Monday, March 2, 2009

Transportation Communications Newsletter

Monday, March 2, 2009 -- ISSN 1529-1057

Register Today and Prepare for the Approaching Recovery: IBTTA’s Workshop on Managing in an Era of Changing Economic Times, April 19-21, 2009 in San Francisco, CA

Join IBTTA in San Francisco for power-packed educational sessions and walk away with a world of knowledge on better managing your organization today and preparing for the approaching economic recovery. Learn how global issues are affecting your organization and the toll industry, the goals and efforts of the U.S. stimulus program, how to build a cost-conscious culture and make tough decisions, how to position your agency for unique opportunities during this slowdown, solid financing strategies and more. This is one meeting you don’t want to miss! Visit IBTTA’s website to view the preliminary agenda, make your travel arrangements and register today!

AVIATION

1) Southwest Airlines Criticized for Promotion of Magazine’s Swimsuit Edition
Link to McClatchy Newspapers story:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/mar/02/southwest-airlines-sports-illustrated-swimsuit

BUSES

2) High-End Buses to Make Bid for Lexus Commuters
Link to story in the San Francisco Chronicle:
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/03/01/MNOQ166F3C.DTL&type=business&tsp=1

3) Chicago Transit Authority Bus-Tracking Site to Add Service-Delay Alerts
Link to story on Chicago Breaking News:
http://www.chicagobreakingnews.com/2009/03/cta-bus-bustracker-delay-alert-service-change.html

CAMERAS

4) Arizona Photo Radar Citations Can be Prosecuted Criminally
Link to story in Government Technology:
http://www.govtech.com/gt/articles/624281

5) AAA Alerts Drivers to Arizona Speed Cameras
Link to story in USA Today:
http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2009-03-01-speedcameras_N.htm

GPS / NAVIGATION

6) GPS Gadgets a Big Distraction for Male Drivers, Survey Finds
Link to AAP story:
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,25131239-12377,00.html

OTHER

7) Articles from Most Recent Issue of Texas Transportation Researcher
- Pay Attention! Enhancing Visibility to Improve Safety on Houston's 'Red Line'
http://tti.tamu.edu/publications/researcher/newsletter.htm?vol=44&issue=4&article=3&year=2008
- School Zones as Safety Zones: Helping Motorists Reduce Speed Near Schools
http://tti.tamu.edu/publications/researcher/newsletter.htm?vol=44&issue=4&article=6&year=2008
- Walk, Bike and be Counted: Automated Sensors are Watching Out for You
http://tti.tamu.edu/publications/researcher/newsletter.htm?vol=44&issue=4&article=9&year=2008

PARKING

8) A Los Angeles Parking Ambassador
Curbing motorists' anger and confusion, traffic cop William Hartsfield has helped ease LA's switch from meters to pay stations.
Link to story in the Los Angeles Times:
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-parking-meters2-2009mar02%2C0%2C1423549.story

RAILROADS

9) Los Angeles Metrolink’s Commitment to Safety Reforms Comes Under Scrutiny
Link to story in the Los Angeles Times:
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-metrolink-crash-redlights-2009mar02,0,2760811.story

10) Keeping the IT Trains Running
An interview with Ed Trainor, CIO of Amtrak.
Link to interview in CIO Insight:
http://www.cioinsight.com/c/a/Expert-Voices/Keeping-the-IT-Trains-Running/

ROADWAYS

11) Take the Virtual Road to the Super-Datacenter
Link to story in Traffic Technology International:
http://www.traffictechnologytoday.com/industry-blogs.php?BlogID=163

SAFETY / SECURITY

12) Canadian Trucking Alliance: Border Security Programs Need Coordination
Link to story in Today’s Trucking:
http://www.todaystrucking.com/news.cfm?intDocID=21289&login=i95berniew%40aol%2Ecom&datalogin=%269A6%3BNX%241%0A

13) Technology Promises Speedier US-Mexico Border Crossing
Link to AP story:
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5iAVfE6A6Xae1RECw0u3OAGbMfEywD96K7EHO0

14) Orange County, California, May be Successful Model for Interoperable Communications Systems
Link to article in Emergency Management:
http://www.govtech.com/em/596643

15) Crisis Communication
Texas agencies maximized Web power before and after Hurricane Ike.
Link to story in Texas Technology:
http://www.govtech.com/tt/585985

TRANSIT

16) London Transport Lacked Snow Emergency Plan
Link to story on Sky News:
http://tinyurl.com/dapw5d
Link to report from the London Assembly Transport Committee:
http://www.london.gov.uk/assembly/reports/transport/snow-report-0309.pdf

17) South Koreans May Lose Subway Mobile TV as Broadcasters Face Cash Crisis
Link to mocoNews story:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/02/27/AR2009022701707.html


Upcoming Events
Fourth Joint Military/Civilian Conference on Intelligent Vehicle Technology Transfer (IVTT) – April 1-2 – Gaithersburg, Maryland
http://www.intelligent-vehicle.com/index.php/conference


Today in Transportation History
1949 **60th anniversary** - The first non-stop round-the-world flight was completed on a Boeing B-50A, the Lucky Lady II.
http://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/factsheets/factsheet.asp?id=2634

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© 2009 Bernie Wagenblast