Thursday, July 31, 2008

Transportation Communications Newsletter

Thursday, July 31, 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) Congress: No Annoying Airplane Cell Phone Calls
Link to AP story:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/07/31/AR2008073101850.html

2) Airlines Pull Out All Stops to Bring Passengers Wi-Fi in the Sky
Link to Newhouse News Service story:
http://www.nj.com/business/times/index.ssf?/base/business-4/1217477197305500.xml&coll=5

3) Australian Government Proposes Checking MP3 Players at Airports
Link to story on News.com.au:
http://www.news.com.au/travel/story/0,26058,24089084-5014090,00.html

CARTOGRAPHY

4) Google Street View is Approved for the UK
Link to CNET News story:
http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-10003556-93.html?tag=nefd.top

5) Google: No Such Thing as Complete Privacy
Files response to lawsuit over Street View service.
Link to CNET News story:
http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-10003036-93.html?tag=nefd.top

OTHER

6) ‘Green Transport’ Web Site Launched in Taiwan
Link to story in The China Post:
http://www.chinapost.com.tw/taiwan/national/national%20news/2008/07/31/168004/Green-transport.htm
Link to site: http://greentransport.iot.gov.tw/

ROADWAYS

7) Kentucky Governor Orders Bill on Electronic Billboards Withdrawn
Link to story in The Courier-Journal:
http://www.courier-journal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080731/NEWS0101/807310416/1008/NEWS01

SAFETY / SECURITY

8) Airlines May Face Fines Over Mistaken Terrorist IDs
Link to story in USA Today:
http://www.usatoday.com/travel/flights/2008-07-30-tsa_N.htm

9) US DOT’s ITS Joint Program Office Announces Its Draft Vision for Safety
Link to story from ITS America:
http://www.itsa.org/industry_member_news_content/c219_d2403/News/Industry_amp_Member_News.html

TELEMATICS

10) Audi Takes on Stop Lights
Pilot uses sensors to tell drivers the speed they should travel to avoid red signals.
Link to story on Kicking Tires:
http://blogs.cars.com/kickingtires/2008/07/audi-takes-on-s.html#more

11) Microsoft Announces In-Car Hosted Internet Search for Automakers
Link to story on TMCnet:
http://internetcommunications.tmcnet.com/topics/enterprise/articles/35705-microsoft-announces-in-car-hosted-internet-search-automakers.htm

12) Microsoft to Build on Auto Unit
Sync technology creator hires Detroit native to boost connectivity in cars.
Link to story in The Detroit News:
http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080729/AUTO01/807290374/1148

TRANSIT

13) Google Maps Adds Mass Transit Support for S60 And Windows Mobile Phones
Link to story in InformationWeek:
http://www.informationweek.com/blog/main/archives/2008/07/google_maps_add.html

14) MasterCard: Contactless Fares Well in Transit
Link to story in American Banker:
http://www.americanbanker.com/article.html?id=20080731FSB954XJ

TRAVELER INFORMATION / TRANSPORTATION MANAGEMENT

15) Radio Groups Build a Shared Data Channel
Broadcaster Traffic Consortium plans to create a national network to transmit traffic information via HD Radio technology for client Navteq.
Link to story in Radio World:
http://radioworld.com/pages/s.0049/t.14740.html

VEHICLES

16) Acura Teams with XM for Driving Weather Forecasts
Link to story in The Washington Times:
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2008/aug/01/acura-teams-with-xm-for-driving-weather-forecasts/


News Releases
1) Carmanah Partners with ENCOM to Offer Wireless Control of Solar-Powered Traffic Beacons
2) Text Messaging: Emergency Physicians Express Safety Concerns as Kids Go Back to School
3) Westwood One and AirSage Partner to Launch Next Generation Platform for Traffic Reporting
4) Detroit Drivers Welcome Free Mobile Traffic Service
5) Northwest Airlines Launches Fully Redesigned nwa.com


Upcoming Events
Roundtable Discussion: Open Platform Concepts and Vehicle Infrastructure Integration – August 5 – Cambridge, Massachusetts
http://www.its.dot.gov/vii/vii_roundtable.htm


Today in Transportation History
1948 **60th anniversary** – New York International Airport, also known as Idlewild Airport, was dedicated. http://www.nytimes.com/slideshow/2008/07/30/nyregion/20080729JFK_index.html

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