Friday, January 29, 2009

Transportation Communications Newsletter

Friday, January 29, 2009 -- ISSN 1529-1057

AVIATION

1) Check-In by Cell Phone is Gaining Steam at US Airports
Link to story in the Austin American-Statesman:
http://www.statesman.com/business/content/business/stories/other/01/30/0130ticket.html

BUSES

2) New York MTA Pulls the Plug on Bus Tracking, Again
Link to story and video report on NY1 News:
http://www.ny1.com/content/top_stories/93085/mta-pulls-the-plug-on-bus-tracking--again/Default.aspx

GPS / NAVIGATION

3) Transport 2.0: Meeting Grand Challenges with GIScience
Link to story in ArcNews:
http://www.esri.com/news/arcnews/winter0809articles/transport-20.html

OTHER

4) Interview with Zita Gurmai MEP
Link to interview by ERTICO:
http://www.ertico.com/en/news_and_events/ertico_newsroom/ertico_news_interview_with_zita_gurmai_mep.htm

5) Journal of Commerce Consolidates Transport Magazines
Link to story in NJBIZ:
http://www.njbiz.com/article.asp?aID=77154

6) New Web Site Aids Transit Coordination in Minnesota
Link to story in the Center for Transportation Studies Report:
http://www.cts.umn.edu/Publications/CTSReport/2009/01/NewWeb.html
Link to CoordinateMNTransit: http://www.coordinatemntransit.org/

7) January Issue of IEEE Intelligent Transportation Systems Society Newsletter
Link to newsletter:
http://ieeeitss.org/v11n1.pdf

RAILROADS

8) Railroad Opposes Quiet Rail Bill
Railroads in North Dakota would no longer be required to sound horn at private crossings.
Link to story in The Bismarck Tribune:
http://www.bismarcktribune.com/articles/2009/01/29/news/update/doc498206bfc4d90051218495.txt

9) Canadian Trains Get Internet Service
Link to story in TV Technology:
http://www.tvtechnology.com/article/73902

ROADWAYS

10) Illinois Tollway Could Bring Customer Call Center Home
Link to story in the Daily Herald:
http://www.dailyherald.com/story/?id=268165&src=109

11) Judge Rules Rhode Island Law Restricting Billboards Unconstitutional
Link to story in The Providence Journal:
http://www.projo.com/news/content/BZ_BILLBOARD_RULING_01-30-09_7TD4C5I_v16.2e87102.html

12) Probe Looms Over Metro Manila’s Pink Traffic Signs
Link to GMA News story:
http://www.gmanews.tv/story/146746/Probe-looms-over-MMDAs-pink-traffic-signs

TRANSIT

13) Sound Transit Event Sponsorships Illegal, Says Audit
Link to story in the Seattle Post-Intelligencer:
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/397983_transitaudit30.html

TRAVELER INFORMATION / TRANSPORTATION MANAGEMENT

14) Traffic Incident Management Quick Clearance Laws: A National Review of Best Practices
Link to publication from the Federal Highway Administration:
http://www.ops.fhwa.dot.gov/publications/fhwahop09005/index.htm

15) Service Patrol Handbook
Link to publication from the Federal Highway Administration:
http://www.ops.fhwa.dot.gov/publications/fhwahop08031/index.htm


News Releases
1) Green Light for NavigateHollywood.com – Interactive Way-Finding Web Site for Hollywood Launches
2) RITA Signs ITS Research Cooperation Agreement with European Commission
3) Wisconsin's 511 Traveler Information System Now Available Online


Upcoming Events
34th Annual FAA Aviation Forecast Conference – March 31-April 1 – Washington, DC
http://www.faa.gov/news/conferences_events/aviation_forecast_2009/


Friday Bonus
Thank goodness it wasn’t a Tyrannosaurus rex.
http://www.news14.com/content/local_news/coastal/604125/road-work-sign-warns-about-dinosaur-danger/Default.aspx


Today in Transportation History
1964 **45th anniversary** - Ranger 6, a spaceship designed to take photos of the lunar surface, was launched.
http://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/planetary/lunar/ranger.html

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© 2009 Bernie Wagenblast