Transportation Communications Newsletter: January 2011

Webinar: 'We're Not in Kansas Anymore' – How Opticom Central Management Software has Revolutionized Traffic Signal Priority Control for Olathe, Kansas – February 1

http://www.gtt.com/ (scroll down)

Today in Transportation History

1961 **50^th anniversary** Ham, a chimpanzee, was launched into space on a Project Mercury mission. During the sub-orbital flight he performed simple, timed tasks.

http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,872134,00.html

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The Transportation Communications Newsletter is published electronically Monday through Friday.

To subscribe (for free) or unsubscribe, please contact me at bernie@bwcommunications.net.

TCN archives: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/transport-communications

Become a TCN fan on Facebook!

Questions, comments about the TCN? Please write the editor, Bernie Wagenblast at bernie@bwcommunications.net.

Friday, January 28, 2011

Transportation Communications Newsletter

Friday, January 28, 2011 – ISSN 1529-1057

AVIATION

1) Airlines Offer Little Help to Fliers After In-Flight Trauma

Link to article in USA Today:

http://www.usatoday.com/travel/flights/2011-01-28-1Aairtrauma28_ST_N.htm

2) 'iFood' May be Coming to Minneapolis-St. Paul Airport's Gates

Link to article in the Star Tribune:

http://www.startribune.com/local/114768839.html

3) Airport Carpets Stir Online Passion

Link to story on CNN:

http://edition.cnn.com/2011/TRAVEL/01/27/airport.carpets.website/

Link to Carpets for Airports: http://carpetsforairports.com/

GPS / NAVIGATION

4) Verizon Upgrades Navigation Service

Link to article in TWICE:

http://www.twice.com/article/463116-Verizon_Upgrades_Navigation_Service.php

Link to news release from Verizon Wireless:

http://news.vzw.com/news/2011/01/pr2011-01-27b.html

OTHER

5) Will 'Intelligent Cities' Put an End to Suburban Sprawl?

Link to article in USA Today:

http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2011-01-28-cities28_ST_N.htm

6) Leak of Drivers' Personal Info Remedied in Beijing

Link to article in the Global Times:

http://china.globaltimes.cn/society/2011-01/618186.html

7) iMobility – January 2011 Edition

Link to newsletter from ERTICO:

http://www.ertico.com/assets/Newsletter/2011/January-2011.pdf

ROADWAYS

8) Greater Transparency Urged for Maine Turnpike

Link to AP article:

http://www.wmtw.com/news/26652232/detail.html

Link to report from the Office of Program Evaluation and Government Accountability of the Maine State Legislature:

http://www.maine.gov/legis/opega/GOC/GOC_meetings/Current_handouts/1-21-11/MTA%20Report.pdf

SAFETY / SECURITY

9) Few at Atlanta Airport Pay Attention to Terror Warning Colors

Link to article in The Atlanta Journal-Constitution:

http://www.ajc.com/news/few-at-airport-pay-818174.html

10) Russia Adopts Color-Coded Terror Alert System

Link to article in The New York Times:

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/29/world/europe/29russia.html

11) Congress, White House, FCC Key on Emergency Spectrum

Link to article in Government Security News:

http://www.gsnmagazine.com/node/22334

TRAVELER INFORMATION / TRANSPORTATION MANAGEMENT

12) New York MTA's Web Site Overloaded During Snowstorm

Link to article in The Wall Street Journal:

http://blogs.wsj.com/metropolis/2011/01/27/the-mtas-other-snow-related-traffic-problem/

13) Super Bowl Organizers Hope Fans Won't Give Traffic a Second Thought

Link to article in the Star-Telegram:

http://www.star-telegram.com/2011/01/27/2803582/super-bowl-organizers-hope-fans.html

14) Utah DOT's ATMS Gives You Clear Roads, but (Sorry) No Cash

Link to article in the Standard-Examiner:

http://www.standard.net/topics/traffic/2011/01/27/udots-atms-gives-you-clear-roads-sorry-no-cash

