UAE investment
The GCC Gulf Transport Report Highlights a massive programme of construction projects in hand in the Middle East. In the United Arab Emirates the report says that at present, there is over US$58 billion worth of road and bridge projects planned or underway. Abu Dhabi Roads Transport (DoT) has a master plan to develop surface transportation for the emirate. The project will be planned and implemented in collaboration with municipal organisations of different areas of the emirate. One of the most significant
First all-electric car-sharing scheme in North America to launch
ECOtality has announced a partnership with Car2go, a subsidiary of Daimler North America Corporation, to provide electric vehicle charging infrastructure to support what is being claimed as the first 100-per cent electric car sharing programme in North America. With plans for approximately 300 Smart Fortwo electric drive vehicles, the programme in San Diego represents the largest fleet of EVs in the United States.
Google live traffic announced for 13 European countries
Google has announced that it is making road traffic conditions available in 13 countries in Europe. The new traffic information is in the traffic layer on Google Maps, Google Maps for mobile, and Google Maps Navigation (Beta). Coverage includes all freeways and highways, as well as large roads in major cities in Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Germany, Ireland, Israel, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Poland, Slovakia, Spain and Switzerland. Users in the UK will also benefit from a finer grain of street
RFQ for Knik Arm Crossing toll bridge in Alaska
The Knik Arm Bridge and Toll Authority (KABATA) has issued a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) for concessionaires to design, construct, finance, operate and maintain the Knik Arm Crossing under an availability payment public-private partnership. Statements of Qualifications (SOQ) are due 15 September, 2011 at 4:00PM Alaska Daylight Saving Time. The RFQ can be downloaded at http://notes4.state.ak.us/pn/pubnotic.nsf or interested parties can receive the RFQ by contacting Michele Casey at michele.casey@alaska
Bridge demolition causing traffic delays in Los Angeles
The California city of Los Angeles is expected to suffer unprecedented levels of road congestion this weekend. The city has some of the most congested stretches of highway in the US and arguably the world. However the need to demolish a highway bridge will result in a highway closure, including a key interchange that carries extremely heavy traffic volumes. The I-405 San Diego highway will be closed between the San Fernando Valley and the LA Basin.
Over 400 Infinova cameras deployed in world’s longest road tunnel
The Zhong’nan Tunnel, sometimes referred to as the Qinling Zhongnanshan Tunnel, in Shanxi province, the longest two-tube road tunnel in the world, is one of eight projects where a total of 2,870 Infinova cameras of varying types and covering 830 km of expressways throughout the northern province of Shanxi in China, are deployed. Expressways, besides the Zhong’nan Mountain Tunnel include Shangman, Xihan, Baoniu, Weipu, Shangjie, Baomao and Tongxi. Infinova says that in addition to its cameras, the deployment
UK road casualties lowest on record
The UK Department for Transport (DfT) has announced that the number of people killed in road accidents reported to the police fell by 16% from 2,222 in 2009 to 1,857 in 2010 – the lowest figure since national records began in 1926. A total of 22,660 people were seriously injured in reported road accidents (a reduction of 8%) while 184,138 people were slightly injured (a reduction of 6%). The 2010 figures are significant because they confirm that casualty reduction targets set in 2000 have been surpassed.
Michigan senate approves repeal of motorcycle helmet law
AAA Michigan has said it strongly opposes legislation approved by the Michigan Senate late Wednesday (June 28) which, if approved by the House, would repeal Michigan's nearly four-decade old mandatory motorcycle helmet law.
Unlit bollard liability for UK authorities
A ruling by a court in Cambridge is likely to have major implications for councils and authorities across the UK after a cyclist won compensation when he collided with a bollard at night. These were placed on a cycle route to prevent vehicular access to the cycle path, which runs alongside the River Cam and is used day and night by cyclists who commute to/from Cambridge, as a safer alternative to using the busy A10.
