Thursday, November 29, 2007

Transportation Communications Newsletter

Thursday, November 29, 2007 -- ISSN 1529-1057

Join IBTTA for the 4th Annual Transportation Finance Summit – Washington DC, December 3-4, 2007 at the Fairmont Hotel

The Federal Highway Trust Fund will go bust in the next 12 months. Many state transportation trust funds face a similar destiny. More and more states and regions are waking up to the reality that they cannot rely on the Federal government alone to solve the transportation funding crisis. They must solve their problems on their own or with limited help from Washington. The experts at the 4th annual IBTTA Transportation Finance Summit in Washington, DC, December 3-4 are veterans of funding battles won and lost. They know what works and what doesn’t. This Summit is designed to be a tool box for elected officials, transportation leaders and practitioners in states, cities, counties, regions, town and MPOs. Download the program, find the details and register online today for the Transportation Finance Summit! www.IBTTA.org


1) Transportation Security Administration Plan to Gather More Data Protested
US government proposes to start collecting birth dates and genders of people reserving airline flights.
Link to story in USA Today:
http://www.usatoday.com/travel/flights/2007-11-29-secure-flights_N.htm

2) London Starts Digital Cash Trial
Cell phones will be used to pay for transport fares and other items.
Link to BBC News story:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/7117213.stm
Link to news release:
http://www.kauppalehti.fi/4/i/eng/releases/press_release.jsp?selected=hex&oid=20071101/11962446733960&lang=EN

3) Virginia DOT Regional Traffic Management Center has Virginia Roads Covered
Link to story in The Roanoke Times:
http://www.roanoke.com/news/roanoke/wb/141528

4) Delhi Airports to Battle Fog Woes
New call center to provide flight information and passenger information representatives in airports among changes.
Link to NDTV story:
http://www.ndtv.com/convergence/ndtv/story.aspx?id=NEWEN20070034279&ch=11/29/2007%208:25:00%20AM

5) GM, SAIC in Dashboard Tech Venture
Link to AP story:
http://biz.yahoo.com/ap/071129/china_general_motors_onstar.html?.v=1
Link to news release from General Motors:
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/071129/clth015.html?.v=101

6) Prague Airport Testing Scanning Device to Check Liquids
Link to story in The Prague Post:
http://www.praguepost.com/articles/2007/11/28/airport-scanner-could-cut-lines.php

7) Web Link Ties Alabama Agencies Together
Link to story in the Montgomery Advertiser:
http://www.accessmontgomery.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071129/NEWS02/711290322/1009

8) US Department of Homeland Security Seeks Help with Coast Guard Communications System
Link to story in Federal Computer Week;
http://www.fcw.com/online/news/150916-1.html
Link to presolicitation notice:
http://www1.fbo.gov/spg/DHS/USCG/GACS/HSCG23%2D08%2DR%2DADA011/SynopsisP.html

9) Maritime Security: Better Tracking of Small Craft Needed
Link to story in Washington Technology:
http://www.washingtontechnology.com/online/1_1/31884-1.html

10) Local Counterterrorism Centers No Longer Focus Solely on Terrorism
Link to AP story:
http://www.govexec.com/story_page.cfm?articleid=38685&dcn=todaysnews
Link to report from the US Government Accountability Office:
http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d0835.pdf

11) ITS Eases Traffic on Arizona Thoroughfare
Link to story in Independent Newspapers:
http://www.newszap.com/articles/2007/11/28/az/west_valley/pe03.txt

12) November Issue of Signal, the Newsletter of ERTMS, the European Rail Traffic Management System, Online
Link to newsletter:
http://ec.europa.eu/transport/rail/ertms/newsletter/doc/2007/003_signal_2007_11_en.pdf


News Releases

1) MyAirplane.com to Market and Support eFlyBook Document Viewer
2) Navteq Expands Navteq Transport for the Trucking and Logistics Industries
3) Traffic Managers from Across UK Visit Birmingham's National Traffic Control Centre


Upcoming Events
Transportation Research Board 87th Annual Meeting – January 13-17 – Washington, DC
http://www.trb.org/meeting/


Today in Transportation History
1957 **50th anniversary** - The Baltimore Harbor Tunnel opened.
http://www.mdta.state.md.us/mdta/Documents/harbor.pdf

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Questions, comments about the TCN? Please write the editor, Bernie Wagenblast at i95berniew@aol.com.
© 2007 Bernie Wagenblast