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Clean diesel engines will continue to be the dominant power source for heavy-duty vehicles in the United States for "decades to come because of their power and efficiency," according to a newly released study prepared for the US Department of Energy.

Visteon Corporation has completed the sale of its automotive lighting business to Varroc Group, based in Aurangabad, India and a global provider of automotive parts, for $72 million in cash, subject to price adjustments. The two companies announced plans for the sale on March 12.

A new report from a Washington, DC, energy policy group urges the federal government to begin allocating its US$150 billion budget for transport services to carriers that fuel their fleets on domestically produced natural gas, electricity, biofuels and other alternatives to diesel and gasoline.

Vix UK has worked with Go North East (GNE) and Nexus to carry out a successful trial of automatic vehicle location (AVL) technology integrated into the Vix ticketing platform. Following on from a small scale pilot for Nexus (the Tyne and Wear Passenger Transport Executive), which provided a showcase for the interaction between major real-time passenger information systems, the trial was successfully accepted and signed off by Nexus earlier this year.

The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) is to install another 10,000 security cameras equipped with links to police stations at strategic locations across the Thai city by the end of this year. Data from the new cameras, along with the 10,000 that have already been deployed, will also be used by the intelligent traffic information centre and the Traffic Police Division to monitor traffic conditions across the city.

According to a new report from ABI Research, after more than a decade of trials and tests, the ITS industry finds itself facing important decisions regarding mandating dedicated DRSC-based technology and ensuring seamless integration with existing converged technologies, using them as a proxy to bridge the time, penetration, and cost gap of ITS infrastructure which is not expected to reach critical mass before the end of this decade.

Pete Goldin reports on the public sector perspective in this second article exploring the impact of the US economic stimulus programme on the domestic ITS industry The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) was enacted in February 2009 to help stimulate the US economy in the face of global recession. Of measures worth a nominal total of $787 billion, the US Department of Transportation (USDOT) received just over $48 billion with which to promote short-term economic recovery and an additional $1.5 bil

In the US, affirmation of the photo traffic enforcement sector's legal status and rising public support were significant aspects of 2009. James Tuton, President and CEO of American Traffic Solutions, looks back over the year. In 2009, the photo traffic enforcement industry in North America continued to grow and mature, accompanied by increased public, legislative and legal scrutiny. While public support remains strong, we also saw increased attempts to undermine the industry by representatives of a small bu

The practical, day-to-day co-working which goes on at Houston TranStar will form a major part of the demonstrations at the 2010 Annual Meeting, says co-chair of the organising committee Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County Chief of Police Thomas C. Lambert.

The 2010 ITS America Annual Meeting & Exposition, which will take place in Houston, Texas will offer attendees something of a contrast with the policy-driven event which took place in Washington, DC this year. Houston will go to the other end of the scale and focus on real-life technology applications and operational best practice, says event Co-Chair David Sparks

In-car technology is revolutionising the driving experience, especially when it comes to connectivity options, including mobile device connection to the Internet, navigation systems, emergency response systems, and driving habit monitoring devices. Yet, it is claimed that more than three in four car owners (76 per cent) report that they believe in-car connectivity technologies are too distracting and even dangerous to have. In addition, more than half (55 per cent) argue that automakers have taken technolog

Esri has announced a strategic alliance with Microsoft to assist public and private agencies and communities around the world during disasters. Microsoft will display Esri public information maps on its cloud-based disaster response incident portal, as well as point citizens to the maps via its online outlets, such as MSN and Bing. Esri's ArcGIS integration within a number of Microsoft's disaster response management solutions will provide governments and leading aid organisations with a more comprehensive s

Siemens Infrastructure & Cities will handle the electrification of Hawaii's first rail transit system which is scheduled for completion by 2019. The new line will run alongside Honolulu's 32-kilometer main arterial road from the East Kapolei district via Pearl Harbor and the airport to the Ala Moana district in the west.

TransCore ITS has announced that Tracy Marks has been named as president, succeeding John Simler. Marks joined the company in 1993 and most recently served as senior vice president of both the Southern US and international regions. In addition, he has been general manager of United Toll Systems, a growing product division within TransCore ITS.

The Dubai Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) and the US-based National Association for Pupil Transportation (NAPT) are entering into a formal partnership to share information and experiences on school transportation, and will co-host a school transportation Summit next spring in Dubai.

PayByPhone has won a contract to introduce a pay-by-phone payment service across approximately 13,000 on-street paid parking spaces throughout the city of Seattle. The service will enable drivers to use their cell phones to pay for parking. Drivers can also choose to receive a text message reminder before their parking time expires, with the option to add time remotely and receive parking receipts by email.

Ford is developing a complete virtual factory to simulate the full assembly line production process. The company says this will enable it to improve quality and cut costs in real world manufacturing facilities by creating and analysing computer simulations of vehicle production procedures.

Trafikverket, the Swedish Transport Administration, has increased the amount of work for Q-Free on the Gothenburg congestion charging project. In March, the company learned that it had been awarded a contract, valued at nearly US$24 million, for the delivery of road side equipment, infrastructure and service and maintenance for two years with an option for additional six years. At the time, it was pointed out that the final contract value would be dependent on selected options and also the duration of the s

Joshua Schank has no illusions when it comes to what he and the Bipartisan Policy Center are suggesting in Performance Driven: New Vision for US Transportation Policy. Released in June of this year, this major report (see Sidebar, 'The Shift in Thinking') advocates no less than a root-and-branch overhaul of the way in which the US transportation system is run - how money is allocated and how the beneficiaries of that funding are selected. As its name suggests, Schank and his colleagues are urging senior US

David Crawford looks at recent developments in travel information display systems. It is important to remember that we are investing in Real-Time Passenger Information [RTPI] to increase ridership," says Robert Burke, Managing Director of New Zealand transit tracking technology specialist Connexionz, which has been involved in at-stop and remote passenger information since 1995. "Superior information improves the perception of public transport reliability and gives the passenger more choices and greater con