Monday, March 30, 2009

Transportation Communications Newsletter

Monday, March 30, 2009 -- ISSN 1529-1057

AVIATION

1) Airline Lobby Impatient with Delays on New US Traffic Control System
Link to story in The Wall Street Journal:
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123818857733360521.html
Link to news release from the Air Transport Association:
http://www.airlines.org/news/releases/2009/News_03-27-09.htm

2) Airlines Look at New Phone Devices for the Long Haul
Link to story in The Star:
http://biz.thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2009/3/28/business/3440300&sec=business

3) Florida Breaks Ground for GPS Flight System
Link to story in The Tampa Tribune:
http://www2.tbo.com/content/2009/mar/29/na-state-breaks-ground-for-gps-flight-system/

CAMERAS

4) Proposal to Track Uninsured with Red-Light Cameras has Cities Seeing Big Money
Link to Fox News story:
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,510999,00.html

5) Traffic Cameras in London Ordered Turned Off by Department for Transport in Advance of G20 Summit
DfT says mobile road cameras do not meet resolution standards.
Link to story in The Guardian:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2009/mar/30/cctv-london-government-transport-g20

ELECTRONIC TOLLING

6) Start of Cheap Road Tolls in Japan Sees Jams
Link to story in The Yomiuri Shimbun:
http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/20090329TDY02306.htm

GPS / NAVIGATION

7) TomTom and Microsoft Settle Patent Fight
Link to Reuters story:
http://www.reuters.com/article/technology-media-telco-SP/idUSN3034876220090330

OTHER

8) A Badge, a Gun and a Facebook Profile
Police learn how to tap social-networking sites.
Link to story in the Edmonton Journal:
http://www.edmontonjournal.com/News/badge+Facebook+profile/1440929/story.html

9) Massachusetts Transportation Secretary Scolded by Governor’s Aide Over Blog Entry
Link to story in The Boston Globe:
http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2009/03/28/patrick_aide_scolded_aloisi_over_blog_entry/
Link to blog entry on Blue Mass Group:
http://www.bluemassgroup.com/showDiary.do?diaryId=15099

SAFETY / SECURITY

10) Efforts to Limit Cell Phone Use While Driving Grow in US
Link to story and video in USA Today:
http://www.usatoday.com/money/autos/2009-03-29-driving-distracted-cellphones_N.htm
Link to further information from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety:
http://www.iihs.org/laws/CellPhoneLaws.aspx

11) Trying to Limit Disclosure on Explosion
Chemical plant owners say maritime security law should limit what federal agency can disclose.
Link to story in The New York Times:
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/29/us/29chemical.html?partner=rss&emc=rss&pagewanted=all
Link to Maritime Transportation Security Act of 2002: http://www.tsa.gov/assets/pdf/MTSA.pdf

12) Transportation’s Role in Emergency Evacuation and Reentry
Link to report from the Transportation Research Board:
http://www.trb.org/news/blurb_detail.asp?id=10106

TRANSIT

13) Alarm System to Detect Trouble on Denver Light-Rail Tracks
Link to story in The Denver Post:
http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_12020680

14) Tech Savvy Teenager Takes Massachusetts Transit Agency in New Directions
Link to story in The Boston Globe:
http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2009/03/29/tech_savvy_teenager_takes_lexington_transit_in_new_directions/

15) Boston T Riders Taking the Facebook Route
Facebook group lobbies for MBTA to provide information to Google Transit.
Link to story in The Boston Globe:
http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2009/03/29/t_riders_taking_the_facebook_route/
Link to Facebook group: http://tinyurl.com/cu2xms

16) BART Begins Publishing Rider Tweets
Link to story on TheTransitWire:
http://www.thetransitwire.com/2009/03/30/bart-begins-publishing-rider-tweets/
Link to BART’s Twitter feed: http://twitter.com/sfbart


News Releases
1) Vehicle Manufacturers are Leading Intelligent Transportation Systems Efforts with Obstacle Detection Systems Launching in 2009
2) Missouri DOT Introduces Podcasts by MoDOT Director
3) Saab and LFV Group Present Remotely Operated Airport Tower Concept


Upcoming Events
Canadian Transportation Research Forum 44th Annual Conference – May 24-27 – Victoria, British Columbia
http://www.ctrf.ca/future_conferences.htm


Today in Transportation History
1909 **100th anniversary** - The Queensboro Bridge, also known as the 59th Street Bridge, opened connecting Manhattan and Long Island City, Queens.
http://www.nycbridges100.org/queensboro.php

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© 2009 Bernie Wagenblast