Thursday, August 7, 2008

Transportation Communications Newsletter

Thursday, August 7, 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) Fully Biometric Airports Becoming a Reality
Link to CNN story:
http://www.cnn.com/2008/BUSINESS/08/06/biometrics.airports/

2) Survey: Americans Divided on In-Flight Cell Phone Use
Link to AP story:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/08/07/AR2008080701632.html
Link to US DOT news release:
http://www.dot.gov/affairs/bts3808.htm

3) Irish Air Traffic Controller Uses ‘Text’ to Land Plane
Link to story in the Belfast Telegraph:
http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/local-national/irish-air-traffic-controller-uses-text-to-land-plane-13931986.html

BUSES

4) Greyhound Canada Pulls ‘Bus Rage’ Ads
Link to CBC News story:
http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2008/08/05/greyhound-rage-ad.html?ref=rss

5) GPS Bus Tracker Loses Its Way
Plans to use a GPS application to track buses in Bangalore doesn’t seemed to have worked well.
Link to story in The Times of India:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Bangalore/GPS_bus_tracker_loses_its_way/articleshow/3335327.cms

CAMERAS

6) Illinois Governor Says: Say Cheese, Speeders
Hopes to raise millions to fight crime by putting cameras on interstates.
Link to story in the Chicago Sun-Times:
http://www.suntimes.com/news/metro/blagojevich/1095739,CST-NWS-blago07.article

ELECTRONIC TOLLING

7) Hacking Electronic Toll Systems
Link to CNET News story:
http://news.cnet.com/8301-1009_3-10009353-83.html?tag=nefd.riv

8) New Technology to Take Toll on I-80 in Pennsylvania
Link to story in The Patriot-News:
http://www.pennlive.com/patriotnews/index.ssf?/base/news/1218074111220410.xml&coll=1

GPS / NAVIGATION

9) City Walk
Improving GPS accuracy for urban pedestrians.
Link to story in GPS World:
http://lbs.gpsworld.com/gpslbs/Personal+Navigation/City-Walk/ArticleStandard/Article/detail/534041?contextCategoryId=25148

OTHER

10) Elderly Crossing Sign is ‘Offensive and Out-of-Date’
Link to story in the Lincolnshire Echo:
http://www.thisislincolnshire.co.uk/displayNode.jsp?nodeId=156130&command=displayContent&sourceNode=242285&home=yes&more_nodeId1=156139&contentPK=21231770

ROADWAYS

11) Transport: London Still Gridlocked Despite Congestion Charge
Traffic calming and boom in roadworks get blame.
Link to story in The Guardian:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2008/aug/07/congestioncharging.transport

SAFETY / SECURITY

12) Virtual Hurricane Disaster Helps Train Responders
Link to story in the Daily Press:
http://www.dailypress.com/news/dp-local_evacuation_0807aug07,0,2151296.story

13) Illinois Officials, Safety Groups Want to Increase Penalties for Distracted Driving
Link to story in the Chicago Tribune:
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-distracted-drivers_07aug07,0,4557997.story

14) Keeping First Responders in Touch
US National Institute of Standards and Technology test a communication system that advises when to place the next device to extend the communications range.
Link to story in Government Computer News:
http://www.gcn.com/online/vol1_no1/46843-1.html
Link to additional information from NIST:
http://www.nist.gov/public_affairs/techbeat/tb2008_0806.htm#first

TRAVELER INFORMATION / TRANSPORTATION MANAGEMENT

15) Tuskegee, Alabama to Utilize ‘Re-invented’ Traffic System
Changeable message signs alongside signals will normally display street names but can be used for other information.
Link to story in The Tuskegee News:
http://www.thetuskegeenews.com/articles/2008/08/07/news/doc4899eedd3efc5036818390.txt


News Releases
1) The Weather Network Now Offers Free Traffic Widget for PC Desktops
2) Kordia Launches National Vessel Tracking System in New Zealand
3) Hughes Telematics Signs Agreements with IBM and Oracle – Will deliver technology supporting a broad portfolio of connected vehicle services
4) ERTICO-ITS Europe Welcomes Commission Decision on ITS Radio Frequency to Boost Smart Vehicle Communications Systems
5) TechnoCom Sells Mobility Solutions Business Unit


Upcoming Events
Workshop on Identifying Traveler Information Research Needs to Achieve All Roads-All Modes-All the Time – September 16-18 – Irvine, California
http://www.trb.org/news/blurb_detail.asp?id=9253


Today in Transportation History
1971 – Apollo 15 returned to Earth.
http://www.nasm.si.edu/collections/imagery/apollo/AS15/a15.htm

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© 2008 Bernie Wagenblast