Road Traffic Technology

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http://www.roadtraffic-technology.com/contractors/tolling/ird/press4.html Thu, 24 Apr 2008 14:07:35 GMT http://www.roadtraffic-technology.com/contractors/tolling/ird/press4.html IRD Announces First Quarter 2008 Results International Road Dynamics (IRD), the world's largest provider of Weigh-In-Motion systems and solutions for the global Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) market, today announced its results for the three months ended February 29, 2008. Sales for the first quarter of fiscal 2008 ended February 29, 2008 were US$6.9 million compared to US$8.3 million for the same period last year. Revenues in the United States rose 10.4% to US$3.8 million from US$3.5 million in the prior year period due primarily to increased revenue from in-vehicle driver management-GPS systems and the continuation of an 8 year contract to provide transponder administration services for the North Carolina Department of Transportation which started operation in the third quarter of fiscal 2007. Overseas sales in the first quarter of fiscal 2008 were US$2.2 million compared to US$3.4 million last year due to decreased sales volumes in China, India and Chile. Management believes that recent new contract awards in India and Chile, as well as its recent acquisition of Xuzhou-PAT Control Technologies Limited in China in the first quarter of 2008, will generate increased sales volumes in the Company's overseas markets through the balance of the year and going forward. Canadian sales were US$0.9 million in the first quarter of 2008 compared to US$1.4 million in the prior year. The decrease is due primarily to the delivery and installation of two large data collection and truck pre-clearance site contracts completed in the first quarter of fiscal 2007. "We are excited about the new orders recently received and the momentum in our off-shore markets. Our results in the first quarter were impacted by cyclical nature of our business hoHHhowever, we remain optimistic that the increased level of orders recently received will generate improved results in the latter part of fiscal 2008 and going forward," commented Terry Bergan, President and CEO. The Company's service and maintenance contract revenues remained strong in the first quarter of fiscal 2008. This base of recurring revenue is expected to provide a significant portion of the Company's total revenues going forward. Recent awards and renewals include additional value added data services consistent with the Company's strategy to become an Application Services Provider (ASP) for data collection, in-vehicle driver management-GPS systems and other service contracts. Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) were $0.2 million in the first quarter compared to $0.9 million for the same period last year. Gross margins as a percentage of sales were marginally lower in the first quarter compared to the prior year period due to the negative impact resulting from the decline in the value of the US dollar and a sales mix in the period that included a smaller proportion of higher margin IRD products than the prior year. Administrative and marketing expenses in the quarter were relatively flat compared with the prior year. Research and development costs were maintained at the same level as the previous year as the Company continues an active program of technology development aimed primarily at adding to the functionality of products developed over the past few years. Amortization expense increased primarily due to the commencing of the amortization of the Company's new manufacturing facility completed in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2007 and the amortization of equipment costs for the North Carolina transponder project beginning in the third quarter of fiscal 2007. The Company generated a net loss of $0.2 million or $0.01 per common share for the three months ended February 29, 2008 compared to net earnings of US$0.4 million or $0.03 per common share for the same period last year. Working capital at the end of the first quarter of 2008 was US$5.1 million compared to $9.3 million at the end of November 2007. The change is primarily the result of an increase in the current portion of long-term debt to US$5.1 million at February 29, 2008. This increase is due to the inclusion as current portion of long-term debt of a $3.5 million non-revolving loan facility and $.75 million of vendor loans used to acquire Xuzhou-PAT Control Technologies Limited during the quarter. The Company anticipates that US$4 million of these loans will be converted to a fixed-term loan in December 2008 under the $4 million loan facility currently in place. "During and subsequent to the quarter we were awarded new toll contracts in India, a US$3.7 million order to supply and install border security devices in Mexico through our Chilean subsidiary, and a number of other orders for our off-the-shelf product in China. We are confident that revenues from these contracts and additional new business, combined with continued solid demand for our weigh station, data collection and IVS systems technologies, will generate enhanced growth and profitability going forward," Mr Bergan concluded. http://www.roadtraffic-technology.com/contractors/photo_enforcement/redflex/press10.html Tue, 22 Apr 2008 12:50:22 GMT http://www.roadtraffic-technology.com/contractors/photo_enforcement/redflex/press10.html Redflex Introduce Fix System Speed Enforcement Solutions – Making a Safer World The REDFLEXred-speed fixed system provides a world leading technology in enforcement utilising inductive and non-inductive detectors. It provides the enforcement of red light and speed offences at intersections. The detection system utilises in-road inductive detectors and is capable of speed determination. Additional information such asvehicle length and class can also be acquired using this technology. The system is able to enforce red light, speed and combined red light and speed offences, and is suited to intersections. COMBINATION OFFENCES The REDFLEXred-speed system enforces offending vehicles that commit either a speed offence or a red light offence, or simultaneously commit a combined speed and red light infringement. SIMULTANEOUS OFFENCES Detects vehicles offending in numerous lanes to be captured and enforced simultaneously. HIGH RESOLUTION CAMERA SYSTEM Redflex's high-resolution camera system enables the positive identification of an offending vehicle from a single close-up photograph. Configurations of 6 or 11 megapixel camera resolution gives up to four times the viewing area of standard photo enforcement cameras. http://www.roadtraffic-technology.com/contractors/photo_enforcement/redflex/press7.html Tue, 22 Apr 2008 10:58:02 GMT http://www.roadtraffic-technology.com/contractors/photo_enforcement/redflex/press7.html Redflex Introduce Radar System The REDFLEXradar-fixed system provides a world leading technology in enforcement utilising non-inductive detectors. It provides for the enforcement of red light and speed offences at intersections. The detection system utilising radar detection is capable of speed determination and is able to discriminate between approaching and receding traffic. The radar measures the speed of all passing targets and performs a precise measurement by way of Fast Fourier Transform processing which is then used to capture