Friday, August 1, 2008

Transportation Communications Newsletter

Friday, August 1, 2008 -- ISSN 1529-1057

ELECTRONIC TOLLING

1) Illinois Making It Easier to Travel
Joins alliance promoting tolls interoperability.
Link to story in the Daily Herald:
http://www.dailyherald.com/story/?id=224863&src=109

2) West Virginia Turnpike Authority Mulls Toll System Upgrade
Link to story in The Register-Herald:
http://www.register-herald.com/local/local_story_213222902.html

MARITIME

3) Los Angeles Mayor Rejects Port PR Plan
Villaraigosa wants harbor commission to train employees instead of hiring a second firm to promote trucking program.
Link to story in the Daily Breeze:
http://www.dailybreeze.com/ci_10060049

4) Que? Spanish Crew's Lack of English Sank the Mary Rose in 1545
Link to story in The Times:
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/science/article4439221.ece

OTHER

5) Lawsuit Challenges Missouri Limit on Fees for Drivers License Database
Link to story in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch:
http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/news/stories.nsf/missouristatenews/story/906597F75B399D8186257498000FC0FD?OpenDocument

ROADWAYS

6) Bridge Collapse Revealed Holes in Federal Data
Link to story on MSNBC:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/25956395

7) The 11th Street Bridges: Building Teams to Improve Outcomes and Expedite Environmental Review
Link to story in Successes in Stewardship:
http://environment.fhwa.dot.gov/strmlng/newsletters/aug08nl.asp

SAFETY / SECURITY

8) US Department of Homeland Security Plans to Unify Emergency Communications
Link to story in Federal Computer Week:
http://www.fcw.com/online/news/153354-1.html

9) Travelers’ Laptops May be Detained at US Borders
No suspicion required under Department of Homeland Security policies.
Link to story in The Washington Post:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/08/01/AR2008080103030.html

TRANSIT

10) Montreal’s Electronic Bus Passes a Big Success, Transit Corp. Says
Link to CBC News story:
http://www.cbc.ca/consumer/story/2008/07/31/bus-passes.html

11) Data Transmission Problem Disrupted MetroCard Sales
Link to story in The New York Times:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/01/nyregion/01mta.html?ref=nyregion

TRAVELER INFORMATION / TRANSPORTATION MANAGEMENT

12) New Restrictions May Hamper Updates to Motorists
The West Virginia Department of Highways has a new set of standards for the media when it comes to passing along information on the Wheeling Tunnel.
Link to story and video report on WTRF-TV:
http://www.wtrf.com/story.cfm?func=viewstory&storyid=41911

13) Interview with David Brown, Director of the Institute of Industrial Research at the University of Portsmouth
Says commercial versions of an algorithms that enable cars to communicate with one another to predict traffic delays could be available within a year.
Link to interview from Traffic Technology International:
http://www.traffictechnologytoday.com/video-audio.php?GroupID=128

14) Intelligent Transportation Systems in India
Link to story in Express Computer:
http://www.expresscomputeronline.com/20080804/technology01.shtml


News Releases
1) Virginia Transportation Research Council Annual Report Now Available Online
2) New Wireless Technology Responds to Emergencies Where GPS Doesn't Work


Job Posting
- Operations Program Coordinator – I-95 Corridor Coalition
http://i95coalition.org/PDF/Whatsnew/I95%20CC%20Operations%20Program%20Coordinator%20-%20Position%20Description.doc


Upcoming Events
The 1st Middle East Parking Symposium – November 10-12 - Abu Dhabi. UAE
http://www.parking-me.com/


Today in Transportation History
1828 **180th anniversary** - The Bolton and Leigh Railway opened.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bolton_and_Leigh_Railway

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