Thursday, August 14, 2008

Transportation Communications Newsletter

Thursday, August 14, 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) New Systems to Improve Safety at Detroit Metro Airport
Will be nation’s first airport to use runway monitoring system.
Link to story in the Detroit Free Press:
http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080814/BUSINESS05/808140343

2) Runway Safety Technology is for the Birds
Link to story in The Sydney Morning Herald:
http://www.smh.com.au/news/news/its-a-bird-its-a-plane-its-a-problem/2008/08/14/1218307092617.html

3) M-Ticketing Ready to Take Off in Gulf Countries
Link to story in Gulf News:
http://www.gulfnews.com/business/Technology/10236920.html

4) Delta to Test New System for Self Check-In
Link to story in The Atlanta Journal-Constitution:
http://www.ajc.com/search/content/business/stories/2008/08/14/delta.html

CAMERAS

5) Traffic Camera Vans are Idled in Arizona
Link to story in The Arizona Republic:
http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/local/articles/2008/08/14/20080814photoradar0814.html

GPS / NAVIGATION

6) Intelligent GPS Devices Tap Away Traffic
Link to Reuters story:
http://www.reuters.com/article/internetNews/idUSN1448237220080814

7) Faulty GPS Units Lethal for Pilots, Aviator Tells Australian Transport Minister
Link to story in The Australian:
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,24181481-23349,00.html

RAILROADS

8) Freight and Commuter Railroads are Adding Video Cameras to their Engines this Year to Help Solve Mysteries of Accidents
Link to story in The Press-Enterprise:
http://www.pe.com/localnews/transportation/stories/PE_News_Local_S_trains14.43587e5.html

ROADWAYS

9) ‘Bugging’ the Brooklyn Bridge – New Plan to Electronically Monitor Borough Spans for Potential Dangers
Link to story on YourNabe:
http://www.yournabe.com/articles/2008/08/14/brooklyn/brooklynxbuggingxt08082008.txt

SAFETY / SECURITY

10) US Coast Guard, Border Patrol Eye Unmanned Aerial Vehicles Plan
Link to story in Aviation Week:
http://www.aviationweek.com/aw/generic/story.jsp?id=news/COOP08138.xml&headline=U.S.%20Coast%20Guard,%20Border%20Patrol%20Eye%20UAV%20Plan&channel=defense

TRANSIT

11) Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority Board Member Blasts Agency’s Ticketing System
Link to story in The Boston Globe:
http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2008/08/14/mbta_board_member_blasts_agencys_ticketing_system/

12) MIT Students Ordered to Release More Information on T Security Flaws
Link to story in The Boston Globe:
http://www.boston.com/news/local/breaking_news/2008/08/mit_students_or.html?p1=Well_MostPop_Emailed6

13) NJ Transit Web Site Crunches Commuter Numbers
Feature allows a comparison of costs between private vehicles and mass transit.
Link to story in the Asbury Park Press:
http://www.app.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080814/NEWS03/808140555/1007
Link to NJ Transit Commute Calculator: http://www.njcommutecalculator.com/

VEHICLES

14) Ford Includes Sirius in Long-Range Plans
Link to story on Seeking Alpha:
http://seekingalpha.com/article/90905-ford-includes-sirius-in-long-range-plans


Solicitation
- Industry Review of 511 Traffic RFP – Metropolitan Transportation Commission
http://www.mtc.ca.gov/jobs/511_traffic_RFP.htm


Upcoming Events
Web Conference – Talking Operations: Transportation Operations for Planned and Unplanned Events – August 27
https://www.nhi.fhwa.dot.gov/resources/webconference/web_conf_learner_reg.aspx?webConfID=14941


Today in Transportation History
1988 **20th anniversary** - Enzo Ferrari, race car driver and founder of Ferrari, SpA, died in Maranello, Italy.
http://www.ddavid.com/formula1/ferrari_bio.htm

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© 2008 Bernie Wagenblast