Tuesday, June 17, 2008

Transportation Communications Newsletter

Tuesday, June 17, 2008 -- ISSN 1529-1057

Join IBTTA in Dallas for the Special Summit on Open Road Tolling – July 13-15, 2008

As more and more toll agencies are looking forward to the potential of Open Road Tolling (ORT), an associated issue in many minds is this question of “going cashless” and converting the toll operation to a pure non-cash system built upon electronic toll collection and a robust enforcement system. Hosted by the North Texas Tollway Authority, this workshop will provide valuable knowledge on the final steps to achieving all electronic free-flow tolling. For operators in Europe and other locations that must continue to allow cash on their systems, this summit will explore ways to maximize the use of ETC while still permitting cash for some transactions. Registration deadline is June 27, 2008. Download the program, find the details and register online today! www.IBTTA.org.


BUSES

1) Johannesburg’s Bus Rapid Transit Prototype to be Unveiled Later this Year
Link to story in Engineering News:
http://www.engineeringnews.co.za/article.php?a_id=134770

CAMERAS

2) Cincinnati Mayor: I’ll Veto Red-Light Cameras
Link to story in The Enquirer:
http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080617/NEWS0108/306170081

CARTOGRAPHY

3) National Archives and US Geodetic Survey to Co-manage Geospatial Archive
Link to story in Government Computer News:
http://www.gcn.com/online/vol1_no1/46481-1.html
Link to news release from the US National Archives and Records Administration:
http://www.archives.gov/press/press-releases/2008/nr08-118.html

GPS / NAVIGATION

4) UK Insurer Scraps GPS Vehicle-Tracking Policy
Link to IDG News Service story:
http://www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/147177/uk_insurer_scraps_gps_vehicletracking_policy.html

5) Will GPS Make Us Dumb?
Experts say direction-giving phones could make us lose our way.
Link to ABC News story:
http://www.abcnews.go.com/Technology/story?id=5179471&page=1

OTHER

6) Research Explores Privacy, Legal Implications of Emerging ITS Technologies
Link to story in the Sensor:
http://www.its.umn.edu/Publications/Sensor/2008/01/privacy.html

ROADWAYS

7) Making Signal Systems Work for Cyclists
Link to story in Public Roads:
http://www.tfhrc.gov/pubrds/08may/02.htm

8) Safety Research on Highway Infrastructure and Operations: Improving Priorities, Coordination, and Quality
Link to report from the Transportation Research Board:
http://www.trb.org/news/blurb_detail.asp?id=9151

SAFETY / SECURITY

9) US DOT Next Generation 9-1-1 Initiative Proof of Concept Begins
Link to further information from the US Department of Transportation:
http://www.its.dot.gov/ng911/docs/ng911_initiative.htm

10) How Airports Deal with Problem Passengers
Link to story from Routes News:
http://www.aviation.com/safety/080613-airports-problem-passengers.html

TRANSIT

11) Long Island Rail Road Adopts 21st Century Communications
Link to story in Newsday:
http://www.newsday.com/services/newspaper/printedition/tuesday/news/ny-licomm165730107jun17,0,1900389.story


News Releases
1) Apisphere and TrafficCast Partner to Develop Mobile Navigation Solution
2) Smart Card Alliance Transportation Council Examines Use of Prepaid Cards in Transit
3) European Civil Aviation Handbook Created by EU4) Central Ohio Transit Authority Launches ‘Cost of Driving to Work’ Feature on Web Site
5) Traffic Congestion in the US: Inrix National Traffic Scorecard Provides Revealing In-Depth Look at America’s Most Frustrating Problem
6) Delta Partners with TSA to Launch Paperless Mobile Check-in at New York-LaGuardia


Upcoming Events
IBTTA 76th Annual Meeting & Exhibition – September 20-24 – Baltimore
http://www.ibtta.org/Events/eventdetail.cfm?ItemNumber=2886


Today in Transportation History
1933 **75th anniversary** - The Kansas City Massacre took place at Union Station when gangsters attempted to free a federal prisoner. Four officers and the prisoner died.
http://www.fbi.gov/libref/historic/famcases/floyd/floyd.htm

=============================================================================================

The Transportation Communications Newsletter is published electronically Monday through Friday.

To subscribe send an e-mail to: TCNL-subscribe@googlegroups.com
To unsubscribe send an e-mail to: TCNL-unsubscribe@googlegroups.com
TCN archives: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/transport-communications

Questions, comments about the TCN? Please write the editor, Bernie Wagenblast at i95berniew@aol.com.
© 2008 Bernie Wagenblast