images of offending vehicles. VANDAL RESISTANT/WIDE ENVIRONMENTAL TOLERANCE Redflex's Photo Enforcement (fixed radar speed) system is a closed system enclosure that does not ingest outside air. This makes the system resistant to fire-bombing and chemical attack, and enables its use in harsh environmental conditions. REDFLEXradar-fixed is installed and operating in a wide range of climatic extremes, from summer in the Australian outback to the harsh winter conditions in the northern USA. FIVE-LANE OPERATION REDFLEXradar-fixed is able to enforce across a full five lanes of traffic from a standard single camera enclosure and radar speed measurement detection device. http://www.roadtraffic-technology.com/contractors/photo_enforcement/redflex/press9.html Tue, 22 Apr 2008 10:53:46 GMT http://www.roadtraffic-technology.com/contractors/photo_enforcement/redflex/press9.html Redflex Introduce New Inductive Detectors The REDFLEXred system provides a world leading technology in enforcement utilising inductive detectors. It provides the enforcement of red light offences at intersections. The detection system utilising in-road inductive (i.e. loop loop) detection is capable of red light offence determination. Additional information such as vehicle length and class can also be acquired using this technology. The system is able to enforce red-light offences with optional speed offence technology, and is suited to intersections. http://www.roadtraffic-technology.com/contractors/photo_enforcement/redflex/press8.html Tue, 22 Apr 2008 10:53:00 GMT http://www.roadtraffic-technology.com/contractors/photo_enforcement/redflex/press8.html Redflex Introduce Level Crossing Violation Monitoring System REDFLEXrail is a level crossing violation monitoring system that detects and enforces offending vehicles at railway crossings. The system detects vehicles that disobey red lights, vehicles that drive around boom gates, and provides gridlock enforcement capabilities that capture images of all vehicles that stop within the violation area after a configurable time period (regardless of the signal or boom gates). The system also enforces speed at the level crossing site. The system combines high resolution images with video of all offences to ensure enforcement and understanding of driver behaviour at the level crossing. The industry-leading system features fully configurable, time into red time detection and vehicle image sequencing and timing. It also offers fully configurable independent speed limit and detection threshold settings. Inductive, magnetic, and video loops are available. REDFLEXrail provides outstanding situational awareness and applications that manage the most challenging detection circumstances. The high-quality data it yields has consistently proven legible in judicial systems throughout the world. http://www.roadtraffic-technology.com/contractors/photo_enforcement/redflex/press6.html Tue, 22 Apr 2008 10:44:03 GMT http://www.roadtraffic-technology.com/contractors/photo_enforcement/redflex/press6.html Redflex Announce Latest Point-to-Point Speed Enforcement Technology Redflex's Point-to-Point solution provides speed enforcement and statistical information for vehicles traveling from one point to another. The system works by knowing the distance between the two points and the time it would take to travel that distance legally. Vehicle details (including image and time) are recorded at each point, and are later correlated at a central server to determine the average vehicle speed. Incident files are created for both local and point-to-point speeding vehicles. Optical character recognition (OCR) is used to automate the vehicle correlation process. The central server utilizes a relational database to store summary information, from which statistical information is extracted. Redflex point-to-point digitally photographs every vehicle as it crosses the first point-to-point station utilising either inductive or non-intrusive technologies. It uses a high-repetition industrial technology to ensure a sharp image of fast moving vehicles. A non-intrusive infrared flash is used to illuminate the vehicle and number plate when the ambient light is insufficient. Monochrome cameras are typically employed as they are generally more sensitive than colour cameras, and infrared photography results in monochrome images anyway. There is one dedicated camera and flash per lane. http://www.roadtraffic-technology.com/contractors/photo_enforcement/redflex/press12.html Tue, 22 Apr 2008 10:40:56 GMT http://www.roadtraffic-technology.com/contractors/photo_enforcement/redflex/press12.html New Toll Systems from Redflex The REDFLEXtoll system provides a world leading technology in tolling enforcement providing networking and ticket processing facilities. It provides for the enforcement of tolling and speed offences. A fully automated system, REDFLEXtoll enforcement system integrates with existing lane controllers and toll collection systems to provide evidential files for toll violations. Optical character recognition technology options are also available, allowing automatic identification of licence plates for faster processing. SMOOTH SYSTEM INTEGRATION REDFLEXtoll can be easily integrated into existing toll collection solutions. With the addition of Redflex speed measurement sensors the system can quickly be upgraded to provide speed as well as toll enforcement. ILLUMINATION Redflex Vehicle Identification Systems work with a wide range of white light or invisible Infrared illumination systems for optimum imaging performance. Redflex has developed its own proprietary flash system specifically for traffic enforcement and imaging of vehicles, avoiding the need for intrusive flood lighting. http://www.roadtraffic-technology.com/contractors/photo_enforcement/redflex/press11.html Tue, 22 Apr 2008 10:36:09 GMT http://www.roadtraffic-technology.com/contractors/photo_enforcement/redflex/press11.html New Speed Enforcement Technology from Redflex The REDFLEXspeed fixed system provides a world leading technology in enforcement utilising inductive and non-inductive detectors. It provides the enforcement of speed offences at intersections, single lane roads and on highways (capturing up to six lanes of traffic). The detection system utilising in-road inductive detectors is capable of speed determination and additional information such as vehicle length and class can also be acquired using this technology. Optionally, the system is also able to enforce red-light offences, and is suited to intersections. HIGH RESOLUTION CAMERA SYSTEM Redflex's high-resolution camera system enables the positive identification of an offending vehicle from a single close-up photograph. Configurations of 6 or 11 megapixel camera resolution gives up to four times the viewing area of standard photo enforcement cameras. VANDAL RESISTANT/WIDE ENVIRONMENTAL TOLERANCE Redflex's Photo Enforcement (fixed speed) systems use a closed-system enclosure that does not ingest outside air. This makes the system resistant to fire bombing, and chemical attack and enables its use in harsh environmental conditions (i.e. salt environments, pollution, smog etc.). REDFLEXspeed is installed and operating in a wide range of climatic extremes from summer in the Middle East and the Arizona desert to the harsh winter conditions in Toledo, Ohio. http://www.roadtraffic-technology.com/contractors/detection/diamond/press8.html Mon, 21 Apr 