Thursday, July 24, 2008

Transportation Communications Newsletter

Thursday, July 24, 2008 -- ISSN 1529-1057

Registration for IBTTA’s 76th Annual Meeting and Exhibition Now Open – Baltimore, MD USA, September 21-24, 2008

Join IBTTA for the most significant gathering of toll industry professionals and business partners in the world. More than 1,000 delegates from 25 countries on six continents will converge on Baltimore’s Waterfront to examine best practices and critical innovations in toll industry finance, marketing, technology, customer service, environmental stewardship, operations, maintenance, and related issues. This meeting is hosted by the Maryland Transportation Authority. Registration cut-off for this meeting is September 5, 2008. For more information, visit IBTTA’s website and register online today! www.IBTTA.org.


AVIATION

1) FAA Seeks Industry Partners to Test Incursion Preventatives in the Cockpit
Agency hopes to have electronic flight bags with moving map airport displays or aural ground alerting systems.
Link to story in Flight International:
http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/2008/07/23/226001/faa-seeks-industry-partners-to-test-incursion-preventatives-in-the.html

2) Fraud Fears Lead WestJet to Suspend Credit Card Check-Ins at Kiosks
Link to Canadian Press story:
http://canadianpress.google.com/article/ALeqM5jbH_1BF3X1ummpo1weDrJSo4WAkw

3) Air Traffic Controller Advert for Candidate with 20/20 Vision Written in Braille
An airport has been accused of taking political correctness too far, after advertising for a new air traffic controller in Braille.
Link to story in the Daily Telegraph:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/howaboutthat/2280630/Air-traffic-controller-advert-for-candidate-with-2020-vision-written-in-Braille.html

GPS / NAVIGATION

4) AT&T Introduces Global GPS Service for Phones
Link to AP story:
http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5hwjbnAyEaVhHq0Ys1EZANcsL_quQD923OC0O1

PEDESTRIANS

5) Google Maps Adds Walking Directions
Link to story in Grist:
http://grist.org/news/2008/07/22/maps/
Link to Lat Long Blog from Google:
http://google-latlong.blogspot.com/2008/07/pound-pavement.html

PUBLIC INFORMATION / EDUCATION

6) Texas DOT Resisting Requests for Wreck Data
Agency sues over TV station's pursuit of crash information that's available online.
Link to story in the Austin American-Statesman:
http://www.statesman.com/news/content/news/stories/local/07/24/0724open.html

SAFETY / SECURITY

7) Registered Traveler Set to Go Nationwide
Transportation Security Administration will expand Registered Traveler to all US airports beginning next week.
Link to story in Washington Technology:
http://www.washingtontechnology.com/online/1_1/33208-1.html

TELEMATICS

8) Telematics Speaks the Insurers’ Language
Link to article in Transport Business:
http://www.transportbusiness.net

TRANSIT

9) New York MTA Plans to Broadcast CNN at Long Island Rail Road, Subway Stations
Link to story in Newsday:
http://www.newsday.com/news/printedition/longisland/ny-licnn245775284jul24,0,6476739.story

10) Agency Chief E-mails MARC Customers About Delays, Promises ‘Corrective Steps’
Link to story in The Baltimore Sun:
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/local/baltimore_county/bal-md.marc25jul24,0,7500197.story

VEHICLES

11) Audi Travolution Intelligent Traffic System Reduces Congestion
Link to story on Car Central:
http://www.carcentral.com.au/200807242393/technical/audi-travolution-traffic-system-enhances-flow-minimises-waste.html

12) Cars of the Future: Safer, Cleaner, More Comfortable
Link to story in The Economic Times:
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/News_by_Industry/Cars_of_the_future_safer_cleaner/articleshow/3272879.cms


News Releases
1) Vertical Mapping Resources Maps I-710/Long Beach Freeway for Transportation Study
2) Are We There Yet? comScore M:Metrics Reports Mobile Map Use Grows 82 Percent in United States, 49 Percent in Europe
3) OnStar Opens 'Crisis Assist' Emergency Services to Those Affected by Dolly
4) New Industry Magazine Launched – Transport Business International


Upcoming Events
25th Annual Virginia Hazardous Materials Conference – October 13-17 – Hampton, Virginia
http://www.virginiahazmat.org


Today in Transportation History
1969 – The astronauts of Apollo 11 safely splashed down in the Pacific.
http://youtube.com/watch?v=9NgY6IcNhVw

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