Link to CommuterLink: http://www.utahcommuterlink.com/

VEHICLES

15) Blind Man Will Use New Technology to Drive in Demonstration at Daytona International Speedway

Link to CP article:

http://www.google.com/hostednews/canadianpress/article/ALeqM5i_XGgyupkaggavz6jWCikjrG4yOQ?docId=5787104

Link to news release from the National Federation of the Blind:

http://www.nfb.org/nfb/NewsBot.asp?MODE=VIEW&ID=757&SnID=1167267112

16) In Future, Cars Might Decide if Driver is Drunk

Link to AP article:

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=133304531

17) Pursuing Cars that Won't be Outdated

Link to article in The New York Times:

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/30/automobiles/30GRADE.html

18) The Coming Explosion of In-Car Infotainment Apps

Link to article in Popular Mechanics:

Upcoming Events

TransportationCamp West – March 19-20 – San Francisco

http://transportationcamp.org/

Friday Bonus

This makes me embarrassed over the track I built with my Matchbox cars as a kid.

http://www.retrothing.com/2010/12/massive-mesmerizing-toy-car-track.html

Today in Transportation History

1986 **25^th anniversary** The Space Shuttle Challenger exploded after liftoff killing all seven astronauts aboard.

http://history.nasa.gov/sts51l.html

======================================================================

The Transportation Communications Newsletter is published electronically Monday through Friday.

To subscribe (for free) or unsubscribe, please contact me at bernie@bwcommunications.net.

TCN archives: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/transport-communications

Become a TCN fan on Facebook!

Questions, comments about the TCN? Please write the editor, Bernie Wagenblast at bernie@bwcommunications.net.

Thursday, January 27, 2011

Transportation Communications Newsletter

Thursday, January 27, 2011 – ISSN 1529-1057

The 2011 NRITS Call-for-Abstracts deadline is rapidly approaching!

The 2011 National Rural ITS Conference Planning committee would like to invite you to submit an abstract for presentation at the conference August 28-31, 2011 in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. All abstracts must be received by Monday, February 14, 2011 and authors should take care to ensure that abstracts submitted follow the guidelines. In addition to several general sessions, we are also planning a specialized Transit Track and Public Safety Track.

AVIATION

1) FAA Suggests Markings for Meteorological Towers

Link to article on AVweb:

http://www.avweb.com/avwebflash/news/FAASuggestsMarkingsForMetTowers_204020-1.html

2) US Transportation Secretary: Airlines Should Use Tax Savings to Invest in NextGen Equipment

Link to blog in The Dallas Morning News:

http://aviationblog.dallasnews.com/archives/2011/01/lahood-airlines-should-use-tax.html

3) Travel is Going Social, Will Business Aviation Follow?

Link to blog in Forbes:

http://blogs.forbes.com/wheelsup/2011/01/26/travel-is-going-social-will-business-aviation-follow/

CAMERAS

4) Florida Judge Orders Kenneth City, ATS to Turn Over Names of Red Light Violators to Newspaper

Link to article in the St. Petersburg Times:

http://www.tampabay.com/news/localgovernment/judge-orders-kenneth-city-to-turn-over-information-on-red-light-camera/1147798

ELECTRONIC TOLLING

5) Cell Phones Paying Tolls?

Link to article in TOLLROADSnews:

http://www.tollroadsnews.com/node/5113

GPS / NAVIGATION

6) Satellite Device Guides Special Needs Pupils to Edinburgh Schools

Link to BBC News story:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-edinburgh-east-fife-12296739

7) Consumers Wary of Location-Based Services

Link to article in Inc.:

http://www.inc.com/news/articles/2011/01/users-have-uneasy-relationship-with-location-based-services.html

Link to further information from Microsoft:

http://www.microsoft.com/privacy/dpd/default.aspx

MARITIME

8) GPS Jamming and Its Impact on Maritime Safety

Link to article in Port Technology International:

http://www.porttechnology.org/technical_papers/gps_jamming_and_its_impact_on_maritime_safety

OTHER

9) Inside Philadelphia's Snow Emergency Response

Link to article in Governing:

http://www.governing.com/blogs/view/Inside-Philadelphias-Snow-Emergency-Response.html