2008 10:49:44 GMT http://www.roadtraffic-technology.com/contractors/detection/diamond/press8.html Queens Award for Idris Technology Diamond Consulting Services (DCS), owners and developers of the Idris vehicle detection and classification technology have been presented with one of the UK's most prestigious awards. To win a Queen's Award for Enterprise is a significant, prestigious endorsement of business achievement. The awards are given solely on merit and the competition is fierce. DCS can be justifiably proud of their research & development success in the field of vehicle detection and classification for this is the second Queen's Award they have won in three years. DCS have proved once again they are industry leaders with their continued innovation and development of Idris. "Winning the Queen's Award," said Bob Lees, who along with his bother Andy, a fellow systems engineer, invented the Idris software, acknowledges "the development and use of advanced British technology in vehicle detection and classification across the world". The Idris Technology - automatic vehicle detection and classification software - is used worldwide in applications such as incident detection (which is currently being trialled in the UK) through to multi-lane Open Road Tolling schemes. From a basic in-ground loop detection system, a powerful axle recognition and classification technology has been developed which produces class accuracy levels greater than 99.5%, beating all other single sensor product accuracies in today's market. DCS has a track record of making the impossible possible, through innovative development of loop technology enabling Idris to meet a wide range of traffic management challenges. The Queen's Award, with worldwide acclaim, recognises this accomplishment and DCS's continued innovation and outstanding contribution to the Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) industry. As a research and development company, DCS needed to evolve Idris into a product range which offered road operators functionality, accuracy and flexibility for the improvement of todays transportation corridors. The teams dedication to evolving the technology to help improve our roads through safer incident and vehicle detection applications demonstrates why they so richly deserve the Queen's Award. As a symbol of success and good business practice DCS have been awarded the right to use the coveted 'Queen's Award' emblem for the next five years. This is not the first time that DCS has been recognised for its business development skills. In 2006 they won the Queen's Award for Enterprise - International Trade. Prior to this, in 1998, DCS was awarded a UK Government Smart Award to develop the vehicle axle recognition capability of the Idris Technology. This is now fully implemented worldwide enabling systems to record exactly how many axles a vehicle has, even if, as is often the case with large trucks, they are not all in contact with the road surface. In 2003, the transition from Research and Development project to a fully commercialised range of products and applications was recognised with a Smart Achievement Award. Established in 1991, DCS is a small family owned business based near Aylesbury in Buckinghamshire. The company is managed by the Lees family with the help of a small dedicated team based throughout the world. DCS specialises in research, development and consultancy for the road traffic industry. Over the last 17 years, DCS has proved to be the leader in the field of vehicle detection and classification. On this reputation it has built a significant business with its Idris Technology. http://www.roadtraffic-technology.com/contractors/tolling/ird/press3.html Thu, 17 Apr 2008 16:43:04 GMT http://www.roadtraffic-technology.com/contractors/tolling/ird/press3.html IRD Awarded US$3.7 Million Mexican Contract International Road Dynamics (IRD) announced today that, through its wholly-owned subsidiary in Santiago, Chile, it has been awarded a contract to supply and install sixty Tire Deflator Devices, specialized barriers and other related products and services at specific border crossings in Mexico. The contract is valued at approximately US$3.7 Million. The Tire Deflator Devices and related equipment prevent the passage of unauthorized vehicles. When triggered by a border guard, they are exposed in the pavement to puncture the vehicle's tires. These proprietary products were acquired by IRD with the purchase of PAT Chile in 2005. Mr Terry Bergan, IRD's President and CEO, commented: "With the award of this new contract, our Chilean subsidiary is off to a solid start in 2008. With their strong presence throughout Central and South America, we expect to generate a growing base of business as we capitalize on the increased investment in infrastructure and sophisticated Intelligent Transportation Systems in the region." IRD is a highway traffic management technology company specializing in supplying products and systems to the global Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) industry. IRD is a North American company based in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan Canada with sales and service offices throughout the United States and overseas. Private corporations, transportation agencies and highway authorities around the world use IRD's products and advanced systems to manage and protect their highway infrastructures. http://www.roadtraffic-technology.com/contractors/parking/berry-systems/press5.html Thu, 17 Apr 2008 12:46:41 GMT http://www.roadtraffic-technology.com/contractors/parking/berry-systems/press5.html Car Park Safety Barriers – Regulations, Standards and Recommendations When selecting safety barriers for car parks it's easy to make the mistake of thinking most steel barriers would cope with the slow speeds in a car park if they can be used on motorways? Perhaps surprisingly this is not the case. Crashes on motorways typically hit the barriers a glancing blow whereas in car parks it's likely to be head on. In consequence a 10 mph impact in a car park will require the barrier to withstand very similar forces to a 70 mph impact on a motorway. Also, you don't want to replace the barriers after every knock so they need to absorb a blow and then return to effective service. The other major difference between a motorway environment and a car park is the presence of pedestrians. Part K of Building Regulations - Vehicle Barriers and Loading Bays - is quite straight forward because it simply requires any building with vehicular access to have barriers capable of withstanding the forces defined in BS 6399. BS 6399 on the other hand is quite a complex, but vital document to understand when selecting barriers. It defines how the impact forces are calculated and where they act in terms of heights and distribution and how to define the weight of a typical vehicle. BS 6180 is a code of practice for barriers in and around buildings and defines where barriers are needed, where handrails and in-fill mesh should be fitted and the heights and sizes of these. However, these standards are quite old now and should be read in the light of recommendations from the Institute of Civil Engineers and the Institution of Structural Engineers who both produced reports in 2002 that effectively update the British Standards which were published in the mid 1990s. These recommendations take into account changing styles and fashions within vehicle