Barcelona’s strategy to cut car traffic
Barcelona is to deploy a strategy using a variety of approaches to cut car traffic by more than 20 per cent to improve air quality in the city, particularly nitrogen dioxide and particulates.
Barcelona's busy harbour and crowded streets mean that air pollution in the city is a constant challenge. The city's Mobility Plan includes reforms to parking charges, the bus network, and the concept of 'superblocks', where access to certain areas is restricted to private vehicles.
Previous versions of the conce
Transurban announces preferred contractor for NorthConnex
Melbourne-based toll-road operator Transurban Group has announced that the consortium Lend Lease Bouygues is set to design and build the Sydney, Australia, NorthConnex tunnel link between the M1 and M2 motorways in the city’s northwest.
The nine kilometre, 80 km/h tolled link involves two motorway tunnels, built with a three lane capacity for future growth but initially marked for two lanes each way. It provides the missing link in the National Highway Network and offers a safe and more efficient way of
Point Grey introduces new Blackfly and Grasshopper cameras
Point Grey’s latest cameras include the Blackfly ultra-compact PoE GigE vision camera and the 2.3 megapixel global shutter CMOS Grasshopper3 USB3 vision camera.
The Blackfly BFLY-PGE-12A2 camera utilises global shutter CMOS technology to capture crisp, distortion-free images of objects in motion, for applications such as factory automation or open road tolling. The new Aptina AR0134 1.2 megapixel CMOS image sensor is capable of capturing images at 50 FPS and uses Aptina’s latest 3.75micron global shutter
TrafficLand and Exelis partner on real time weather detection
TrafficLand and global aerospace and defence company Exelis are working together to deliver real-time information on street-level weather conditions.
The Exelis Helios environmental intelligence platform analyses images from TrafficLand roadway camera network to detect and track weather conditions. It uses proprietary algorithms that give users the ability to monitor current conditions and detect changes in visibility, precipitation and road surface conditions at a street scale. Helios can then inform u
McCain upgrades Omni eX intersection control
US-based McCain has released the latest upgrade to its Omni eX intersection control software, which is said to expand traffic operations and communication capabilities. Usability improvements allow users to intuitively modify the entire database of timing parameters directly from the controller’s front panel. In addition, extra security features enable agencies to limit and track user access through unique logins and passwords.
Utilising modern transportation standards, Omni eX intersection control soft
Lane departure warning enhanced by video recording
Meritor Wabco has enhanced its OnLane lane warning departure system with a video safety option that provides the ability to record and save videos of critical safety events.
Powered with SafeTraK technology by Takata, OnLane is designed to monitor road markings and the vehicle's position in the lane. The system delivers distinct audible warnings to the driver, encouraging the use of turn signals if the vehicle leaves its lane unintentionally. In addition, OnLane is equipped with what is said to be the in
Cloudview brings CCTV into the digital age
According to UK company Cloudview, its Cloudview VSaaS (video surveillance as a service) solution harnesses current technology to provide a security system to remotely monitor people.
Comprising a small yet highly intelligent visual network adapter (VNA) connected to the company’s cloud-based visual network system (VNS), Cloudview is a scalable, user-friendly and affordable platform. It can be managed and accessed from a browser using a notebook, tablet or smartphone, anywhere in the world, to extend sur
New u-blox LTE modules
Supporting LTE category 4 download speeds of up to 150 Mbit/s and upload of 50 Mbit/s, u-blox’s new Toby-L2 and MPCI-L2 modem series is said to support high-bandwidth automotive, networking and video applications with 2G and 3G fallback.
The ultra-compact LTE modules with UMTS/HSPA+ and GSM/EDGE, GPRS fallback are suited to vehicle infotainment systems, tablets, notebooks, ruggedised mobile terminals and high-speed M2M applications such as digital signage, remote security and video systems, where backwa
Video encoder integrates analogue cameras into VMS
Vicon Industries has introduced its VN-901T single-channel video encoder, which converts NTSC or PAL video from any analogue camera into an ONVIF-compliant video stream that can be integrated into most IP video management systems, including ViconNet VMS.
The device transmits H.264 high-profile, MPEG-4 and M-JPEG video compression formats with dual streaming. All camera features are supported through the encoder, including PTZ. The device may be powered by either PoE or 12V DC/24V AC. Two alarm inputs, on
Rugged video recording/streaming
Advanced Micro Peripherals’ (AMP) StreamCorder-HD board, an intelligent, standalone H.264 streaming solution, accepts HD-SDI input at up to 1080p30 for real-time encoding, streaming over 100/1000 MBit Ethernet and local storage. Designed for mobile, UAS and Vetronix applications, the the company said the StreamCorder-HD is ideal for use in the military, communications, transport, mining and energy industries.
