Cambridge scientists link Covid-19 severity with pollution
A group of academics at Cambridge University have found there’s a correlation between poor air quality and how lethal the Coronavirus is to people who catch it. The team at the university’s MRC Toxicology Unit studied death rates and air pollution data across 120 regions found that the levels of some markers of poor air […]
Jakeman takes up senior ITS (UK) position
Karla Jakeman of Innovate UK is the new Vice Chair of the UK’s Intelligent Transport Society. She’ll work alongside new chair Ryan Hood of TRL who took over from WSP’s Ian Patey at the beginning of the month. ITS (UK) is a membership organisation of public organisations, consultancies, suppliers and other innovators. It’s run by […]
HE restarting M1 smart motorway works
Highways England’s going to continue converting the M1 near Milton Keynes into a smart motorway, telling nearby residents construction will begin again next month. Local radio station MKFM reports that piling work will begin from 12th May. It quotes Highways England as saying the activity will have strict safeguarding measures.
Half of UK drivers don’t trust driverless
A new survey suggests that half of Britain’s drivers don’t trust driverless vehicles, with only eight per cent saying they’d feel completely safe in one. Opinium surveyed 2000 people for InsureTheGap also found only a fifth agree driverless cars are a great innovation, while one in seven (14 per cent) saying they’d consider buying one […]
TfGM prioritises pedestrians
Traffic signal timings in Greater Manchester have been changed increase the duration for pedestrians to cross. This isn’t just because the number of vehicle journeys is down by about 70 per cent, but also to reduce waiting time for people making an essential journey on foot, so people are less likely to group together at […]
GM shutting down car share subsidiary
General Motors has decided to shut its Maven car sharing business, with the coronavirus crisis the final straw for the idea. Business Insider reports that Maven had been under stress since last year, when it cut the number of cities it operated in, leaving large markets such as Boston and Chicago. It lost its CEO […]
In-car 5G “harder than you think”
An executive at the connected product company Harman has admitted that putting 5G into vehicles is presenting a unique set of challenges. Yahoo Finance has written how, while 5G’s speed is enabled by the spectrum it uses, that spectrum tends to have shorter range so a reliable connection needs more hardware including numerous antennas. “Yet […]
Videalert appoints new bid manager
Intelligent traffic management and enforcement solutions company Videalert has hired Cara Morrison as Bid Solutions Manager. In this new role she will be responsible for the management and delivery of tender bids whilst working closely with Videalert’s and the wider Group’s business development teams to secure and retain new and existing contracts. Morrison has previously […]
Aimsun offers free modelling viewer
The transport modelling firm Aimsun’s offering a free viewer to allow people to check mobility model outputs remotely, even if they don’t have access to Aimsun Next modelling software. The Aimsun Next Viewer is a response to requests to help people working from home during lockdown. It’ll allow a remote project owner, stakeholder or consultant to […]
Big question over whether LA Congress can happen
It’s lined up to be the biggest event in the ITS calendar, but there’s a doubt over weather this year’s World Congress in LA can go ahead after the mayor of Los Angeles suggested big gatherings could be banned all year. The LA Times says Eric Garcetti sent an email saying large gatherings like concerts […]