Monday, December 1, 2008

Transportation Communications Newsletter

Monday, December 1, 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) EU Likely to Require ADS-B Before US Mandate
Link to story in Aviation International News:
http://www.ainonline.com/news/single-news-page/article/eu-likely-to-require-ads-b-out-before-us-mandate/

2) Taiwan’s Ministry of Transportation and Communication Says Taiwan, China to Cooperate on Air Traffic Control
Link to story in the Taiwan News:
http://www.etaiwannews.com/etn/news_content.php?id=800430&lang=eng_news

3) In School with Air Traffic Controllers
Link to video report on ABC News' Good Morning America:
http://www.abcnews.go.com/Video/playerIndex?id=6357813

CARTOGRAPHY

4) Google Earth Used by Terrorists in India Attack
Link to IDG News Service story:
http://www.computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&articleId=9121819&intsrc=hm_list

ELECTRONIC TOLLING

5) Pakistan’s National Highway Authority Successfully Introduces E-toll System on Motorways
Link to story in The Daily Mail:
http://dailymailnews.com/200812/02/news/dmcitypage06.html

GPS / NAVIGATION

6) A GPS Satellite Gap?
Of the 31 GPS satellites currently in orbit, 20 are past their design life and 19 lack redundancy in either their navigation or satellite systems or both.
Link to story in Government Executive:
http://www.govexec.com/story_page.cfm?filepath=/dailyfed/1208/120108wb.htm

MARITIME

7) Vessel Tracking System in India’s Gulf of Kutch Delayed by a Year
Link to story in The Times of India:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Ahmedabad/Vessel_tracking_system_delayed_by_a_year_/articleshow/3781720.cms

8) North Carolina Looks at Requiring Boater Education
Link to story in The Charlotte Observer:
http://www.charlotteobserver.com/275/story/382116.html

OTHER

9) New Hampshire DOT Forms Task Force to Build Better Relationships with Communities
Link to story in Foster’s Daily Democrat:
http://www.fosters.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20081201/GJNEWS_01/712019968/-1/FOSNEWS

10) November Issue of Florida DOT’s SunGuide Disseminator Online
Link to newsletter:
http://www.dot.state.fl.us/trafficoperations/Newsletters/2008/2008-011-Nov.pdf

PUBLIC INFORMATION / EDUCATION

11) Texas Transportation Department Launches New Web Site
Link to story in the Beaumont Enterprise:
http://www.beaumontenterprise.com/news/local/state_transportation_departments_launches_new_web_site_12-01-2008.html
Link to site: http://www.dot.state.tx.us

RAILROADS

12) Indian Railways to Install High-Tech Security Gadgets
Link to story in The Times of India:
http://www.timesnow.tv/Newsdtls.aspx?NewsID=22348

ROADWAYS

13) Ensuring Safety in the Trans-European Road Network
Link to story on Euroalert.net:
http://euroalert.net/en/news.aspx?idn=8188

14) Lasers Provide Guide for Iowa Snowplows
Link to story in The Des Moines Register:
http://www.desmoinesregister.com/article/20081130/NEWS10/811300329/1011

15) Futurist: The Roads of Tomorrow
Link to column in CQ Weekly:
http://www.cqpolitics.com/wmspage.cfm?docID=weeklyreport-000002992034

SAFETY / SECURITY

16) Transportation Security Administration Wants Companies to Test Air Cargo Screening Technology
Link to story in Federal Computer Week:
http://www.fcw.com/online/news/154520-1.html

TRANSIT

17) SEPTA's Collision-Avoidance System Delaying Trolleys
Link to story in The Philadelphia Inquirer:
http://www.philly.com/philly/news/local/20081130_SEPTA_s_collision-avoidance_program_delaying_trolleys.html

18) Mobile Phone Use Goes Underground
Passengers on Glasgow's Subway network are now able to use their mobile phones underground.
Link to BBC News story:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/scotland/glasgow_and_west/7757323.stm

19) Cleveland Airport, RTA in Marketing Campaign to Promote Rapid
Link to story in The Plain Dealer:
http://www.cleveland.com/news/index.ssf?/base/news/1228123834130020.xml&coll=2

20) Late Workers, Students Get Notes Blaming New York City Subway
Link to AP story:
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hznTk2VwmCRV0CGJ_Jtvg5wXSVrwD94P7PSG0

TRAVELER INFORMATION / TRANSPORTATION MANAGEMENT

21) Road to Safer Highways Paved with Information, New Brunswick Transportation Minister Says
Link to story in The Daily Gleaner:
http://dailygleaner.canadaeast.com/cityregion/article/496264
Link to report from the Province of New Brunswick:
http://www.gnb.ca/0113/ITS/BeingALeaderWithITS-Oct15-08-E.pdf

22) Glendale, California Officials Keep Their Eyes on Traffic
Link to story in the Glendale News-Press:
http://www.glendalenewspress.com/articles/2008/11/29/publicsafety/gnp-traffic29.txt

23) Birmingham, Alabama Area Agencies Working on Plan to Clear Highway Crashes Faster
Link to story in The Birmingham News:
http://www.al.com/printer/printer.ssf?/base/news/1227950143171130.xml&coll=2

24) Virginia DOT Web Site Predicts Peak Traffic Times on Interstates
Link to AP story:
http://hamptonroads.com/2008/11/vdot-web-site-predicts-peak-traffic-times-interstates
Link to VDOT site:
http://www.virginiadot.org/news/thanksgiving_2008_travel_trends.asp

VEHICLES

25) European Commission Launches eCall Impact Assessment Study
Link to story from ERTICO – ITS Europe:
http://www.ertico.com/en/news_and_events/ertico_newsroom/general_news_commission_launches_ecall_impact_assessment_study.htm


News Releases
1) GEWI Announces New Feature: Capture Traffic Data on PDAs
2) UK Highways Agency to Broadcast Traffic Radio at Exhibition Center in Birmingham
3) IBM Podcast Explores Smarter Traffic Systems
4) $4.7 Million Disability Transportation Research Grant Awarded to University at Buffalo and Carnegie Mellon
5) Lafayette, Louisiana Consolidated Government Goes High-Tech with New Google Gadget Created by Bizzuka


Upcoming Events
The World Air Cargo Event – February 18-20 – Bangkok
http://www.worldaircargoevents.com/


Today in Transportation History
1913 **95th anniversary** – The first continuously moving assembly line was introduced by the Ford Motor Company.
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aso/databank/entries/dt13as.html

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