Friday, January 16, 2009

Transportation Communications Newsletter

Friday, January 16, 2009 -- ISSN 1529-1057

AVIATION

1) National Transportation Safety Board: Visibility a Key Factor in Medical Flight Crashes
Link to story in the Houston Chronicle:
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/nation/6214272.html
Link to advisory from the NTSB:
http://www.ntsb.gov/Pressrel/2009/090113b.html

OTHER

2) European Commission Video on Intelligent Transport Systems
Link to video:
http://ec.europa.eu/dgs/energy_transport/videos/transport/2008_10_its_en.htm

RAILROADS

3) Freight, Passenger-Rail Stakeholders Form Coalition to Deliver Unified Message
Link to story in Progressive Railroading:
http://www.progressiverailroading.com/news/article.asp?id=19378
Link to additional information from the Surface Transportation Policy Partnership:
http://www.transact.org/onerail/

ROADWAYS

4) Dutch Develop Road Pricing Plan
Link to story in Traffic Technology International:
http://www.traffictechnologytoday.com/news.php?NewsID=10159
Link to additional information from the Dutch Ministry of Transport, Public Works and Water Management:
http://www.verkeerenwaterstaat.nl/english/topics/mobility_and_accessibility/roadpricing/index.aspx

5) Georgia DOT’s Highway Emergency Response Units May Carry Advertising
Link to story in the Atlanta Business Chronicle:
http://atlanta.bizjournals.com/atlanta/stories/2009/01/19/story4.html?b=1232341200%5E1762382

6) University of Texas Begins Project to Test Safety of Bridges Using Wireless Monitoring and Inspection Systems
Link to story in the Austin Business Journal:
http://www.bizjournals.com/austin/stories/2009/01/12/daily53.html
Link to news release from the University of Texas at Austin:
http://www.utexas.edu/research/news/story.php?src=opa&item=3559

7) Innovation Roundtable Explores Advanced Wireless Communication to Meet the US's Congestion Reduction and Safety Goals
Link to story in Horizons:
http://www.rita.dot.gov/publications/horizons/2008_11_12/html/innovation_roundtable.html
Link to additional information from the Volpe National Transportation Systems Center:
http://www.volpe.dot.gov/coi/avins.html

SAFETY / SECURITY

8) Wireless Network for Emergency Workers in New York State is Canceled
Link to story in The New York Times:
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/16/nyregion/16wireless.html?partner=rss&emc=rss&pagewanted=all
Link to news release from the New York State Office for Technology:
http://www.oft.state.ny.us/News/PressRelease_SWNContract.htm

TRANSIT

9) Toronto Subway Riders Stay in Loop with E-Alerts
Link to story in the Toronto Star:
http://www.thestar.com/GTA/Transportation/article/571307
Link to news release from the Toronto Transit Commission:
http://www3.ttc.ca/News/TTC_e-Alert_subscription_service.jsp

TRAVELER INFORMATION / TRANSPORTATION MANAGEMENT

10) Dial 1333, for Transport Info in South Korea
Link to Arirang News story:
http://english.chosun.com/w21data/html/news/200901/200901160032.html


News Releases
1) Federal Railroad Administration Releases New Highway-Rail Grade Crossing Safety Video for Truck Drivers (scroll to third story)
2) A Strategic Milestone for the Modernization of Air Traffic Management in Europe
3) US DOT Signs Agreement with Washington State to Improve Efficiency Along the Border by Providing More Accurate and Reliable Information on Border Wait Times
4) Dr. Karlin Toner to Lead Interagency Coordination of NextGen Air Transportation System
5) Austrian Road Traffic Telematics Company Kapsch TrafficCom AG Acquires 20.47% of Norway's Q-Free ASA


Upcoming Events
South West Transit Association Annual Conference & Expo – February 8-10 – Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
http://swta.org/blog/?page_id=82


Friday Bonus
Here’s a great way to make sure you get pulled aside for extra screening at the airport.
http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2008/09/metal_plates_send_message.html


Today in Transportation History
1909 **100th anniversary** - Ernest Shackleton’s expedition found the magnetic South Pole.
http://indigo.ie/~jshack/ernest.html

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© 2009 Bernie Wagenblast