million upgrade to lighting in one of the Mersey tunnels. The Kingsway Tunnel is the second longest road tunnel in the UK at a length of 1.6 miles per tube and is a major transport gateway for the Liverpool City Region, with 16 million vehicles passing through the tunnel each year, and is the only tunnel that can accommodate freight vehicles over 3.5Te GVW. The current lighting installation totals 3.2 miles and consists of over 1800 light fitting

As the Northern Futures Summit begins, UK Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg announces better trains in the north to reduce overcrowding and cut journey times. More than 25 million people use cross-Pennine rail routes every year, and over a third of passengers have to stand during their commute. By 2025 the Deputy Prime Minister wants to see electrified cross-Pennine links between Liverpool and Manchester on one side and Leeds, Sheffield, Newcastle and Hull on the other. This will shorten journey times

Iteris is to serve as system manager for the deployment of the City of Omaha’s Intelligent Transportation System (ITS). The US $1.4 million project builds upon Omaha’s Traffic Signal System Master Plan, developed by Iteris in 2012, and will include the management of Omaha’s $35 million ITS upgrade program to reduce congestion. As system manager, Iteris will oversee the enhancements to the transportation network, focusing on more than 1,000 traffic signals and 4,500 miles of roadway in the city. Iteris’ r

Lamination plate specialist VTT, whose technology helps to create secure documents such as passports, driving licences and bank cards, is showing off its NANOcare product for the first time at CARTES SECURE CONNEXIONS.

Pivo, the multi-award-winning mobile e-wallet owned by OP bank and used by 300,000 Finns, is poised to launch as a fully-featured mobile wallet service. The app, which helps consumers manage their spending by keeping an eye on their spending and bank balance as well as collect offers and discounts, is now ready to go as a fully-fledged payment service as well.

A tale of two countries: we were delighted to receive delegations of visitors from United Arab Emirates and South Korea this week.

Watchdata Technologies launches its first wearable payment device, Sharkey, this week at CARTES SECURE CONNEXIONS. The new watch and wristband offers users a smart wearable device that supports an NFC payment feature. “Once Sharkey has been connected with an android or iOS phone’s mobile terminal via Bluetooth, it can be used for contactless payment, including public transport fares, supermarket shopping and micropayments,” says Watchdata’s international business vice president Jack Pan.