Wednesday, May 13, 2009

Transportation Communications Newsletter

Wednesday, May 13, 2009 – ISSN 1529-1057

AVIATION

1) Continental Airlines to Shut Tampa Call Center, Cut 500 Jobs
Link to AP story:
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hUlxsCBAXmPJ5x8ysNH9MmQSkrLgD985EN6O1

2) Regional Routes Served by Big Carriers are Often Operated by ‘Feeder’ Airlines
Accident record information is available via the Web from the NTSB, but information on specific pilots is difficult to obtain.
Link to story in The Wall Street Journal:
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124217348431613081.html

3) Hong Kong Airport Says It Now Uses Only RFID Baggage Tags
Link to story in RFID Journal:
http://www.rfidjournal.com/article/articleview/4885

4) No Way to E-Mail Frontier Airlines? Not Necessarily
Link to column on Elliott:
http://www.elliott.org/blog/no-way-to-e-mail-frontier-airlines-not-necessarily/

BUSES

5) Is This Your Stop? Pull the Cord, Like Old Times
Bell cord makes a comeback on New York City buses.
Link to story in The New York Times:
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/13/nyregion/13cords.html?partner=rss&emc=rss&pagewanted=all

CARTOGRAPHY

6) A Look Into the Future of Mapping
Link to interview with Maarten Oldenhof, CEO of Automotive Navigation Data on The Where Business:
http://social.thewherebusiness.com/content/look-future-mapping

7) Electronics Replace Old Fashioned Maps
US/Canadian Map Co. shuts down.
Link to story and video on WLUK-TV:
http://www.fox11online.com/dpp/news/local_wluk_electronics_replace_old_fashion_maps_200905121736_rev1

GPS / NAVIGATION

8) Navigation Boon for Stalled WiMax?
Link to Reuters story:
http://www.reuters.com/article/marketsNews/idUSSEO34908020090513

MARITIME

9) US Coast Guard Releases Anti-Piracy Rules
New regulations for US-flagged ships include lookout for pirates and requirement to submit new security plans.
Link to story in Navy Times:
http://www.navytimes.com/news/2009/05/coastguard_piracy_051209w/

OTHER

10) EU Adopts RFID Privacy Recommendations
Link to story in Government Technology:
http://www.govtech.com/gt/673788

ROADWAYS

11) Vail, Colorado Looks for Better Road Sign System
Electronic signs might also expand to pedestrian paths and integrate with Vail Resort’s on-mountain information system.
Link to story in the Vail Daily:
http://www.vaildaily.com/article/20090512/NEWS/905129939/1078&ParentProfile=1062

12) Los Angeles Wants to Limit Digital Billboards to 21 Areas
Link to story in the Contra Costa Times:
http://www.contracostatimes.com/california/ci_12358604

13) Electronic Billboards Nixed Along West Virginia Highway
Link to AP story:
http://www.dailymail.com/ap/ApTopStories/200905130118

SAFETY / SECURITY

14) 8,000 New Yorkers Got Emergency E-Mails, Phone Calls and Texts on Aborted Flyover
Link to story in the Daily News:
http://www.nydailynews.com/news/2009/05/13/2009-05-13_city_hotline_provides_411_on_danger.html

15) New DVD Shows Dangers of Texting and Driving
Link to AP story:
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/UT_NO_TEXTING_AD_UTOL-?SITE=CODEN&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT

SPACE

16) A Twitter First: NASA Astronaut Sends First Tweet from Space
Link to story in Computerworld:
http://www.computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&articleId=9132979
Link to Twitter feed: http://twitter.com/Astro_Mike

TELEMATICS

17) New Sync Begins Rollout May 18
Link to story in TWICE:
http://www.twice.com/article/CA6658004.html

TRAVELER INFORMATION / TRANSPORTATION MANAGEMENT

18) Arizona DOT Now Using Twitter, Facebook to Report US 93 Updates
Link to story in The Kingman Daily Miner:
http://www.kingmandailyminer.com/main.asp?SectionID=1&subsectionID=1&articleID=31402


News Releases
1) FAA Virtualizes Critical International Communication Application with Stratus
2) OnStar Enhances Emergency Response with Microsoft Virtual Earth
3) CVIS: Connected Vehicles for Next-Generation Mobility


Upcoming Events
ITE Annual Meeting & Exhibit – August 9-12 – San Antonio, Texas
http://www.ite.org/AnnualMeeting/default.asp


Today in Transportation History
1829 **180th anniversary** - The Stourbridge Lion, the first steam locomotive to operate in the US, arrived in New York.
http://www.bridge-line.org/blhs/stourbridge_lion.html

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© 2009 Bernie Wagenblast