Friday, June 4, 2010

Transportation Communications Newsletter

Friday, June 4, 2010 – ISSN 1529-1057

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INRIX Launches Free Web-Based Service Enabling Transportation Agencies to View Traffic Flow Conditions Nationwide

Designed for public agencies who own, operate, manage, patrol, and plan the nation’s major highway system, INRIXTraffic.US provides a complete, real-time picture of current traffic flow conditions across the continental United States. INRIXTraffic.US builds upon nearly two years of partnership with The I-95 Corridor Coalition and provides a national version of a site currently in use by dozens of agencies and hundreds of agency employees and contractors along the eastern seaboard. Join INRIX execs Rick Schuman and Ted Trepanier on Thursday, June 10 at 10:00 AM PDT for a special webinar that will provide an overview of INRIXTraffic.US and instructions for using the site as a key component of your transportation operations. Register now for access to the site and webinar at http://www.inrixtraffic.us/.

AVIATION

1) EasyJet to Trial Volcanic Ash 'Radar'

Link to article in The Guardian:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/jun/04/easyjet-volcanic-ash-radar

Link to news release from easyJet:

http://corporate.easyjet.com/en/media/latest-news/news-year-2010/04-06-2010.aspx

2) Airlines Beginning to Use Features of Future Air Traffic Management System 'NowGen' on Approaches to Some Airports

Link to article in Military & Aerospace Electronics:

http://www.militaryaerospace.com/index/display/avi-article-display/9128012495/articles/avionics-intelligence/news/2010/6/airlines-beginning.html

3) What's Backup Plan if Satellites Go Down on NextGen Air Traffic Management System?

Link to blog in Military & Aerospace Electronics:

http://www.militaryaerospace.com/index/blogs/john-mchales-blog/blogs/military-aerospace/avonics-blog/post987_2645370773591590740.html

4) Military Must Work Fast to Make Its Aircraft Avionics Compatible with NextGen Air Traffic Management System

Link article in Military & Aerospace Electronics:

http://www.militaryaerospace.com/index/display/avi-article-display/7108717688/articles/avionics-intelligence/news/2010/6/military-must_work.html

5) Zune Inflight Radio Booked on United Airlines

Link to blog on ZDNet:

http://www.zdnet.com/blog/gadgetreviews/zune-inflight-radio-booked-on-united-airlines/15284

6) GE, Pratt & Whitney, and a Big-Bucks Media War for Fighter Engine

Link to article in Bloomberg Businessweek:

http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/10_24/b4182028760620.htm

ELECTRONIC TOLLING

7) European Electronic Toll Interoperability Questions Raised at 38^th ASECAP Study and Information Days in Oslo

Link to article in Traffic Technology Today:

http://www.traffictechnologytoday.com/news.php?NewsID=22256

8) Concerns Raised Over All Electronic Crosstown Expressway Tolls in Florida

Link to story and video on WTSP-TV:

http://www.wtsp.com/news/local/story.aspx?storyid=133447&catid=250

GPS / NAVIGATION

9) Chinese GPS Moves Closer

Link to Xinhua article:

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english2010/china/2010-06/04/c_13332853.htm

OTHER

10) Transportation Firms Hailed as IT Innovators

Link to article in The Journal of Commerce:

http://joc.com/trucking/transportation-firms-hailed-it-innovators

11) British Automotive and Electronics Industry Bodies Unite

Link to article in EMT WorldWide:

http://www.emtworldwide.com/article.aspx?ArticleID=34180

ROADWAYS

12) States Seek Alternatives to Roadside Memorials

Link to article in USA Today:

http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2010-06-04-roadside-memorials-alternatives_N.htm

13) Waterloo, Ontario Region on Long Road to Smarter Traffic Controls

Link to article in The Record:

http://news.therecord.com/News/Local/article/722793

14) Drive by and Smell the Billboard

Link to story and video report on WINK-TV:

http://www.winknews.com/National-World/2010-06-03/Drive-by-and-smell-the-billboard

SAFETY / SECURITY

15) Los Angeles Police Expand iWatch Terror Program to Airport

Link to AP article:

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hywoP2yQH6blLjkUcr4YtHqUuU_QD9G3VACG1

Link to article in the Los Angeles Times:

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/crime/la-me-iwatch-20100604,0,3437714.story

16) High-Tech Cameras Being Tested at Connecticut's Bradley International Airport

Link to story and video on WTNH-TV:

http://www.wtnh.com/dpp/news/hartford_cty/Windsor-Locks-high-tech-cameras-installed-at-bradley

17) Disputes Weigh on Proposed Public Safety Network

Link to column in The Washington Post:

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/posttech/2010/06/after_the_terrorist_attacks_of.html

TELEMATICS

18) Ford Aims for OnStar with Sync 911 Assist

Link to article and video on LeftLane News:

http://www.leftlanenews.com/ford-aims-for-onstar-with-sync-911-assist-video.html

TRANSIT

19) Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority GM: 'We're Trying to Make Buses Cool'

Link to article on TheTransitWire:

http://www.thetransitwire.com/2010/06/03/mbta-gm-were-trying-to-make-buses-cool/

20) Smart Cards Tap Into Future of City Transit Systems

Link to article in Government Technology:

http://www.govtech.com/gt/articles/764778

VEHICLES

21) GM Launches Ventures Group to Focus on New Technology

Link to article in The Detroit News:

http://www.detnews.com/article/20100604/AUTO01/6040399/GM-launches-Ventures-group-to-focus-on-new-technology

22) Researchers Hope to Build Autonomous 'Batmobile'

Link to CNET News article:

http://news.cnet.com/8301-13772_3-20006857-52.html

23) With CarMD You Can Heal Your Wheels

Link to article in Bloomberg Businessweek:

http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/10_24/b4182086781709.htm

24) RadioTech Summit: 'Net Radio on Wheels

Link to article in Radio Ink:

http://www.radioink.com/Article.asp?id=1828030&spid=24698

News Releases

1) Trapeze Provides Kansas Department of Transportation with the Tools to Better Communicate Across the Region

2) Mobile Digital Television Launch Gives Detroit Automakers Ideal Mobile Video Test Bed

Upcoming Events

High Speed Rail 2010 – June 17-18 – Los Angeles

http://www.ushsr.com/events/california2010.html

Friday Bonus

When flying out of the airport it's best to be on an aircraft.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tWk4MCQaHrc

Today in Transportation History    

1910 **100^th anniversary** Christopher Cockerell, the inventor of the hovercraft, was born in Cambridge, England.

http://www.hovercraft-museum.org/cockerell.html

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