Tuesday, November 25, 2008

Transportation Communications Newsletter

Tuesday, November 25, 2008 -- ISSN 1529-1057

Join IBTTA for the 2008 Transportation Finance Summit, December 7-9, 2008 in Washington, DC

Hear industry experts discuss solutions to the huge challenge of funding, maintaining, and operating surface transportation infrastructure in a stressed global environment. Special guests include U.S. Transportation Secretary Mary Peters and Former Majority Leader of the U.S. House of Representatives Richard Gephardt. This year, a special Pre-Summit CFO Roundtable will be held on Sunday, December 7, in partnership with The Transportation Transformation Group. This four-hour session will focus on the nuts and bolts issues affecting CFO's and associated professionals in our industry. Jane Garvey, Head of U.S. Public-Private Partnerships at JPMorgan and a Department of Transportation Review Team Lead by the Office of President-Elect Obama, will kick off the Roundtable. Visit IBTTA’s website to download the program, find the details and register online today!


AVIATION

1) Not Minnesota Nice: Keeping Drivers in the Dark Which Airlines are at Which Terminal
Road signs at Twin Cities airport don’t provide airline terminal information.
Link to commentary on MinnPost:
http://www.minnpost.com/steveberg/2008/11/25/4833/not_minnesota_nice_keeping_drivers_in_the_dark_about_which_airlines_are_at_which_terminal

BUSES

2) Santa Monica’s Visionary ‘Bus of the Future’ Project Receives High Marks from Transportation Industry
Link to story in The Lookout News:
http://www.surfsantamonica.com/ssm_site/the_lookout/news/public_notices/Public_Notices_2008/November_2008/11_24_08_Santa_Monicas_Visionary_Bus.htm

CAMERAS

3) iPhone Helps Drivers Avoid Speed Cameras
Link to story in the Telegraph:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/scienceandtechnology/technology/technologynews/3512078/iPhone-helps-drivers-avoid-speed-cameras.html

CARTOGRAPHY

4) Gloom or Growth?
What impact is the economic downturn having on satellite and aerial data providers?
Link to story in Geospatial Solutions:
http://eirs.geospatial-solutions.com/gsseirs/article/articleDetail.jsp?id=568254

OTHER

5) Latest Issue of Transport Business International
Link to magazine:
http://www.transportbusiness5.paperviewer.co.uk/

RAILROADS

6) Metrolink Engineers Must Slow Near Possible Red Lights
Senator calls for faster approvals for new collision avoidance technology.
Link to story in the Los Angeles Times:
http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/california/la-me-metrolink25-2008nov25,0,6748044.story
Link to news release from Senator Dianne Feinstein:
http://feinstein.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=NewsRoom.PressReleases&ContentRecord_id=d0cc8df0-0b14-4d68-3a8f-02ecdcd10e02

ROADWAYS

7) Electronic Signs to be Installed Near Nova Scotia Highway Pass Where 1,500 Cars and Trucks Were Stranded
Link to story in The Chronicle Herald:
http://thechronicleherald.ca/Front/1092350.html

8) Indiana DOT Using Technology to Save Salt
Link to story in the Vincennes Sun-Commercial:
http://www.suncommercial.com/main.asp?SectionID=2&SubSectionID=2&ArticleID=3666

9) Research Pays Off--Uninterruptible Power Supplies Keep Traffic Signals On: Illinois Works to Avoid Delays and Dangers from Outages
Link to report from the Transportation Research Board:
http://www.trb.org/news/blurb_detail.asp?id=9740

SAFETY / SECURITY

10) Transportation Security Administration Ads Aim to Get Fliers On Board with Security Measures
Link to story in USA Today:
http://www.usatoday.com/travel/flights/2008-11-24-tsaads_N.htm

11) TSA Approves More Transportation Worker Identification Credential Readers
Link to story in Washington Technology:
http://www.washingtontechnology.com/online/1_1/33991-1.html

TRANSIT

12) Metrolink Debuts on Google Transit
Link to story in the Los Angeles Times:
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/bottleneck/2008/11/metrolink-on-go.html
Link to Metrolink Google Transit Trip Planner:
http://www.metrolinktrains.com/tripplanner/disabled.php

13) South Africa Transport Card on Home Stretch
Link to story in The Times:
http://www.thetimes.co.za/Entertainment/Article.aspx?id=891430

TRAVELER INFORMATION / TRANSPORTATION MANAGEMENT

14) Test Program Guides Travelers by Cell Phone
Link to story in The Sacramento Bee:http://www.sacbee.com/101/story/1425519.html


News Releases
1) US Government to Invest $110 Million in Innovative Plan to Cut Traffic Tie-Ups in Atlanta - Plan Will Bring Congestion Pricing to I-85
2) New York MTA Launches Text Messaging and E-mail Alert System
3) Airport Information Web Site to Help Alleviate Holiday Travel Woes
4) Metro Networks Announces the 2008 Top Ten Worst Holiday Traffic Tie-Ups in America
5) Luxofor Traffic Light Design Concept – Square Signals
6) 3rd Edition of Park It! Guides Published


Upcoming Events
23rd Annual Aviation Issues Conference – January 11-15 – Kona, Hawaii
http://events.aaae.org/sites/090101/


Today in Transportation History
1560 – Andrea Doria, a Genoese admiral, died in Genoa, Italy.
http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/05134b.htm

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