designs. For example, the popularity of 4x4s means the average height of a bumper has risen and so the typical point of impact on a safety barrier is now higher than previously. They also looked at some key areas of risk where speeds may be higher, such as opposite the down ramps in a multi-storey car park or at the end of long aisles, and made recommendations about the forces the barriers in those positions need to withstand. These recommendations don't have the backing of being legal requirements but they are sensible and you ignore them at your legal peril. Some are only applicable to multi-storey car parks but most of the provisions apply to ground level, open car parks as well. Another design change not covered by either of these reports is the trend to thinner concrete decks many of which can not take the imposed loads defined by BS 6399 through an impact on a rigid barrier system. The new Berry Brisafe system (for new build) and our renowned spring steel buffers and Flexi-post systems are all designed to absorb impacts within the barrier and reduce pull-out loadings on the deck - as well as reducing damage to cars and the barrier itself. They've all been independently tested to prove that they comply with the standards and it's important that any barrier supplier has such test results available and is fully conversant with all the standards, regulations and recommendations. By doing this we can reduce damage to the barriers, reduce damage to vehicles and the car park. Most important of all, we can help to protect pedestrians, drivers and passengers. http://www.roadtraffic-technology.com/contractors/detection/diamond/press7.html Tue, 15 Apr 2008 12:48:47 GMT http://www.roadtraffic-technology.com/contractors/detection/diamond/press7.html One Card Fits All - Piezo and Loop Piezo Axle Detection from Nortech International Nortech International has developed a piezo based axle detection card which has enabled Idris technology to use alternative sensors for data collection applications. This means Idris axle classification accuracy from existing piezo sites! As well as an Idris Certified Licensee Company (ICLC) Nortech is a manufacturer of Idris enhanced hardware. The company has been working, in cooperation with Diamond Consulting Services (DCS), to develop improved hardware suitable for Idris enhanced applications. Their aim - to provide the best automatic vehicle classification (AVC) hardware possible for today's ITS. This latest development is no exception and offers the option to now use Idris for data collection sites where piezos are currently installed. This recent addition to the Nortech product range, is the AX014 Piezo based axle card. Idris is well known for its vehicle detection, classification and axle recognition accuracy. Traditionally, axle data is collected from Idris patented inductive axle loops. Nortech has successfully designed their AX014 card to look exactly like an axle detector to Idris. The card has been designed to facilitate an easy integration into existing sites and provide a reliable interface for most Piezo cable installations. The AX014 provides Idris with an output that allows the existing Idris algorithm to collect axle information and provide the high levels of accuracy that its customers expect. The axle card acts very much like a traditional inductive loop detector card and plugs directly into any free card slot in an Idris installation. Selective gain and sensitivity allow the axle card to be customised to site requirements. The hardware has currently been tested and qualified by DCS for use within Idris data recording products. The DR320, an axle based freeflow data recorder, and the DR420, an axle based data recorder with congestion handling capabilities, are just two of the products currently available with either a piezo or loop sensor option. Installing Idris into existing Piezo solution sites offers the additional accuracy benefits of the technology without the need to incur the premature costs of site replacement. Over the lifespan of the solution, as road surfaces wear and deteriorate, or as a site fails due to mechanical degredation or requires surface upgrading, a full Idris loop solution can then be installed (or alternatively, replacement Piezos used). The story doesn't end with data collection. Ongoing development and testing by Nortech will determine the use of this hardware in the high speed tolling market. Product Manager for Nortech International, Brian Johnson, said: "Nortech has always believed the ITS market needs application specific solutions. "This is the cornerstone of Nortech's success and has led to exciting and innovative products which provide cost effective options for the industry. Nortech is committed to new ideas and strives to provide its customers with cutting edge designs." http://www.roadtraffic-technology.com/contractors/detection/sky-high/press1.html Tue, 15 Apr 2008 11:42:19 GMT http://www.roadtraffic-technology.com/contractors/detection/sky-high/press1.html Sky High Awarded Northern Ireland Vehicle Km of Travel Survey Three Year Contract Sky High Traffic Surveys have been awarded a three year contract by the Northern Ireland Roads Service to collect traffic data across the whole of the major road network in Northern Ireland. Sky High will use a combination of video and automatic traffic counting techniques to measure traffic flows at over 200 sites each year. The Department for Regional Development will use the data as part of a new strategy to measure the amount of travel by road across the network. Mark Mattison, Managing Director of Sky High said he is delighted that Sky High can contribute its expertise in video and ATC surveys to the Directorate's progressive approach to monitoring road traffic trends. Roads Service is an Executive Agency within the Northern Ireland Department for Regional Development and as the sole road authority in Northern Ireland, it is responsible for just over 25,000 kilometres of public roads. The Vehicle Kilometres of Travel (VKT) survey monitors travel by class of vehicle across the various types of road in Northern Ireland and is used by Roads Service to provide an indication of overall usage of the road network. The information obtained is used in the development of transport policies, to assist in the allocation of maintenance funding and to some extent within the winter gritting schedules. It is also useful to many other government bodies and organisations for target setting and strategy monitoring purposes. Prior to this new contract, the process employed by Roads Service for the gathering of data and calculation of VKT was based on a method established jointly by Roads Service and Central Statistics and Research Branch (CSRB) in 1991. The previous survey utilised permanent traffic classification and counting equipment to gather traffic information from 115 locations, selected to provide a sample of all route types across NI. Roads Service are now adopting a new methodology to carry out the survey and calculate the VKT figure. As part of this, the road network has been divided into major roads - consisting of all motorways, 'A' class roads and 'B' class roads with a higher traffic flow, and minor roads - consisting of all other 'B' class roads, all 'C' class and all unclassified roads. The work that will be undertaken by Sky High consists of a survey of around 600 links on the Major Road network over a three