Monday, January 19, 2009

Transportation Communications Newsletter

Monday, January 19, 2009 -- ISSN 1529-1057

AVIATION

1) Rescue Renews Focus on Training
US Airways crew's lifesaving role bolsters regulators' push for new safety rules.
Link to story in The Wall Street Journal:
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123215116925692159.html

GPS / NAVIGATION

2) GPS Tracks School Buses, Automatically Reports Crashes
Link to story in Government Technology:
http://www.govtech.com/gt/587817?topic=117676

MARITIME

3) Time to Reboot Maritime’s Image, Retired New Orleans Port Exec SaysLink to story in the Charleston Regional Business Journal:
http://www.charlestonbusiness.com/news/26185-time-to-reboot-maritime-rsquo-s-image-retired-new-orleans-port-exec-says

OTHER

4) Economists Call for Improving Transportation Among Arab Nations
Included is plan to upgrade the Arab railway system by building linking rails, introducing electronic system and advanced management system.
Link to Xinhua story:
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2009-01/19/content_10679844.htm

5) Text Messaging an Important Part of Response to US Airways Incident
Link to AP story:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/01/17/AR2009011702086.html

RAILROADS

6) Rail Safety Improves with Tougher Rules, Greater Effort
Link to story in the Minot Daily News:
http://www.minotdailynews.com/page/content.detail/id/523319.html

ROADWAYS

7) Nevada Man Beats $62 Speeding Ticket by Saying Sign Too Small to Comply with Traffic Codes
Link to AP story:
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/custom/offbeat/sns-ap-odd-speeding-ticket,0,7383044.story

8) Portland, Oregon has Lost Its Way on Traffic Signs
Link to commentary in The Oregonian:
http://www.oregonlive.com/news/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/news/123224370345820.xml&coll=7

SAFETY / SECURITY

9) Technology to Block Phones in Cars Isn’t Foolproof
Link to AP story:
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hP-h4m7wQQoRPIc3vlb4T3wUsfmAD95PN98G0

10) Feds Give Highway Watch Mixed Rating
Link to story on eTrucker:
http://www.etrucker.com/apps/news/article.asp?id=75388

TRANSIT

11) Tucson Sun Tran’s New Image is Set to Cost $2.9 Million
Link to story in the Arizona Daily Star:
http://www.azstarnet.com/business/276494

TRAVELER INFORMATION / TRANSPORTATION MANAGEMENT

12) 4-D Imaging to Help Inauguration Tourists
Link to story and audio report on NPR’s All Things Considered:
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=99488612

13) Economic Stimulus Package to Boost Transport Information Market - China TransInfo Technology Corp. CFO
Link to Interfax China TMT News Services:
http://tmt.interfaxchina.com/news/1214

14) Peer-to-Peer Technology Applied to Traffic Forecasting
Link to story in New University:
http://www.newuniversity.org/main/article?slug=peer-to-peer_technology_applied_to175

VEHICLES

15) Japan’s New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization Plans to Test Automatic Driving in 2010
Link to story on Tech-On:
http://techon.nikkeibp.co.jp/english/NEWS_EN/20090119/164204/

16) Automotive Exterior Lighting – Lighting Up Roads and Lives
Link to story on just-auto:
http://www.just-auto.com/article.aspx?id=97604&lk=dm


News Releases
1) Maryland State Highway Administration Pilots ‘Twitter’ Updates for Inaugural Traffic
2) Motorola and Four Leading Emergency Communications Equipment Manufacturers Demonstrate Project 25 Interoperability


Upcoming Events
APTA TransITech Conference – February 17-20 – Toronto
http://www.apta.com/conferences_calendar/trantech/


Today in Transportation History
1989 **20th anniversary** - Canadian National Airlines announced the purchase of the majority of Wardair.
http://www.abheritage.ca/aviation/history/difficulties_max.html

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© 2009 Bernie Wagenblast