10) Connected Transportation – Vehicles, Passengers, Cameras

Link to article in Mass Transit:

http://www.masstransitmag.com/interactive/2011/01/20/connected-transportation-vehicles-passengers-cameras/

11) Winter 201 Issue of Sensor Newsletter

- SMART-Signal Targets Improved Arterial Intersection Performance

http://www.its.umn.edu/Publications/Sensor/2010/03/SMART.html

- Study Shows Relationship Between Technology, Public Policy

http://www.its.umn.edu/Publications/Sensor/2010/03/study.html

PARKING

12) China Launches Its First Parking Spot Search Engine

Link to article in the People's Daily:

http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/90001/98649/7273211.html

Link to Nestca: http://www.nestca.com/

RAILROADS

13) Automation Association Forms Group to Focus on Rail Industry Technologies

Link to article in Progressive Railroading:

http://www.progressiverailroading.com/prdailynews/news.asp?id=25606

Link to news release from ODVA:

http://www.odva.org/Home/tabid/53/ctl/Details/mid/372/ItemID/67/lng/en-US/language/en-US/Default.aspx

ROADWAYS

14) I-35 Advisory Group in Texas Makes Recommendations for Operational Improvements

Suggestions include smart phone applications, electronic signs and on-board communication systems with updated traffic information.

Link to story and video on KXAN-TV:

http://www.kxan.com/dpp/news/local/My35-committee-recommends-moving-I35

Link to report:

http://www.my35.org/about/reports_plans.htm

15) Framework for a National Database System for Maintenance Actions on Highway Bridges

Link to report from the Transportation Research Board:

http://www.trb.org/Main/Blurbs/Framework_for_a_National_Database_System_for_Maint_164203.aspx

SAFETY / SECURITY

16) San Bruno Pipeline Fire: NTSB Chair Rips Pacific Gas and Electric's Records

Link to article in the San Francisco Chronicle:

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2011/01/26/MNMR1HENLJ.DTL

17) Proceedings from 2010 National Summit for Rural Traffic Safety Culture Available

Link to further information:

http://www.ruraltscsummit.org/10proceedings.html

TRANSIT

18) Transit Tech

A look at five Internet-assisted programs aided by Toronto's open data program.

Link to article in Now:

http://www.nowtoronto.com/news/webjam.cfm?content=178903

TRAVELER INFORMATION / TRANSPORTATION MANAGEMENT

19) First Stage of Automated Traffic Management System in Kiev to be Launched in Autumn, Say Kiev Authorities

Link to Interfax article:

http://www.interfax.com.ua/eng/eco/59389/

20) An Integrated Study of Road Capacity at Denali National Park

Link to article in Park Science:

http://www.nature.nps.gov/parkscience/index.cfm?ArticleID=399

VEHICLES

21) Hey Kid! Here Comes the Drivable iPhone

Link to article on CNNMoney:

http://money.cnn.com/2011/01/27/autos/download_car_apps/index.htm

News Releases

1) NTSB Chairman Discusses the Future of Transportation Safety

2) Automated Valet Feature Integrates with Flight Database and Airport Valet

3) Navigon Smart Phone Navigation Apps Now Route Around Traffic on Local and Inner City Roads

Upcoming Events

Webinar: Applications for the Environment: Real-Time Information Synthesis (AERIS) State of the Practice Assessments – February 9

http://www.pcb.its.dot.gov/AERIS/a02092011_aeris_intro.asp

Today in Transportation History

1961 **50^th anniversary** Soviet submarine S-80 sank in the Barents Sea when it flooded. All 68 people aboard were killed.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soviet_submarine_S-80

======================================================================

The Transportation Communications Newsletter is published electronically Monday through Friday.

To subscribe (for free) or unsubscribe, please contact me at bernie@bwcommunications.net.

TCN archives: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/transport-communications

Become a TCN fan on Facebook!

Questions, comments about the TCN? Please write the editor, Bernie Wagenblast at bernie@bwcommunications.net.