year period. There will also be a one off survey of various locations on the minor road network. Traffic information (bi-directional) on each link will be collected for a minimum of one complete period of twelve hours between 0700 and 1900 hrs on a weekday. Sky High was established in May 1989 and has grown in this time to be one of the leading traffic survey and analysis specialists in the country. The company has UK offices in Leeds, London and Edinburgh employing around 50 full time staff and three offices in Australia. To compliment its core traffic survey business, Sky High also has specialist divisions dealing with Market Research (including a Computer Aided Telephone Interview Centre) and Data Entry contracts. Sky High were the first company in the UK to introduce the use of video recording as a way of increasing the accuracy and completeness of traffic flow counts. Over the 15 years they have been providing the service they have developed robust, safe and reliable video camera systems and expanded the range of services to include automatic traffic counter systems, manual surveys, roadside interview surveys, GPS journey time surveys, car parking surveys, market research and all other types of data collection supported by and a streamlined, high quality approach to survey management, analysis and reporting. Sky High takes the issue of quality control very seriously to the extent that they are ISO 9001:2000 accredited by Lloyds and employ a full time Quality Management System/Health and Safety manager. http://www.roadtraffic-technology.com/contractors/detection/diamond/press6.html Tue, 15 Apr 2008 10:58:24 GMT http://www.roadtraffic-technology.com/contractors/detection/diamond/press6.html Idris Delves Deeper Axle detection withstands road planing (milling) Idris now offers axle-based data collection using sub-base inductive loops whilst maintaining less than 95% vehicle classification accuracy. Installing loops below the wearing course enables the milling of road surfaces without damaging loop arrays. Idris' enhanced deep loop products eliminate the expense of axle detection replacement (loop and/or piezo), reducing further the already low Idris maintenance costs and increasing a system's overall lifespan. The aim for Idris has always been to provide the best automatic vehicle classification (AVC) technology possible for all environments. Until now, the inductive axle loops used by Idris have needed to be placed close to the road surface. In some environments, where regular road milling is a necessity, this has meant replacing axle loop arrays or piezo sensors. The team at DCS, in association with their Idris Technology Partners (ITPs), have developed a method which now enables inductive loops to be sited deeper into the road surface. Idris uses enhanced loop detectors to obtain high levels of classification accuracy. Refining the sensitivity of Idris' enhanced detectors has enabled both the main and axle loops to be placed 50mm (two inches) or more below the surface of the road - previous depths for axle loops were 20mm (three quarters of an inch). There are currently two types of detector which have been tested and Idris-qualified to be used with deep axle loops. These detectors are the TD724ID, supplied by Nortech International, and the Group 7 224 supplied by Quixote Traffic. At present the new loop depths are suitable for the Idris data recording range but, as Managing Director Bob Lees comments: "Watch this space. The DCS team and our ITPs are always pushing the realms of impossibility. I'm sure we'll be looking to extend the Idris deep loop product range in the near future! Idris has been at the forefront of vehicle detection and classification for the last ten years and we intend to continue that leadership." Idris Technology consists of complex patented algorithms around which an intricate software program has been developed. This has produced a technology capable of meeting the highest accuracies for vehicle detection, classification and axle recognition around the world. This software package, in conjunction with patented axle loops, provides a traffic technology capable of being integrated into most of today's traffic solutions. http://www.roadtraffic-technology.com/contractors/parking/berry-systems/press4.html Tue, 15 Apr 2008 09:13:11 GMT http://www.roadtraffic-technology.com/contractors/parking/berry-systems/press4.html The Perfect Prescription for Glasgow Royal Infirmary The new multi-storey car park at the Glasgow Royal Infirmary is a six storey steel frame structure with spiral entrance and exit ramps. Consultant engineers Dinardo Partnership needed to find a safety barrier system that could cope with the varying radius of the ramps and would also act as a perimeter edge for the main parking decks. Their prescription to main contractors Laing O'Rourke was a course of treatment by Berry Systems. From their base near Wolverhampton, Berry designed, manufactured and subsequently installed nearly two kilometres of safety barriers for this project plus nearly half a kilometre of standalone handrailing. Because the ramps were not a consistent radius, the barrier components had to be manufactured for specific locations. So all the barrier sections were carefully numbered during manufacture and had to be assembled in precisely the right order on site. Marketing Manager Simon Bradbury said: "Fortunately this is not the first spiral system we've been asked to make. While each is unique, we are now quite used to the demands they put on our manufacturing facility and our installation teams to make sure the right section is in the right place at the right time." http://www.roadtraffic-technology.com/contractors/road_marking/ase Wed, 07 May 2008 00:00:00 GMT http://www.roadtraffic-technology.com/contractors/road_marking/ase Advanced Striping Equipment Advanced Striping Equipment (ASE) is a leading supplier of specialized traffic marking equipment to the US and international markets. Our walk-behind machines, intermediate-stripers and truck-mounted units are designed and manufactured to exceed client expectations. From traffic paint and thermoplastic to plural component equipment, ASE is dedicated to manufacturing equipment that is designed for reliable operation, high performance, and economical production. HANDLINERS Advanced Striping Equipment is the maker of the Thermo Mark II line of handliners. Noted to be the finest handliners in the world, the ASE Thermo Mark II Featherlite, Double Drop and Sparrow handliners are durable and dependable for your complete road striping needs. THERMO MARK II FEATHERLITE HANDLINER Features exclusive to the Featherlite handliner series include: Adjustable dual front brakes Precision wheel and axle bearings Insulated material holding tank Bolted assembly It will boost productivity by reducing fatigue and downtime. The unit also includes a new precision rear-swivel wheel, helping to eliminate pain and strain from lifting and sliding during the application of arrows and legends. PROPANE OR DIESEL-FIRED MELTING KETTLES ASE&squo;s propane or diesel-fired melting kettles are manufactured to rapidly and effectively melt and maintain granular or block material. These melting kettles are available with either propane or diesel-fired engine burner systems. You can also choose between air and oil-jacketed fabricated design. SUPERIOR MELTING PERFORMANCE FALCON melting kettles are cylindrical to