Transportation Communications Newsletter: Monday, March 1, 2010

Transportation Communications Newsletter

Monday, March 1, 2010 – ISSN 1529-1057

Intelligent Transportation Society of America’s 20th Annual Meeting & Exposition (May 3-5, 2010, Houston, Texas). America’s leading intelligent transportation systems industry association brings you speakers, sessions, demos and tours that will show you how technology innovations are making America strong by helping to solve the Nation’s transportation challenges!

- Peter Appel, Administrator of USDOT’s Research and Innovative Technology Administration (RITA), moderates the May 4 USDOT plenary session of Presidential appointees and executives on how ITS can help improve job creation and economic growth, create a more integrated, performance-based transportation system and provide Americans safe, affordable and environmentally sustainable transportation choices.

- Share your successes and be recognized by your peers at the Best of ITS and Outstanding ITS Chapter Awards presentations on May 3 in the Exhibit Hall theater. The deadline for entries has been extended to Monday, March 8.

- Exhibit space is still available. Be a sponsor!

ELECTRONIC TOLLING

1) All-Electronic Tolling Debated in Maine

Link to article in the Portsmouth Herald:

http://www.seacoastonline.com/articles/20100228-NEWS-2280335

GPS / NAVIGATION

2) Raytheon Lands $886 Million GPS Contract

The project aims to improve the accuracy, reliability, and security of data from GPS satellites.

Link to article in InformationWeek:

http://www.informationweek.com/news/government/security/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=223100860

OTHER

3) Open Wi-Fi ‘Outlawed’ in UK Digital Economy Bill

Link to ZDNet UK article:

http://news.zdnet.co.uk/communications/0,1000000085,40057470,00.htm

4) The Wired Repo Man – He’s Not ‘As Seen on TV’

Link to article in The New York Times:

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/28/automobiles/28REPO.html

ROADWAYS

5) Iowa Newspaper Maps and Tracks Potholes

Link to article in The Des Moines Register:

http://data.desmoinesregister.com/dmr/des-moines-potholes-map/

SAFETY / SECURITY

6) Updated Tsunami Warning System in Action

Link to story on MSNBC:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/35619051/

7) Growing Number of Drivers Check Facebook, Twitter While Driving

Link to article on ITProPortal:

http://www.itproportal.com/portal/news/article/2010/2/27/growing-number-drivers-check-facebook-twitter-while-driving/

TRANSIT

8) Toronto Transit Commission Chief Admits He Misjudged Rider Anger

Link to article in the Toronto Star:

http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/ttc/article/772371--ttc-chief-admits-he-misjudged-rider-anger

9) Golden Gate Transit Bus and Ferry Riders are Being Reminded to be Courteous to Fellow Passengers

Link to article in the Marin Independent Journal:

http://www.marinij.com/marinnews/ci_14490186

10) Prepaid Cards and the Transit Industry

Link to article in Smart Card Talk:

http://www.smartcardalliance.org/pages/newsletter-201002-feature

VEHICLES

11) Philippine Automobile Group Ask Supreme Court to Halt Use of RFID

Link to article in the Business Mirror:

http://businessmirror.com.ph/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=22462

WEATHER

12) Snowpocalypse to Snowicane: Hype Reigns in Winter

National Weather Service meteorologists critical of terminology used for Northeast storm.

Link to AP article:

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5jSJz0TVyhe6DZSJ_pUbbuWvsGswgD9E4N6381

13) Scientists Develop More Accurate Snow Forecasts

Link to article in USA Today:

http://content.usatoday.com/communities/sciencefair/post/2010/02/snow-forecasting-made-easy/1

News Releases

1) Amtrak Launches Wi-Fi Service

2) ATX Joins Pilot Project to Promote Cross-Border eCall Solutions

3) Official UK Highways Agency Traffic News is Top of the Downloads

Upcoming Events

Organization Management Workshop – Enhancing Mobility Through Innovation – April 18-20 – Austin, Texas

http://www.ibtta.org/contentnoleftnav.cfm?ItemNumber=4469&token=40690

Today in Transportation History

1910 **100^th anniversary** - The worst avalanche in US history occurred in Washington State when snow buried two Great Northern Railway trains and killed 96 people.

http://home1.gte.net/mvmmvm/index.html

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