Transportation Communications Newsletter: Friday, April 1, 2011

Transportation Communications Newsletter

Friday, April 1, 2011 – ISSN 1529-1057

On April 1, The PBSJ Corporation and its PBS&J subsidiary company will be renamed Atkins. PBSJ operates as a national business of Atkins in North America following its acquisition in October. Atkins is the world's 11th largest design firm.

“The Atkins name is well known and highly respected through the United Kingdom and Europe, the Middle East, Asia, and the Pacific and in key sectors such as energy,” states Robert J. Paulsen, former chairman and president of PBSJ Corp. and now president and regional managing director of Atkins North America. “We have maintained our focus on client service and our commitment to delivering technical excellence. Our teams are highly skilled and we are confident in our ability to augment our services by delivering Atkins’ international expertise locally through teams that understand the local requirements, practices, and culture. We continue to believe a local presence is essential to best serve many of our clients.”

AVIATION

1) Inflight – The Magazine of Inflight Entertainment and Passenger Communications – Spring 2011

Link to magazine:

http://www.hmgaerospace.com/hmgmags/Inflight_Spring2011/pageflip.html

GPS / NAVIGATION

2) International Civil Aviation Organization to Cooperate to Stop North Korean GPS Jamming

Link to article in Flight International:

http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/2011/04/01/355039/icao-to-co-operate-to-stop-north-korean-gps-jamming.html

MARITIME

3) UN Maritime Agency Commissions Kenya Piracy Information Center

Link to Dow Jones Newswires article:

http://www.automatedtrader.net/real-time-dow-jones/55166/un-maritime-agency-commissions-kenya-piracy-information-center

PUBLIC INFORMATION / EDUCATION

4) Delaware Attorney General's Office Says DelDOT Did Not Comply with Freedom of Information Act Request

Documents ultimately produced.

Link to article in The News Journal:

http://www.delawareonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2011103310356

Link to opinion from the Delaware Attorney General:

http://attorneygeneral.delaware.gov/office/opinions/2011/11index.shtml

ROADWAYS

5) FMCSA Urged to Require Signs Warning Truckers at Grade Crossings

Link to article in Occupational Health & Safety:

http://ohsonline.com/articles/2011/04/01/fmcsa-urged-to-require-signs-at-grade-crossings.aspx

6) Smart Communities Can Strengthen America's Economy

Congressmen tout legislation to implement ITS.

Link to The Hill's Congress Blog:

http://thehill.com/blogs/congress-blog/technology/153283-smart-communities-can-strengthen-americas-economy

SAFETY / SECURITY

7) First Responders Want Public Safety Agency Control of Spectrum Block

Link to article in Federal Computer Week:

http://fcw.com/articles/2011/03/31/first-responders-public-safety-d-block-spectrum.aspx

8) Rail-Vehicle Warning System Being Tested in Victoria

Technology overrides vehicle's audio to warn of approaching train.

Link to article in Australasian Bus and Coach:

http://www.busnews.com.au/news/articleid/73019.aspx

Link to news release:

http://media-newswire.com/release_1146972.html

9) US Senators Introduce Bill to Track All Truckers

Link to article in The Commercial Appeal:

http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2011/mar/31/mid-south-sens-alexander-pryor-introduce-bill-trac/

10) 'Talking Bus' Technology Prevents Pedestrian Accidents

Link to article in Governing:

http://www.governing.com/idea-center/Talking-Bus-Technology-Prevents-Pedestrian-Accidents.html

TRANSIT

11) Plans for Mobile Network on London Underground Shelved

Link to article in The Guardian:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2011/apr/01/mobile-network-london-underground-shelved

12) Real-Time Bus Timetables Launching in Wellington, New Zealand

Link to article in The Dominion Post:

http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/AK1104/S00018/real-time-information-has-arrived-in-wellington.htm

Link to news release from the Greater Wellington Regional Council:

http://www.gw.govt.nz/realtime-information-arrives/

13) Cubic is Squared Away in Transportation

Link to article in The San Diego Union-Tribune:

http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2011/mar/31/cubic-squared-away-transportation/

14) Advance Transit in Vermont and New Hampshire Adds GPS Tracking Technology

Link to story on WPTZ-TV:

http://www.wptz.com/r/27388442/detail.html

15) Google Launches Public Transport Info for Mumbai On Maps

Link to blog on MediaNama:

http://www.medianama.com/2011/04/223-google-launches-public-transport-info-for-mumbai-on-maps/

16) Kolumbus Social Network for Mass Transit in Norway, Almost Redeems Social Networks

Link to blog in Grist:

http://www.grist.org/article/2011-02-17-norways-facebook-killer-is-for-buses-only

TRAVELER INFORMATION / TRANSPORTATION MANAGEMENT

17) Fewer Traffic Headaches in Downtown Chattanooga?

Coordinated signal system first step in regional ITS.

Link to story and video on WTVC-TV:

http://www.newschannel9.com/news/traffic-999881-signals-city.html

18) Dynamic Travel Information Personalized and Delivered to Your Cellphone

Link to report from the National Center for Transit Research:

http://www.nctr.usf.edu/2011/03/dynamic-travel-information-personalized-and-delivered-to-your-cell-phone-2/

VEHICLES

19) Broadband to the Car

Link to article in Radio:

http://radiomagonline.com/managing_technology/broadband_to_car_0411/

20) Why Auto Repair Bulletins Aren't on Regulators' Web Site

Link to article in The New York Times:

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/03/automobiles/03COPYRIGHT.html

News Releases

1) EU Member States Called to Work Together on Travel Information

2) Transportation and Economic Development Leaders to Converge in Charleston, West Virginia for International Conference

3) Significant Breakthrough in Intelligent Transport Development – One-Stop Shop for Transport Services

4) Traffic Travel Time Information Service Launched for New Zealand

5) Inrix Partners with Targa and Infoblu for Next Generation Traffic Information Services

6) Air Transport Association Names Steven Lott Vice President, Communications

7) Hughes Telematics' In-Drive Wins Atlanta Business Chronicle Environmental Award

8) Nakanishi Research and Consulting Supports Bipartisan Smart Technologies Act

9) NEMA Welcomes Rogers-Carnahan Legislation Promoting ITS Deployment

10) Report Charts Destination Sustainability for North American Freight

11) Ride-Sharing for Road Freight

Solicitation

- Public Consultation – Towards a European Multi-Modal Journey Planner – European Commission

http://ec.europa.eu/transport/its/consultations/2011_05_27_multimodal_journey_planner_en.htm

Upcoming Events

Transit ITS Regional Workshop – May 3-4 – Reno, Nevada

http://goo.gl/HOUsT

Friday Bonus

Public transportation ideas you likely won't see funded in the next transportation authorization bill.

http://www.wellhome.com/blog/2011/02/top-bizarre-new-public-transportation-ideas/

Today in Transportation History

1976 **35^th anniversary** Consolidated Rail Corporation (Conrail) took over operations of six bankrupt railroads; Penn Central, Erie Lackawanna, Lehigh Valley, Reading, Central Railroad of New Jersey, and Lehigh and Hudson River.

http://thecrhs.org/

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