conserve space while providing superior melting performance. They are manufactured with accessible hardware components for ease of preventative maintenance and repair. All kettles are constructed of heavy-gauge steel. The agitation shaft is firmly suspended in tank, with variable speed control and reversible action providing optimum agitation efficiency. The agitator blades are engineered to evenly blend the molten material, with complete bottom and side-wiping action preventing material build-up while maximizing circulation. TOMIHAWK TRAILERS FOR THERMOPLASTIC APPLICATION Advanced Striping Equipment's TomiHawk trailer is a complete thermoplastic application system, with the highest quality design and equipment to provide you with outstanding striping results on any project. The TomiHawk is a total workstation which can be designed to fit your specific needs. Configurations may include single or dual kettles / handliners, with hydraulic jib crane or side-lift gate. We can customize our TomiHawk to fit your exact needs. You can also count on us to provide a set-up that is safe, convenient, and easy to operate. KETTLE TRUCKS ASE can create a kettle truck for every application. Whether air-jacketed or oil-jacketed, diesel fuelled or propane-fuelled, our experienced team takes pride in building kettle trucks that are designed for high-volume output, ease of operation and dependability. ATSSA INNOVATION AWARD ASE won first place at the ATSSA Innovation Awards, which were presented in late January during ATSSA's Annual Convention in San Atonio, Texas. Since 1969, the ATSSA convention has been the largest roadway safety convention of its kind in North America, featuring the latest in products and services that save lives on roadways. http://www.roadtraffic-technology.com/contractors/photo_enforcement/tenix Thu, 01 May 2008 00:00:00 GMT http://www.roadtraffic-technology.com/contractors/photo_enforcement/tenix Tenix Solutions Tenix Solutions specialises in providing services in road safety, traffic and parking management to governments and state agencies. It is the only company in the world to offer fully integrated, end-to-end traffic camera, parking infringement management and enforcement services. Tenix Solutions' comprehensive portfolio of products includes on-street detection systems (including fixed and mobile speed detection cameras), evidence and infringement processing systems, and debtor management systems. Tenix Solutions offers the best people, technologies and processes to allow governments to manage driver behaviour and deliver sustainable transport solutions to achieve safer, fairer people flow on your roads. Tenix Solutions is part of the Tenix Group, one of Australia's largest privately owned companies. ROAD SAFETY AND PARKING TECHNOLOGY Tenix Solutions has partnered with leading camera and parking vendors to provide a complete range of on-road technology. This includes a range of fixed and mobile speed and red-light detection equipment, parking meters, parking infringement issuance devices and vehicle detection devices to support efficient traffic and parking enforcement. EVIDENCE PROCESSING SYSTEM Tenix Solutions has developed one of the world's most robust and flexible evidence processing systems that can be seamlessly integrated with any camera solution available on the market. Built on the Microsoft .NET platform, this solution maintains a complete evidence trail from deployment of cameras to registered sites through to review of generated images and final acceptance of prosecutable incidents. The system has built-in tools for increasing accuracy and productivity, resulting in an overall improvement in the quality, reliability and credibility of each enforcement program. INFRINGEMENT ADMINISTRATION AND DEBTOR MANAGEMENT SYSTEM Tenix Solutions offers infringement administration and debtor management systems to process a range of violations including speed, red-light, toll-fee evasion, parking and local laws. Built using the latest technology platforms, the systems have been designed to be easily adapted to meet different legislative and regulatory requirements and they can be seamlessly integrated into any overall law enforcement bureau. These systems not only support back-office processing, they also provide tools to improve online public interaction. SECONDARY IMAGE SPEED VERIFICATION SYSTEM (SISV) The world-leading Secondary Image Speed Verification System (SISV) was developed by Tenix Solutions to provide a higher level of integrity to speed enforcement programs. SISV uses a second image to determine the distance that a vehicle has travelled over time to calculate a secondary speed - providing an additional quality check prior to an infringement being issued and thereby minimising the possibility of incorrect infringements. This unique software solution provides a second level of quality assurance without any additional investments in infrastructure at the speed site. Verified by an international measurement expert, the solution ensures that primary detection devices remain accurate for their entire life. APPLICATION AND BUSINESS PROCESS OUTSOURCING SERVICES Tenix Solutions' outsourcing services focus on distinctive capabilities. Government organisations gain access to specific capabilities related to the management of traffic and parking enforcement programs. Sharing your vision for safer fairer people flow, Tenix Solutions can help governments to either quickly establish and operate new government traffic enforcement functions or transform the performance of existing processes to reach higher performance levels, resulting in a real driver behaviour modification, meaning safer and less congested roads. The value of our outsourcing services is clear and demonstrable and is evidenced by the following experience: ROAD SAFETY ENFORCEMENT PROGRAM Tenix Solutions helped the Victorian State Government and Victoria Police improve the efficiency of their road safety enforcement program. This comprehensive program involved the integration of five disparate enforcement systems to a centralised end-to-end infringement processing system, an increase in mobile camera enforcement from 4,000 to 6,000 hours per month, as well as a marked increase in the quality of photos produced for enforcement with a 30% increase in prosecutability. STREAMLINING PARKING INFRINGEMENT ADMINISTRATION SERVICES In 2002 Tenix Solutions started to work with Wellington City Council to streamline its parking infringement administration services. The result was a streamlined service for the administration of parking infringement notices resulting in improved levels of service to customers and an increase in fine clearance - maximising the council's revenue from the parking enforcement program. http://www.roadtraffic-technology.com/contractors/infrastructure/carlisle-cleaning Wed, 30 Apr 2008 00:00:00 GMT http://www.roadtraffic-technology.com/contractors/infrastructure/carlisle-cleaning Carlisle Cleaning Carlisle Cleaning and Support Services' road transport division is an award-winning, industry-leading expert in the provision of dedicated and specific cleaning and support services to the road transport industry. These services include: Daily and periodic MOT and heavy cleaning for coaches and buses Daily and periodic depot and office cleaning Shunting Fuelling Daily basic service checks Biological cleans Graffiti hit-teams Security services Customer-support