Wednesday, February 16, 2011

Transportation Communications Newsletter

Wednesday, February 16, 2011 – ISSN 1529-1057

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AVIATION

1) Actions Needed to Meet FAA's Long-Term Goals for NextGen

Link to report from the US DOT Office of Inspector General:

http://www.oig.dot.gov/node/5494

CAMERAS

2) Marysville, California First in US with New Red Light Camera System

Automated device designed to predict and prevent accidents from drivers running red lights.

Link to article in the Appeal-Democrat:

http://www.appeal-democrat.com/news/red-104113-light-marysville.html

ELECTRONIC TOLLING

3) North Texas Tollway Authority May Hire Oklahoma Inmates to Review License Plate Photos for Billing

Link to article in The Dallas Morning News:

http://www.dallasnews.com/news/transportation/20110216-north-texas-tollway-authority-may-hire-oklahoma-inmates-to-review-license-plate-photos-for-billing.ece

GPS / NAVIGATION

4) Galileo Test Environment Open for Business

Link to article in GPS World:

http://www.gpsworld.com/gnss-system/news/galileo-test-environment-open-business-11082

5) Interview with Dan Popkin, Vice President of Sales at ALK Technologies

'Google Maps navigation helped us to sell on the Android market.'

Link to podcast on GPS Business News:

http://www.gpsbusinessnews.com/ALK-Google-Maps-Navigation-Helped-Us-to-Sell-on-the-Android-Market_a2826.html

MARITIME

6) Blue Sky Network Finds Markets Beyond Aviation for Satellite-Based Technology

Link to article on Xconomy San Diego:

http://www.xconomy.com/san-diego/2011/02/15/blue-sky-network-finds-markets-beyond-aviation-for-satellite-based-technology/

OTHER

7) Kentucky House OKs Bill for Ads on School Buses

Link to AP article:

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-02-16/ky-house-oks-bill-for-ads-on-school-buses.html

8) Bill to Allow Ads on Utah School Buses Gets Second Chance

Link to article in The Salt Lake Tribune:

http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/home/51253613-76/ads-bill-bird-buses.html.csp

9) Mack Trucks to be Featured on CBS's Undercover Boss February 20

Link to preview from CBS:

http://www.cbs.com/primetime/undercover_boss/video/?pid=zE_v2SXqBh6E6D6wJacJsoSN6QfH2ggL

ROADWAYS

10) Tens of Thousands Spent on Sign Namings in South Carolina

Link to article on The Nerve:

http://www.thenerve.org/Comments/11-02-15/Tens_of_Thousands_Spent_on_Sign_Namings.aspx

SAFETY / SECURITY

11) Maryland Lawmakers Seek to Outlaw Reading Texts While Driving

Link to article in The Baltimore Sun:

http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/politics/bs-md-text-reading-ban-20110215,0,7871301.story

TELEMATICS

12) Mercedes-Benz mbrace Plus: Worth the Cost?

Link to blog on Cars.com:

http://blogs.cars.com/kickingtires/2011/02/mercedes-mbrace-worth-the-cost.html

TRANSIT

13) Utah Transit Authority Offers Twitter Chat About Proposed Rate Hikes

Link to article in The Salt Lake Tribune:

http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/home/51253981-76/uta-county-lake-salt.html.csp

TRAVELER INFORMATION / TRANSPORTATION MANAGEMENT

14) India's First College of Traffic Management Opens

Link to article in the Hindustan Times:

http://www.hindustantimes.com/First-college-of-traffic-management-opens/Article1-663329.aspx

15) New York City Operates Government-Only Mobile Broadband Network

NYC DOT uses system for traffic management.

Link to article in Urgent Communications:

http://urgentcomm.com/networks_and_systems/news/nyc-mobile-broadband-network-20110215/

VEHICLES

16) Missouri House Panel Passes English-Only Driver Tests

Link to article in the Columbia Daily Tribune:

http://www.columbiatribune.com/news/2011/feb/15/panel-passes-english-only-driver-tests/

17) More Boxes Open for Pandora

Carmakers, consumer electronics firms expand their in-dash offerings.

Link to article in Radio World:

http://radioworld.com/article/113852

18) Articles from Current Issue of Commercial Carrier Journal

- Fleet Dispatch Software Now Using More Graphical and Intuitive Means to Increase User Efficiency

http://www.ccjdigital.com/up-and-running/

- Tire Pressure Monitoring Systems Give Instant Visibility to Drivers, Managers

http://www.ccjdigital.com/technology-12/

19) Audi and Alcatel Partner to Put 4G in Cars

Link to blog on CNET:

http://reviews.cnet.com/8301-13746_7-20032174-48.html

News Releases

1) Wait Times at Nevada DMV Metro Offices Now on the Web

2) More Amtrak Trains to Get Free Wi-Fi in 2011

3) Amtrak Launches Official YouTube Channel

4) With More than 500,000 Cars in Italy Using Insurance Telematics, is the Rest of Europe Ready to Catch Up?

5) Nissan Connect Wins Global Mobile Awards 2011 Prize

6) Nissan Licenses Camera Image Processing Technology to Joint Development Partner Clarion

UPDATE

The link to one of the articles in yesterday's edition changed after I sent the newsletter. Below is an updated version of the article with a working link.

Safeguards Failed as Two Cars Hit Freight Train

Link to article and video in the Chicago Tribune:

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/ct-met-car-train-crash-20110214,0,7277998.story

Solicitation

- Call for Papers – 2011 IEEE International Conference on Vehicular Electronics and Safety

http://www.ieeeves.org/docs/ICVES11/call4paper.pdf

Upcoming Events

International Wireless Communications Expo – March 7-11 – Las Vegas

http://www.iwceexpo.com/

Today in Transportation History

1961 **50^th anniversary** Explorer 9 was launched.

http://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/nmc/spacecraftDisplay.do?id=1961-004A

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