StreamCorder-HD supports extraction of KLV (MSB 0605.3 compliant) embedded data contained withi
Affordable video encoders from Sigura
Video surveillance solutions supplier Siqura has released its Eve plug and- play video encoders, which it claims provide a no-nonsense approach to video surveillance. The small, easy-to-use encoders support 960H-enhanced video streams, digitises analogue video signals and send them directly over any IP network. This allows users to transfer video to any destination enabling live footage to be viewed in the central control room, while a duplicate stream is sent to a remote recorder or to a mobile device.
New graphic controller from Eyevis
Eyevis’ new netPIX 4900 graphic controller is claimed to set performance standards for video wall operation. New input and output cards and a new switch-fabric-backplane enables input and output processing of 4K/ultra HD signals and HDMI audio transmission.
The graphic controller generates a logical desktop interface from single outputs that can be used for the presentation of network data, video and graphic sources. All input signals can be moved, scaled and individually placed on the video wall. Its mult
Vehicle mounted camera detects pedestrians, aids safety
The Blaxtair construction machine-mounted vision-based alert system distinguishes pedestrians from other objects, providing a visual/audible alarm to both driver and pedestrian when a person is in a position of danger.
The intelligent camera system, from French company Arcure, is an obstacle detection device and pedestrian recognition equipment. It is capable of detecting all types of obstacles, locating them precisely with respect to the machine and determining whether an obstacle is a pedestrian or not.
Dubai approves bridge link to tourism island
Dubai ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum has approved plans for a bridge to connect the luxury Bluewaters Island tourism project with the mainland.
Dubai's transport authority said the US$136 million construction contract for the bridge, which will have two lanes in each direction and will be 1,400 metres long, will be awarded in the second quarter of this year.
Mattar Al Tayer, chairman and executive director of the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA), said: "The new bridge will serve the ne
Ban on CCTV for parking enforcement expected
UK communities secretary Eric Pickles will announce in April 2014 that local authorities will be prohibited from using CCTV cameras for enforcement of parking regulations.
Static and mobile CCTV cameras are used by at least 75 councils to catch people not returning to their vehicles before the meter expires, with 9 million parking fines issued per year, according to estimates.
Pickles has proposed controversial reforms to local authority parking enforcement, including banning the use of CCTV, saying h
Singapore trials average speed cameras
Singapore is trialling average speed cameras on the Changi coastal road, which has been the site of many accidents, despite the speed limit being sent to 70 km/hour.
Spot speed cameras have been in use since 1992, but motorists will have a much harder time evading the new technology, which calculates a vehicle's average speed over a stretch to determine if it is breaching the speed limit.
The cameras are mounted on gantries at two different locations about four kilometres apart.
Singapore Road Saf
Police to enforce car ban as Paris battles smog
Thousands of cars will be banned from Parisian roads today as the city tries to curb dangerous pollution levels by introducing alternate driving days for the first time in nearly two decades.
The radical move will see around 700 police officers deployed to man 60 checkpoints around the French capital to ensure that only cars with number plates ending in odd numbers are on the streets.
Parking will be free for vehicles with even number plates, the Paris city hall said, calling on residents to consult
Swedish drivers support speed cameras
In sharp contrast to many other countries drivers in Sweden support speed cameras and the planned expansion of the automated enforcement network.
Sweden is embarking on a massive expansion of its speed camera network and is doing so with both a very high level of public acceptance and without its drivers feeling persecuted; a feat the administrations in many other countries would like to emulate. So how did this envious state of affairs come about? Magnus Ferlander director of business development and ma
Dynamic lane closures cuts time, cost and congestion on Motorway roadworks
A combination of technologies is leading to major congestion and cost reductions during roadworks on the UK’s motorway network.
Innovative construction programme scheduling technology and the deployment of moveable barriers has achieved substantial savings of money and time on UK motorway roadworks managed by the Highways Agency (HA). This combination has set the scene for a new generation of road usage analysis tools.
The HA’s objective was to reduce the congestion caused by lane closures during roa
Proposed system to take guesswork out of choosing a freeway lane
A fledgling advanced lane management assist system can take the guesswork out of selecting the right lane on a congested freeway, as its inventor Robert Gordon explains.
As drivers we’ve all done it and control room staff see it all the time – motorists on congested freeways switching into what they perceive is a faster lane, only to come to a halt a few moments later and watch vehicles in the other lanes continue to move past. Now, by re-analysing readily available data in an advanced lane management as