staff Recruitment assessment training We pride ourselves on delivering innovative and comprehensive bespoke solutions to the road transport industry. Carlisle Cleaning and Support Services is the UK leader in results-based cleaning. BUS AND COACH CLEANING Our expertise lies in delivering a clean and safe environment for the travelling public on some of the UK's busiest bus and coach routes. Our staff are employed specifically to service our clients in the road transport sector. At every stage of the cleaning process a Carlisle team member is on hand to service the fleet and provide clean depots, thus enhancing the total travelling experience for the public. CLEANING PERFORMANCE-EXCELLENCE PROGRAMME The overriding principle underwriting all of Carlisle's activities is the application of lean thinking, a focus on adding value and the removal of waste. Through the implementation of the Carlisle performance-excellence programme, a continual process of critical analysis and improvement that achieves and sustains high-quality, relevant service is ensured. SUSTAINABLE AND ENVIRONMENTAL CLEANING Green Clean is the process by which we assess and evaluate the social, economic and environmental impact of our activities, products and services. Green Clean encompasses the entire supply-chain, by engaging and seeking commitment from all of our suppliers to promote positive environmental and sustainable actions and continual improvement. ROAD AND RAIL VEHICLE CLEANING AWARDS Carlisle Cleaning and Support Services' transport division has achieved the highest score (90%) in customer satisfaction with train cleanliness, as measured by the National Passenger Survey of spring 2007. In 2008 Carlisle Cleaning and Support Services' transport division was also voted overall winner of 'Transport Loo of the Year'. In partnership with our clients, Carlisle Cleaning and Support Services have received in excess of 30 four-star and five-star Loo of The Year awards, and the overall award for the most five-star awards. Carlisle Cleaning and Support Services' transport division was highly commended as 'Service Partner of the Year 2007' at the HSBC Rail Awards. ISO 9001:2000 REGISTRATION On June the 30th 2007 Carlisle Cleaning and Support Services' road transport division gained ISO 9001:2000 registration. This registration confirms the company's commitment to quality, and serves as acknowledgement of the sector's customer focus. BS8555 phase three of a five-phase programme is also in place, with full accreditation for ISO 14001 due by July 2008. This important distinction also certifies that Carlisle Cleaning and Support Services' road transport division achieved each of the requirements of the standard in all of its sector operations nationally by demonstrating its ability to consistently provide services that exceed customer and regulatory requirements to the satisfaction of an independent auditor. THE CARLISLE GROUP The Carlisle Group is a leading provider of outsourced people-related services and serves an impressive UK client base through more than 100 offices in the UK (along with operations in the US, Australia and Europe). An AIM listed company, we deploy over 17,000 staff a day for more than 5,000 customers at thousands of locations nationwide. With a group turnover of £369 million for the year that ended on the 31st of March 2007, we are growing from strength to strength. http://www.roadtraffic-technology.com/projects/burwaybridge/ Tue, 06 May 2008 00:00:00 GMT http://www.roadtraffic-technology.com/projects/burwaybridge/ Burway Bridge Replacement, The original Burway Bridge collapsed on 27 June 2007, severing a gas main, due to exceptionally heavy flooding in the area when the River Corve rose 1.6m in around three hours. The collapse left a 16m-wide gap in the main road into Ludlow, which was a major problem as this was the main route into the town. "The new bridge, alongside the hire of the temporary bridge, is expected to cost a total of around £900,000." The work to clear the remains of the old bridge was completed by the end of July 2007. A temporary 31.5ft Bailey bridge, hired by Shropshire County Council, was put in place under the necessary weight restrictions until a new solution could be put into action. This temporary bridge had single-lane traffic controlled by lights and a footpath. The temporary bridge was built on the road to the north of the river. It was then pushed out over the river to sit on new concrete foundations. The temporary structure is approximately 1.2m above the existing road so ramps had to be built up to it before it could be opened to traffic. The B4361 was finally reopened to traffic on 8 August 2007, six weeks after the collapse of the old bridge. A new and improved bridge was planned and following finalisation of the design and a public consultation during March 2008 the project to build the new improved bridge started on 14 April 2008. The expected completion date is December 2008. The new bridge, alongside the hire of the temporary bridge, is expected to cost a total of around £900,000. BRIDGE DESIGN The new dual-lane road bridge will have a span of 21m across the River Corve, which is twice as long as the old bridge, and will re-establish the B4361&dash;Coronation Avenue into the centre of the town of Ludlow. The new bridge was designed by the technical department of the Environment Agency with the help of geotechnical consultants who have established bore holes along the river bank where the bridge will be constructed to determine the portioning and specification of the foundations required. The new bridge will be constructed in the second part of 2008 along with the placement of flood defence measures including 1,000t of boulders set into the river bed to protect the bank from further erosion. The B4361 will be closed from 21 April 2008 to the end of September for work on building the new bridge to be carried out. "The new bridge was designed by the Environment Agency with increased strength and with the foundations set further back." John Williams, the principal bridge engineer for Shropshire County Council commented: "It is appreciated that the work will cause some inconvenience and disruption and that some people are naturally concerned. "We will do all that we reasonably can to keep the road closure to a minimum and open the road early. We will also be erecting signs on the approaches to both Ludlow and the bridge advertising that businesses in Ludlow remain open for business as usual." NEW BRIDGE The new bridge was designed by the Environment Agency with increased strength and with the foundations set further back on the river bank for increased support. The BT services and the gas main were secured after the flood had damaged them and they will be reinstated in the new bridge as required. The contractor for the construction of the new bridge is McPhilips, as appointed by Shropshire County Council. Other contractors involved will include Transco (gas main), National Grid (electricity) and BT (telecoms). http://www.roadtraffic-technology.com/projects/westlink-m1/ Mon, 21 Apr 2008 00:00:00 GMT http://www.roadtraffic-technology.com/projects/westlink-m1/ Westlink M1 Upgrade, The Westlink (A12) in Belfast is an important link in the city between the urban sections of various motorways (M1, M2 and M3 running south, north and east of the city). The Westlink was originally constructed in two phases. Phase 