Tuesday, June 24, 2008

Transportation Communications Newsletter

Tuesday, June 24, 2008 – ISSN 1529-1057

ITS Connections: Saving Time. Saving Lives
Registration is open for the 15th World Congress on Intelligent Transport Systems featuring ITS America's 2008 Annual Meeting. This combined event is expected to attract 10,000 leaders, policy makers and other business professionals from more than 40 countries. Held from November 16-20 at New York’s Jacob K. Javits Convention Center the World Congress on ITS is this year’s best chance to have access to a program featuring over 200 sessions featuring more than 700 industry experts covering a broad range of ITS issues that are important to you; take unprecedented technical tours to ITS facilities in and around New York City; participate in live demonstrations of active VII-based safety systems and other dynamic ITS applications along the streets and highways of New York; see the VII TMC of the Future illustrating a transportation management system in the year 2020; attend a grand-scale exhibition hall with more than 250,000 square feet of exhibits featuring the latest technologies, products and services; and connect with an international audience in a world-class city of beauty, culture and fun.
The 15th World Congress promises to be the most dynamic ITS event of 2008 and will certainly set the standard for future ITS developments. For more information, including online registration, visit www.itsworldcongress.org.

AVIATION

1) Grand Rapids Airport First in US to Install Hearing Loop System
Will allow public address system announcements to be transmitted directly to hearing aids.
Link to story in The Grand Rapids Press:
http://blog.mlive.com/grpress/2008/06/airport_aids_travelers_dealing.html
Link to news release from Gerald R. Ford International Airport:
http://www.grr.org/PDFs/nrhearingloop.pdf

2) American Airlines Set to Test In-flight Web Access
Link to AP story:
http://biz.yahoo.com/ap/080624/airborne_internet_american.html?.v=4

3) Writing with a Plane, Not a Pen
Milwaukee airport's promotion is delivered from the sky.
Link to column in the Chicago Tribune:
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/transportation/chi-getting-around-23-jun23,0,408517.column

4) FedEx Earns FAA Certification for MD-10 Cockpit System
Link to story on the Aero-News Network:
http://www.aero-news.net/index.cfm?ContentBlockID=ea6424e8-9120-4b24-857a-e90f4527295e

5) For Safety’s Sake, Light the Runway
Editorial favors adding centerline lighting at Saint John, New Brunswick airport.
Link to editorial in the Telegraph-Journal:
http://telegraphjournal.canadaeast.com/article/334867

BUSES

6) Washington, DC Metrobus Forgoes Tracking System
Link to story and video report on WJLA-TV:
http://www.news8.net/news/stories/0608/530424.html

ELECTRONIC TOLLING

7) Radiofrequency ID Devices, Including Electronic Toll Tags, May Pose Hazards to Medical Equipment
Link to story in Renal Business Today:
http://www.renalbusiness.com/hotnews/radiofrequency-id-hazards-medical-equipment.html

GPS / NAVIGATION

8) GPS System Used to Slow Speeding Cars in Australia
Link to AAP story:
http://news.theage.com.au/national/gps-system-used-to-slow-speeding-cars-20080624-2vxj.html

9) Volvo Car India Launches ‘Road Traffic Information’ System
Link to story in The Financial Express:
http://www.financialexpress.com/news/Volvo-Car-launches---Road-Traffic-Information---system/326889/

10) Cell Phone: Preferred Navigation Device in China and Thailand
Link to story in GPS Business News:
http://www.gpsbusinessnews.com/index.php?action=article&numero=912

MARITIME

11) US Supreme Court Justices to Debate Whether Navy Sonar Harms Whales
Link to story in USA Today:
http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/judicial/2008-06-23-court_N.htm

OTHER

12) North Carolina’s Sample License Plate: What the …?
Link to story in The News & Observer:
http://www.newsobserver.com/news/story/1118273.html

SAFETY / SECURITY

13) US Department of Homeland Security Seeks Way Ahead for US-VISIT
Link to story in Federal Computer Week:
http://www.fcw.com/online/news/152938-1.html

TELEMATICS

14) Strength in Numbers for Embedded Telematics in Cars, Embedded GPS in Phones
Link to story in Perspectives on LBS:
http://lbs.gpsworld.com/gpslbs/article/articleDetail.jsp?id=525741

TRANSIT

15) Tourism Ministers Agree on Regional Transport Card for China, Japan, South Korea
Link to Arirang News story:
http://english.chosun.com/w21data/html/news/200806/200806240007.html

16) Traffic Experts Aim to Make Transit Convenient
Link to CTV News story:
http://toronto.ctv.ca/servlet/an/local/CTVNews/20080623/transit_convenient_080623/20080623/?hub=TorontoNewHome

17) Transit Camp – a Better Way to an Awesome Toronto Transit Commission Web Site
Link to story in IT Business:
http://www.itbusiness.ca/it/client/en/home/news.asp?id=48913

TRAVELER INFORMATION / TRANSPORTATION MANAGEMENT

18) New Jersey Launches ‘511’ Travel Hotline
Link to AP story:
http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2008/06/nj_launches_511_travel_hotline.html
Link to news release from the New Jersey Department of Transportation:
http://www.state.nj.us/transportation/about/press/2008/062408.shtm


News Releases
1) Cape May-Lewes Ferry Launches a New Era with New Reservation and Departure Control System
2) Podcasts Now Available for FHWA’s Taking Freight Seminars
3) Nokia to Acquire Social-Activity Service Provider Plazes
4) KNBC-TV Launches NBC Los Angeles Traffic Cam
5) AirIQ Provides Update on Strategic Review Process
6) South Africa: Gauteng Roads Get R70 Billion Injection – Will provide opportunity to use ITS technology


Upcoming Events
Webinar Series - Integrated Corridor Management Initiative: Showcasing the ICM Pioneer Sites – July 17, 22 & 24
http://www.its.dot.gov/icms/icms_webinar.htm


Today in Transportation History
1497 – John Cabot (Giovanni Caboto) lands in Newfoundland.
http://www.biographi.ca/EN/ShowBio.asp?BioId=34223

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© 2008 Bernie Wagenblast