Nokia to integrate Navteq in new business unit
Nokia has announced that Michael Halbherr has been appointed executive vice president to spearhead the company’s revised mission in mobile and location-based services. He will lead a new location and commerce business unit, which will be formed by integrating the Navteq business with Nokia's social location services operations. Nokia says the unit will develop a new class of integrated social location products and services for consumers, as well as platform services and local commerce services for device ma
AAA App provides step-by-step guidance following a traffic crash
AAA has launched the latest addition to its suite of free mobile applications with the release of the AAA Insurance app for iPhone and iPad that walks drivers through the post-traffic crash process of collecting information, photos, as well as providing one-touch access to call police and emergency services, AAA to request a tow, and the AAA Insurance claims department, for those AAA Insurance policyholders.
ComNet expands into Latin America
Recognising that infrastructure within Latin America is expanding rapidly, and that this expansion fuels the demand for fibre optic and Ethernet transmission products, Communication Networks (ComNet) has decided to expand its presence in the market and named Ricardo Acle as director of Latin America Sales.
ITS America to lead ISO ITS standards committee
ITS America will once again lead administration of the US Technical Advisory Group for Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS), and serve as International Secretariat for the International Organization for Standardization’s ITS Technical Committee. ITS America takes over from the Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA), which had administered the groups since 2006.
Iteris wins traffic light synchronisation project along major California corridor
Iteris has been selected by the Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA) to synchronise 68 traffic lights along Katella Avenue in Orange County, California, as part of the Proposition 1B - Traffic Light Synchronization Program (TLSP). The contract, valued at $674,000, is expected to begin immediately.
Zetes acquires ProScan
Zetes has acquired ProScan, a leading South African company in the field of supply chain, automatic data entry and mobility solutions. Explaining the background to the acquisition, Alain Wirtz, CEO of Zetes, said, “ProScan offers a solid foothold in Africa for Zetes’ Goods ID solutions. There is a high demand on this continent for traceability solutions, particularly to track raw materials. This is a region of burgeoning growth, offering important potential for the Group. Africa represents a natural expansi
Indra and Siemens team up on railway signalling
Leading Spanish IT company, Indra and Siemens have signed an agreement to develop a new thorough railway signalling solution which comprises traditional signalling and the ERTMS level 2 technology for the future European railway traffic management system. The agreement includes commercialisation of the platform by both companies at national and international level.
US to unify regulations on cell-phone use at the wheel?
A new bill being presented in the US may ban the use of cell-phones by drivers while at the wheel. Should this bill go ahead, it would unify actions in a number of states under a single law that applies to the entire country. The move, called the Safe Drivers Act, is seen crucial to plans to tackle distracted driving.
India's terrible toll
India’s horrific death toll on its roads presents a major threat to the country’s fast economic development. Estimates from the Institute of Road Traffic Education (IRTE) suggest that some 130,000 people die on the roads/year, at an average of around 14 deaths/hour. Under-reporting of accidents is thought to be endemic and the figures available exclude the 1.6 million serious injuries that have been estimated by the IRTE. Close to 146 million traffic violations/day occur in the country according to the IRTE
Iteris releases VantageView 2.0
Iteris has released a major upgrade to its leading video detection management software. VantageView 2.0 provides enhanced data collection and graphical display, including vehicle counts, speed, and occupancy, as well as multi-video viewing capabilities from a web-based application. This intelligence is essential for traffic engineers and planners seeking to maximise efficiency of traffic flow.
VantageView is an integrated software platform that enables traffic managers to monitor video feeds from Iteris’
PB designing fibre network for MDOT
The Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) has awarded a contract to Parsons Brinckerhoff (PB) for the design of a new fibre-optic communications network in metropolitan Detroit. The project is a multi-phase effort to build an MDOT-owned fibre-optic network for communications with the Detroit region’s intelligent transportation system deployment, including hundreds of closed-circuit television cameras, dynamic message signs and vehicle detection systems along regional freeways.