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Iteris has been awarded the prime contract from the US Research and Innovative Technology Administration (RITA) for the National Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) Architecture Evolution and Support programme, with a value of up to US$12.4 million over a five-year period. Over the last fifteen years, Iteris has provided the US federal government support in developing the National ITS Architecture and facilitating its implementation across the country. This task order-based contract, which is expected

Figures published by the European Commission have revealed that there has been a significant slow-down in the reduction of road traffic fatalities throughout the European Union (EU) during the past year of 2011. This is despite significant progress being achieved through the EU's Road Safety Action Plan 2001-2011. Throughout the duration of this plan, EU road deaths reduced by an average of six per cent every year, yet in 2011 this rate of reduction decreased to an average of two per cent. Indeed, some memb

According to Dutch automotive association and tourism group ANWB, there was an estimated 30 per cent year-on-year decrease in the number of traffic jams in the Netherlands in the first quarter of 2012. This comes as the Rijkswaterstaat, the Dutch department for infrastructure maintenance, invested more in the construction of new motorway lanes in recent years. The A2 motorway between Amsterdam and Utrecht has been expanded to ten lanes, and this reduced congestion by 25 per cent alone in 2011. In the short

Siemens Industry and Streetline have announced an advanced parking solution combining smart parking meters, sensors and applications to provide cities with flexible parking options for residents and visitors while reducing traffic congestion in downtown areas. The advanced parking solution makes it easier for motorists to locate and pay for parking by providing real-time data to motorists through a free smartphone application that guides drivers to available parking spaces. The application uses information

A workshop "ITS for Smart Cities: the Verona model" organised by the Municipality of Verona, in collaboration with TTS Italia, is being held on 16 April to provide an opportunity to present and discuss initiatives undertaken by the city of Verona in support of intelligent and sustainable mobility and to assess the results and benefits. The opening session will be a welcome by the mayor of the Italian city and will include presentations by the local councillor for mobility and by a representative of the Ital

The first full vehicle prototype of the Taxi of Tomorrow, the 2014 Nissan NV200, is being featured at the 2012 New York International Auto Show which is open to the public from 6-16 April. After a rigorous, two-year competitive bid selection process, the New York City Taxi and Limousine Commission (TLC) selected the Nissan NV200 Taxi in May 2011 as the exclusive taxi of New York City, beginning in late 2013. The Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum, the Design Trust for Public Space and Smart Design also ha

FEMA, the Federation of European Motorcycle Associations, has produced a special newsletter devoted to powered two-wheelers and ITS, by opening for the first time its pages to a panel of experts from across the field: top researchers in behavioural science and safety systems, members of the motorcycle industry, and officials from the European Commission in charge of transport and information technology. Together, they provide an in-depth insight to the best way forward to bring about a safer traffic environ

According to a new research report by Berg Insight, global sales of handsets featuring near field communication (NFC) increased ten-fold in 2011 to 30 million units. Growing at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 87.8 per cent, shipments are forecasted to reach 700 million units in 2016. The global rise in smartphone adoption is also driving higher attach rates for other wireless connectivity technologies in handsets including GPS, Bluetooth and WLAN. These connectivity technologies are already a standa

By the end of 2012, new measures will be introduced in Belgium to improve road safety in an effort to reduce the number of road fatalities from 875 in 2011 to 420 in 2020. The maximum alcohol level for professional drivers will be set at 0.2 parts per one thousand. The fine for driving under the influence will increase from €150 (US$200) to €170 for alcohol levels between 0.5 and 0.8 per one thousand. Repeat offences in a given period will result in a licence suspension. The fine for not wearing a belt will

Singapore’s Land Transport Authority (LTA) has announced that it intends to look into how to encourage commuters to use public transport more frequently, lessen car travel and change their journeys to off-peak periods. A consultant is being sought by the LTA to evaluate if the various workplace-based travel plan programmes are feasible and effective in switching the travel patterns of commuters.

Econolite has announced that in just three years, it has reached a major industry milestone with an order for the 100th Centracs Advanced Transportation Management System (ATMS). To be installed in Georgia, the software system will be deployed as part of the city of Johns Creek’s ITS master plan that provides the vision and strategy for the future development of the city’s traffic operations.

Skolkovo foundation has held a tender for the development of a smart city concept which has been won by a consortium of Russia-based Cognitive Technologies IT company, Ernst & Young consulting company from the UK and Japan-based Panasonic. Skolkovo, near Moscow, is also known as the Russian Silicon Valley, and the contract is worth US$3.06 million.

The consortium made up of Acciona Infraestructuras and Tradeco from Spain and Mexico and the consortium made up of Odebrecht and Hyundai Joint Venture from Brazil and South Korea plus Vinci Construction Grands Projets from France have pre-qualified in the tender for the construction of a new bridge at the Atlantic side of the Panama Canal. The second stage of the selection process will involve the client Panama Canal Authority (ACP) sending the contract terms and conditions to bidders. The 75m high and 4.6

The Kiev City State Administration (KSCA), in the Ukraine, is intending to attract private investors to build a metro line to Troyeshchyna housing estate. The relevant memorandum of understanding was signed at the I Kiev Investment Forum last week between the KSCA and the National Agency for Investment and Innovation, which will seek investors.

Sri Lanka’s Airport Express Air and Rail (AEAR) is planning to build the first rapid transit metro system in the country at a cost of US$600 million. US-based Louis Berger and India-based KPMG Mumbai have been hired to conduct a technical study and a feasibility study for the project. Construction is scheduled to start in early 2013 after approvals are granted and the studies are completed. The system is scheduled to be operational by 2016.

Capita Symonds’ Innovations team has secured a new contract on the UK Highways Agency Traffic Information System (Hatris) programme. The contract, which is an extension to the company’s current work on the scheme, will see the team taking the project through to December 2014. The Hatris system, which has been developed and enhanced by Capita Symonds since 2005, is used to monitor and report on vehicle journey times across set routes on the UK motorway and trunk road network. This enables the Highways Agency

Chile's Public Transport Minister, Pedro Pablo Errazuriz, has announced that the government is looking to replicate the successful speed camera system that is used in France. The system captures photos of speeding cars and then sends out letters to offenders, issuing them with a fine within two days of the offence. This has enabled France to dramatically improve the safety of its roads, reducing the number of road deaths from an average of 8,000 per year in 2003 to an estimated 4,000 in 2012. The cameras ar

Dutch company PAL-V Europe has concluded test flights of its flying car, the PAL-V (Personal Air and Land Vehicle). The patented vehicle flies in the air like a gyrocopter with lift generated by an auto-rotating rotor and forward speed is produced by a foldable push propeller on the back. On the road it drives like a sports car. No new infrastructure is required because it uses existing roads and airstrips.

California’s Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) has launched the first phase of its 290km conversion of high occupancy vehicle (HOV) lanes to Express Lanes, or commonly known as high occupancy toll (HOT) lanes, with TransCore serving as lead integrator for the project. The US$11.8 million programme comes at a crucial time in Silicon Valley as it prepares for an expected 38 per cent growth in population over the next 20 years and funding for transportation improvements is projected to grow at

The International Transport Forum at the OECD, an intergovernmental organisation for the transport sector that comprises 53 countries, has announced the projects shortlisted for its 2012 Transport Achievement Award that honours transport projects that have demonstrated excellence in seamlessly connecting people, infrastructure or markets.