Tuesday, April 22, 2008

Transportation Communications Newsletter

Tuesday, April 22, 2008 -- ISSN 1529-1057

Registration for IBTTA’s Organization Management Workshop Now Open -- Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, June 1-3, 2008

Centered on the theme Partnership and Performance – Connecting People and Ideas, IBTTA heads to Philly to explore generational factors as they pertain to internal and external communications. Workplace ethics and performance measurement will be explored along with an array of other timely issues surrounding the management of your organization. This workshop is hosted by The Delaware River and Bay Authority, Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission and South Jersey Transportation Authority. Registration deadline is May 23, 2008. Download the program, find the details and register online today! www.IBTTA.org.

AVIATION

1) Air Traffic Mistakes Increase, FAA Says
Link to story in The Tampa Tribune:
http://www2.tbo.com/content/2008/apr/22/me-air-traffic-mistakes-increase-faa-says/

2) Fingerprinting Plan Could be Costly to Airlines
Link to story in USA Today:
http://www.usatoday.com/travel/flights/2008-04-21-fingerprints_N.htm
Link to news release from the US Department of Homeland Security:
http://www.dhs.gov/xnews/releases/pr_1208186058701.shtm

3) Boeing and Airbus Join Forces to Urge Better Air Traffic Control Systems
Link to story in the International Herald Tribune:
http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/04/22/business/emit.php
Link to news release from Boeing:
http://boeing.com/news/releases/2008/q2/080422c_nr.html

4) Chicago Music Makes Landing at Airports
Program for airports hopes to give lift to local artists.
Link to story in the Chicago Sun-Times:
http://www.suntimes.com/entertainment/music/chicagomusic/901842,CST-FTR-ohare18.article

5) American Airlines to Test Retail Sales on Long Flights
Link to story in the Star-Telegram:
http://www.star-telegram.com/business/story/596253.html

GPS / NAVIGATION

6) EU Seen Clearing TomTom’s Tele Atlas Buy – Sources
Link to Reuters story:
http://www.reuters.com/article/governmentFilingsNews/idUSL2259459920080422

MARITIME

7) UK Maritime and Coastguard Agency Alerts Seafarers to Distress Beacon Frequency Changes
Link to story on BYM Marine & Maritime News:
http://www.bymnews.com/news/newsDetails.php?id=25399

ROADWAYS

8) Study Explores How Blind Pedestrians Can Cross Safely
Researchers are testing effectiveness of a video system to detect when vehicles have stopped "upstream" to allow pedestrians to cross.
Link to column in The News & Observer:
http://www.newsobserver.com/news/story/1045551.html
Link to additional information on research project:
http://www.walkinginfo.org/aps/2-16.cfm

SAFETY / SECURITY

9) ID Cards Prepare for Takeoff
Airports broaden credentialing efforts as Congress and TSA look at security breaches.
Link to story in Washington Technology:
http://www.washingtontechnology.com/print/23_07/32639-1.html

TRANSIT

10) Officials Pull Ads for Grand Theft Auto from Chicago Buses
Link to story on GamePolitics:
http://gamepolitics.com/2008/04/21/gta-iv-ads-to-be-pulled-from-buses-as-transit-authority-caves-to-pressure/
Link to video report on WFLD-TV:
http://www.myfoxchicago.com/myfox/pages/News/Detail?contentId=6353524&version=1&locale=EN-US&layoutCode=VSTY&pageId=3.1.1

11) New Transit Arrival Boards Will Keep Thunder Bay Transit Riders Informed
Link to story in Thunder Bay’s Source:
http://www.tbsource.com/Localnews/index.asp?cid=106932
Link to NextBus site: http://www.nextbus.com/?a=thunderbay

TRAVELER INFORMATION / TRANSPORTATION MANAGEMENT

12) EU Science and Research Commissioner Calls for Moves Towards Intelligent Transport System
Link to story from CORDIS:
http://cordis.europa.eu/fetch?CALLER=EN_NEWS&ACTION=D&SESSION=&RCN=29363
News Releases
1) United States Leads in Location Aware Services Deployments Today, but the Future Belongs to Europe and Asia
2) US Fire Administration Releases Report on I-35W Bridge Collapse in Minneapolis
3) American Airlines Expands AA.com Diversity and Inclusion Information; Establishes LGBT, Women's Customer Advisory Groups
4) 511 Informs Florida Drivers During Polk County Accident
5) Michigan DOT Revamps Traffic Data Web Site with Mapping Feature
6) FreeMobile411: Now Available on Sprint -- New Free, Multi-Modal (Voice-and-Text) Local Search Application, with Integrated Operator Available as Downloadable App
7) US Department of Transportation Awards Citizant $14 Million Program Management Contract – Five-year assignment on intelligent transport systems


Upcoming Events
Maintenance Decision Support Systems (MDSS) Product Demonstration Showcase – May 28 – Omaha, Nebraska
http://www.ops.fhwa.dot.gov/weather/mitigating_impacts/mdss/showcase/index.htm


Today in Transportation History
1898 **110th anniversary** - US President William McKinley ordered the US Navy to begin a blockade of Cuban ports during the Spanish-American War.
http://www.history.navy.mil/biblio/biblio7/biblio7a.htm#anchor25807

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© 2008 Bernie Wagenblast