1, connecting the M1 at Broadway to Grosvenor Road, was opened in 1981. Phase 2, extended the road from Grosvenor Road to York Street, was opened in 1983. The road has undergone many expansions to try and increase its usefulness and decrease bottlenecks. For example, the southbound section from Grosvenor Road to Broadway was widened to three lanes in 2002. The road is mostly dual carriageway. "The road has undergone many expansions to try and increase its usefulness and decrease bottlenecks." UPGRADE PROJECT The latest major renovation of the Westlink includes a full grade-separation of the Broadway and Grosvenor Road junctions using underpasses and also a third traffic lane added on both sides between Broadway (junction one) and Divis Street. The M1 will be widened from junction two (Stockmans Lane) to junction one. The project will also include left-in/left-out sliproads at Mulhouse Road, the closure of access to Roden Street and for safety reasons the provision of a segregated busway from Broadway into the Europa Bus Centre. The Westlink/M1 upgrade was announced in July 2004, began in February 2006 and will be completed in February 2009. FULL PLAN The total length of the scheme is 4.5km (2.8 miles) and is costing in the region of £104m. The M1/Westlink Scheme is part of a design, build, finance and operate (DBFO) contract which is being funded through a Public Private Partnership. The full plans include the following: Stockman's Lane roundabout (M1 junction two) was signalised to improve capacity in January 2006; the two bridges carrying the M1 over Stockman's Lane were replaced with new wider bridges; M1 will be widened to three lanes each way from Stockman's Lane to the terminus at Broadway (M1 junction one); the underpass at Broadway included a 7m-deep underpass to allow a dual three-lane road to pass underneath. At this point the M1 will flow seamlessly onto the A12 and sliproads will give access to the Westlink from both directions. The new roundabout will be reconstructed on top of the development, much the same as it was before. The A12 Westlink will be widened to three lanes each way between Broadway and Grosvenor Road. A new southbound on-slip will be provided at Roden Street to allow buses only to join the Westlink towards the M1 from the Europa Bus Centre. The access to Mulhouse Road (Royal Victoria Hospital) is being reduced to LILO (left-in, left-out) manoeuvres only. Access will be provided by an eastbound offslip. Roden Street footbridge is being demolished and replaced. A new footpath and cycle lane is being constructed along the Westlink from Broadway to Grosvenor Road. The Grosvenor Road underpass will require a 4m excavation to allow the dual three lane road and the roundabout is being replaced with an overbridge. Meanwhile, the sliproads will only give access to the south so traffic will only be able to join the A12 toward the M1. CONTRACTORS The work is being undertaken by HMC, a joint venture, which includes local contractors Graham Construction and Northstone and also the German contractor Bilfinger Berger. "The project included several slip roads so that access to Belfast city centre is now much improved." The new Grosvenor Road junction opened in March 2008, six months ahead of schedule. The underpass was completed in September 2007 and the Grosvenor Road bridge was opened in October 2007. This major road junction included several slip roads so that access to Belfast city centre is now much improved. The next stages of the project will include the completion of the Roden Street footbridge and the Stockman's Lane junction. The underpass at the Broadway junction will also be open by summer 2008, ahead of schedule. http://www.roadtraffic-technology.com/projects/vilinuis/ Tue, 15 Apr 2008 00:00:00 GMT http://www.roadtraffic-technology.com/projects/vilinuis/ Vilnius Traffic Management System In June 2007 the city of Vilnius in Lithuania, one of the Baltic States, was one of the first to introduce an intelligent city-wide traffic management system (TMS). The municipal authority was keen to improve its control over the rising amount of traffic in the city centre causing serious congestion and jams. "Vilnius is Lithuania's largest city at 392km² and in the last few years has seen a large increase in the amount of traffic in the city centre." Vilnius is Lithuania's largest city at 392km² and in the last few years has seen a large increase in the amount of traffic in the city centre. The new system is intended to supplement the already installed standalone measures such as variable messaging signs. The new TMS creates a link between all of the traffic data in the city and allows a central traffic management/control concept. The project has cost around &uro;7m and came into operation at the start of 2008. CONTRACTORS The city of Vilnius was equipped with a state-of-the-art traffic system by Siemens Industrial Solutions and Services Group, in conjunction with a consortium consisting of Eismas Ltd, Fima Ltd and Hnit-Baltic GeoInfoservisas. The new system is the Sitraffic Concert traffic management system, which is capable of collating traffic information from a number of different sources and making decisions based on the processed data. The system is compatible with all standard systems across the world. Siemens has been contracted to maintain the system until 2018. CONCERT The Concert system is able to integrate all of the traffic flows in the city from slow moving cars looking for a parking space to traffic flow through the city centre, traffic on highways near the city and county traffic about to enter the city area. The system uses two main standards: the Traffic Message Channel, a radio broadcast system to make traffic announcements; and CCTV, which involves a series of carefully sited cameras to monitor accident black spots and known problematic areas such as tunnels and intersections. The TMS can broadcast up-to-the-minute information about congested areas, road construction sites and also the weather. The data can be taken directly from the TMS and posted in a number of ways: on the internet, on traffic display VMS panels, sent by SMS and also by e-mail (to subscribers). The new system will allow faster traffic movement and also improve the timetabling of public transport. In addition, emergency vehicles will be given a green 'wave' through traffic lights as the Concert system is fully integrated with traffic light control systems. CONCERT ADVANTAGES The SiTraffic Concert system is customisable and modular, meaning that depending on requirements and new technology, further detection and management units can be added. "The TMS can broadcast up-to-the-minute information about congested areas, road construction sites and the weather." These can include traffic data collection (TDC) detector control centre, parking management systems (PMS) and also VMS sign control. The SiTraffic range also contains the Stella weather station which has a series of environmental data sensors for measuring wind, precipitation, visibility, road condition, humidity and temperature. This system addition can be completely integrated to give warnings about bad road conditions and weather in certain areas, the Stella can also be used as a traffic counter or a jam warning system. The SiTraffic system can also now calculate traffic emissions and can incorporate this data in the control of traffic in city centres to maintain air quality.