SMART

A major European project aimed at delivering green traffic management systems in European cities and towns will be officially launched today (January 18) at the National Space Centre in Leicester, UK. The three-year project, known as ‘THE ISSUE’ (Transport Health Environment – Intelligent Solutions Sustaining Urban Economies), will support scientists, engineers and development agencies from several different European regions to work together, using the latest space and information technologies, to develop more effective methods of easing road congestion and improving the urban environment. It is hoped that the final research outcomes will be used to influence future policy and the implementation of traffic management systems that benefit public health and safety.

Read the full story at http://traffictechnologytoday.com/news.php?NewsID=35996.

Author: Sarah Kessler

Between 8% and 74% of traffic in congested downtown areas is caused by people cruising for parking, according to a report by UCLA professor Donald Shoup who synthesized studies from 70 years of research on the subject. The paper indicates that drivers in major cities — including San Francisco, Sydney, New York and London — spend between 3.5 and 14 minutes searching for a space each time they park.

The last study Shoup included in his report ended in 2001. Today, wasted cruising time is likely longer, and it’s on track to get worse. During a recent Ted Talk in March, Ford Motor Company Executive Chairman Bill Ford Jr. estimated that the number of cars on the road could go from 800 million to nearly 3 billion by 2050.

Ford also shares a solution for avoiding the gridlock that so many cars might cause (and no, it has nothing to do with reducing the number of cars on the road). What he envisions is a world in which cars are connected to each other and to cities, enabling drivers to avoid traffic, calculate exact driving time and efficiently manage parking spaces.

While the sci-fi possibilities of Ford’s full vision have yet to be realized, many companies and cities have started implementing smart solutions for parking and traffic problems. What they’re learning in these first steps may help shape the future of smart driving.

Read the full article at http://mashable.com/2011/04/13/smart-parking-tech/

WASHINGTON, D.C. – A new report from four leading transportation organizations demonstrates how existing and emerging technologies can squeeze more capacity from over-burdened highways, help commuters avoid traffic delays and expand and improve transportation options, all while saving money and creating jobs.

“Smart Mobility for a 21st Century America” shows why improving efficiency through technology is critical as our population grows and ages, budgets tighten and consumer preferences shift. The report was co-authored by Transportation for America, the Intelligent Transportation Society of America (ITS America), the Association for Commuter Transportation (ACT) and the University of Michigan SMART Initiative.

With President Obama’s support for a $50 billion down payment for infrastructure and the real prospect that Congress will move forward on a comprehensive, multi-year transportation bill in the upcoming session, the paper makes the case for investing in technology and innovation to help solve our nation’s most critical transportation problems.

The new report was released today in conjunction with the IBM Smarter Transportation Virtual Forum, which brought together experts from across the public sector, private industry and academia to discuss urban mobility and the growing need for technology solutions to the nation’s transportation, economic and environmental challenges.

Read the full article at http://www.itsa.org/press_release_content/c90_a3409/News_and_Events/Press_Releases/Press_Release_Archive.html