Friday, March 12, 2010

Transportation Communications Newsletter

Friday, March 12, 2010 – ISSN 1529-1057

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AASHTO’s Daily Transportation Update provides a selection of links to transportation-related news stories and Federal Register notices on the Internet every weekday morning. The DTU helps you keep up with media coverage of the industry from across the country and federal transportation regulatory actions. Subscribe today at http://news.transportation.org/subscription/index.aspx.

AVIATION

1) Interview with NTSB Chairman Deborah Hersman

Link to audio interview on AVweb:

http://www.avweb.com/podcast/podcast/AudioPodcast_NTSB_DeborarhHersman_202155-1.html

BICYCLES

2) Google Engineer Scott Shawcroft Explains Google’s Bike Map

Link to article on Streetsblog San Francisco:

http://sf.streetsblog.org/2010/03/10/streetscast-google-engineer-scott-shawcroft-explains-googles-bike-map/

3) Google Bike Maps: A Cynical Cyclist Speaks Out

Link to commentary in PCWorld:

http://www.pcworld.com/article/191310/google_bike_maps_a_cynical_cyclist_speaks_out.html

ELECTRONIC TOLLING

4) Connecticut Border Toll Proposal Calls for Camera System

Link to article in the Connecticut Post:

http://www.ctpost.com/local/article/Border-toll-proposal-calls-for-camera-system-402776.php

GPS / NAVIGATION

5) Will GPS Kill the Sign?

Link to article in Slate:

http://www.slate.com/id/2246108

MARITIME

6) Delays in Satellite Programs Push US Navy to Look Elsewhere for Communications

Link to article on NextGov:

http://www.nextgov.com/nextgov/ng_20100311_9931.php

7) US National Transportation Safety Board Recommends that Commercial Vessels be Required to Carry Emergency Position-Indicating Radio Beacons

Link to safety recommendation from the NTSB:

http://www.ntsb.gov/Recs/letters/2010/M10_1.pdf

OTHER

8) Panelists at AASHTO Meeting Stress Need to Constantly Monitor 24-Hour News Cycle

Link to article in the AASHTO Journal:

http://www.aashtojournal.org/Pages/031210heard.aspx

SAFETY / SECURITY

9) Former TSA Employee Charged with Infecting Databases

Link to article in Government Computer News:

http://gcn.com/articles/2010/03/12/tsa-employee-charged-infected-systems.aspx

10) Laptops Could be Key to an Earthquake Early-Warning System

Link to article in the Los Angeles Times:

http://www.latimes.com/news/la-me-quakecatchers12-2010mar12,0,3872363.story

TELEMATICS

11) Intelligent Vehicles Hit the Road in China

Link to article in China Daily:

http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/bizchina/2010-03/12/content_9580057.htm

TRANSIT

12) Closed-Door Report Tells DC Metro to Focus on Rail Safety, be Honest with Public

Transit advocates urge report be made public.

Link to article in The Examiner:

http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/local/Closed-door-report-tells-Metro-to-focus-on-rail-safety_-be-honest-with-public-87402267.html

13) San Diego Transit Agency to Hunt for Sponsors

Link to column in The San Diego Union-Tribune:

http://www.signonsandiego.com/weblogs/the-ride-transportation/2010/mar/11/transit-agency-hunt-sponsors/

14) BART Gets Official Augmented Reality App

Link to blog in Fast Company:

http://www.fastcompany.com/1579694/bart-gets-official-augmented-reality-app-couldnt-find-the-train-is-no-longer-a-viable-excuse

15) Cleveland RTA to Provide Information to Customers via E-mail, Text Message and Twitter

Link to article in The Plain Dealer:

http://blog.cleveland.com/metro/2010/03/rta_plans_to_provide_informati.html

TRAVELER INFORMATION / TRANSPORTATION MANAGEMENT

16) North Florida TPO Receives Additional Details on Proposed Regional Transportation Management Center

Link to article in the Financial News & Daily Record:

http://www.jaxdailyrecord.com/showstory.php?Story_id=530483

17) Wellington, New Zealand Traffic Control – Playing Slot Cars for Real

Link to article in The Dominion Post:

http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/local/3443921/Wellington-traffic-control-playing-slot-cars-for-real

VEHICLES

18) Driving by the Numbers

Giving drivers and carmakers real-time access to data that’s being monitored could improve safety.

Link to commentary in The New York Times:

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/12/opinion/12chase.html

WEATHER

19) Congress Debates New Satellite Plan

Link to article in USA Today:

http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2010-03-11-satellite_N.htm

News Releases

1) Expanding in ITS: Gannett Fleming Acquires Vanus

2) FCC to Hold Technical Panel on 700 MHz Nationwide Interoperable Public Safety Wireless Broadband Network

3) Telematics Shapes Future of Taiwan’s ICT Industry

Upcoming Events

Mississippi Valley Freight Coalition Conference and Annual Meeting – April 27-29 – Cincinnati, Ohio

http://www.mississippivalleyfreight.org/2010meeting.html

Friday Bonus

Another sign that didn’t make the cut in the most recent MUTCD update.

http://www.ananova.com/news/story/sm_3705747.html

Today in Transportation History

1930 **80^th anniversary** - Canadian World War I ace, Billy Barker, died in an airplane crash.

http://www.constable.ca/caah/barker.htm

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© 2010 Bernie Wagenblast www.bwcommunications.net