France extends speed enforcement network
Sagem Sécurité (Safran group) has signed a contract with the French Ministry of Ecology, Energy, Sustainable Development and the Sea, to install additional automated speed control radars over a period of four years.
Road safety systems on show at ITS World Congress
A vast array of new products and systems for aiding road safety were displayed at the ITS World Congress in October. David Crawford assesses a selection of safety initiatives exhibited in Orlando. Vital roles for ITS applications in road traffic safety emerge clearly from a new report from the US Transportation Safety Advancement Group. The report has been carried out for the Next Generation 911 What's Next Forum, which is preparing the way for future development of the US national 911 emergency single call
SmartMobility for Bay of Cadiz
Telvent's SmartMobility Light Rail Solution will be deployed for the new metropolitan light rail system in Spain's Bay of Cadiz. The new light rail system, which will have a total of 22 stations along its 24km route, is expected to go into operation by 2011.
Mounting benefits of dynamic tolling project
Wisconsin's four-year HOT lanes pilot project, launched in May 2008, cost US$18.8 million to construct. Halfway into the project, which uses variably priced, or dynamic, tolling to improve highway efficiency, the benefits are mounting. The problem was obvious, and frustrating, to anyone who ever sat in bumper-to-bumper traffic on State Route 167 and watched a lone car whiz by every 20 seconds or so in the carpool lane. But for planners at the Washington State Department of Transportation, the conundrum was
The Swedish Transport Administration
The Swedish Government has established a new authority, the Swedish Transport Administration, which has become the national authority with responsibility for long-term planning of the transport system for road, rail, maritime and air traffic.
Major intelligent road stud deployment
More than 21,000 Astucia SolarLite F series embedded intelligent road studs with built-in solar-powered light-emitting diodes are being deployed on two of the busiest sections of the A2 trunk route near the port of Dover, in Kent, England.
Highway safety inspection delivers safer roads, cost savings
Last year, the County of Lancashire, in the north-west of England, repaired a total of 15,000 potholes on its network of roads. In 2010, that number is likely to significantly increase as Lancashire, along with local authorities throughout the UK, deals with the after-effects of a record cold spell in December and January with prolonged snow, ice and sub-zero temperatures.
UTMC ANPR communications protocol aids traffic management
Telematics Technology's Peter Billington describes the effort to give English local authorities and police forces a UTMC ANPR open communication protocol. The story of the impact of communication protocols on the development and utilisation of intelligent equipment is a familiar one both inside and outside the ITS industry. At the outset, a company pioneering its latest technology invariably develops a proprietary protocol. This enables the company's products to talk to the customer systems which need to a
Iteris builds on success
Following the successful introduction of a 511 traffic information system for the Inland Empire, the Riverside County Transportation Commission (RCTC), in a cooperative venture with the San Bernardino Associated Governments (SANBAG), in California, has awarded Iteris a US$1.1 million, three-year contract to operate and maintain the system.
Tolling technology win for Rajdeep Info Techno
Indian tolling technology company Rajdeep Info Techno has won its first toll collection equipment project from IRB Infrastructure, one of the leading BOT developers for roads in India, for a project in the state of Maharashtra.
Stepped speed limits improve workzone congestion and safety
Traffic flow has been improved, congestion eased and safety increased - by a system of 'stepped speed limits' introduced to UK roadworks. URS Scott Wilson principal consultant Jamie Uff reports
Brazil investing in new vehicle weight check points
A government investment of over US$774 million in Brazil will see the number of vehicle weight check points on federal motorways grow to 157 by 2014, compared to 52 at present.
Wireless traffic management reduces costs and commute times
The County of Los Angeles is widely known for having among the worst traffic problems and the most road congestion in the US. To combat these problems, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Works decided to deploy a wireless communications system to connect over 1,000 of the most congested intersections so they could dynamically monitor and manage the congestion and reduce commute times.
Toll performance exceeds expectations, improves travel times
Jean Harito, Attica Tollway Operations Authority and Steve Morello, Egis Projects describe how looking to exceed contractual obligations makes good operational and business sense. The Attica Tollway is a modern, 65km, access-controlled urban motorway with three lanes in each direction. It constitutes the ring road around the extensive metropolitan area of the Greek capital, Athens, and forms the backbone of the entire road network in the Attica region. By ensuring freeflow operating conditions, the Attica T
Open road tolling: safer with less congestion
Michael J. Davis of PBS&J looks at the positive effect that open road tolling can have on safety
Use of ITS technology grows more prevalent in safety applications
Transportation agencies and governments are using ITS technology to protect critical infrastructure from terrorist attack and other threats to economic security and public safety. Andrew Bardin Williams reports. It is no secret that we live in a potentially dangerous world. Terrorism as seen on 9/11 in the United States, subsequent attacks in London, Moscow and Madrid and other acts of violence across the developing world have made vigilance the watchword for ensuring security. Key infrastructure is now bei
Selecting the right camera for safety or security
Machine vision systems offer great variety of function and performance. Teledyne DALSA product manager Manuel Romero describes 10 key criteria to aid selection of advanced camera technology for safety or security applications. There are many ways in which machine vision systems can enhance safety and security in transportation, but the ultimate results will only be as good as the image produced. Success relies on correct selection of the camera of such systems, as the features and performance required vary
Managed motorways, hard shoulder running aids safety, saves time
The announcement that, in 2012/13, work to extend Managed Motorways to Junctions 5-8 of the M6 near Birmingham in the West Midlands is scheduled to start marks the next step for the UK's hard shoulder running concept, first introduced on the M42 in 2006. The M6 scheme is in fact one of several announced; over the next few years work will start on applying Managed Motorways to various sections of the M1, M25 London Orbital, M60 and M62. According to Paul Unwin, senior project manager with the Highways Agency
Indiana goes wireless for statewide ITS
The Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) has deployed an end-to-end Proxim wireless network for a state-wide intelligent transportation system. The network connects traffic and video components over hundreds of square miles throughout the Northwest Indiana and Indianapolis areas.
IntelliDrive and HOT lanes - the next generation?
Janet Banner, Metropolitan Transportation Commission, and Christopher Hill, Mixon Hill, Inc., outline efforts to explore the use of IntelliDrive technologies in HOT lane applications. On 21 October last year more than 100 transportation professionals came together for a workshop, either in person or via a webinar, to discuss the potential role of IntelliDriveSM technologies in enhancing the operations of High-Occupancy Toll (HOT) lanes. The discussions focused on a White Paper, commissioned by the Metropoli