Transportation Communications Newsletter: March 2012

1982 **30^th anniversary** The third flight of the Space Shuttle was completed. The ship landed at the White Sands Space Harbor in New Mexico. The only time a shuttle landed there after a space flight.

http://www.nasa.gov/centers/wstf/spaceharbor/Capabilities.html

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The Transportation Communications Newsletter is published electronically Monday through Friday.

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Thursday, March 29, 2012

Transportation Communications Newsletter

Thursday, March 29, 2012 – ISSN 1529-1057

AVIATION

1) NASA Launches Virtual Air Traffic Think-Tank

Link to article in Air Traffic Management:

http://www.airtrafficmanagement.net/2012/03/nasa-launches-virtual-air-traffic-thinktank/

Link to news release: http://goo.gl/Xqe3d

2) iPad-Wielding Customer Service 'Ambassadors' Coming to Grand Rapids, Michigan Airport

Link to article in The Grand Rapids Press:

http://www.mlive.com/business/west-michigan/index.ssf/2012/03/ipad-wielding_customer_service.html

3) United Passengers Vent Frustrations Through Social Media

Link to story on CNBC:

http://www.cnbc.com/id/46891666

CARTOGRAPHY

4) Google Maps 6.5 Gets a Facelift, Adds Public Transit Features

Link to CNET News article:

http://news.cnet.com/8301-1035_3-57406054-94/google-maps-6.5-gets-a-face-lift-adds-public-transit-features/

GPS / NAVIGATION

5) Google Maps Now Using Real-Time Traffic Information to Determine Travel Times

Link to article in Time:

http://techland.time.com/2012/03/29/google-maps-gets-drivers-out-of-jams-with-up-to-date-traffic-info/

MARITIME

6) Meet Tavros the Tweeting Submarine

Link to article in USA Today:

http://content.usatoday.com/communities/sciencefair/post/2012/03/meet-tavros-the-tweeting-submarines/1

OTHER

7) Fake Maine DOT Ad in Newspaper Prompts Investigation

Link to story on WABI-TV:

http://www.wabi.tv/news/28828/fake-dot-ad-in-newspaper-prompts-investigation

8) Daily News @ Intertraffic Amsterdam – Day 3

Link to newsletter:

http://campaign.route2email.com/view.aspx?id=298

PUBLIC INFORMATION / EDUCATION

9) Port Authority of New York & New Jersey Opening Its Books In Move Toward Transparency

Link to article in The Record:

http://www.northjersey.com/news/032912_PATRANSPARENCY.html

Link to news release: http://goo.gl/h3qE5

RAILROADS

10) Volpe Center Locomotive Simulator Keeps Engineers Focused on Safety

Link to US DOT's Fast Lane blog:

http://fastlane.dot.gov/2012/03/volpe-rail-simulator.html

ROADWAYS

11) Arizona Governor Vetoes Bill that Approved Electronic Billboards

Link to article in The Arizona Republic:

http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/local/articles/2012/03/28/20120328brewers-st-veto-year-rejects-electronic-billboards.html

SAFETY / SECURITY

12) Lehigh County, Pennsylvania Commissioners Reject Federal Grant to Start Regional Highway Safety Program

Link to article in The Express-Times:

http://www.lehighvalleylive.com/lehigh-county/index.ssf/2012/03/lehigh_county_commissioners_re.html

TRANSIT

13) Does Knowing Count? Comparing Urban Bus Tracking Systems and Ridership

Link to story on WNET-TV's MetroFocus:

http://www.thirteen.org/metrofocus/news/2012/03/does-knowing-count-comparing-urban-bus-tracking-systems-and-ridership/

14) Free Wi-Fi to be Made Available at London Overground Stations

Link to article in The Guardian:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/government-computing-network/2012/mar/26/wi-fi-london-overground-the-cloud

TRAVELER INFORMATION / TRANSPORTATION MANAGEMENT

15) America's Cup May be Scaled-Down, but Transportation Challenges are Unchanged

Link to article in the San Francisco Public Press:

http://sfpublicpress.org/news/2012-03/americas-cup-may-be%20scaled-down-but-transportation-challenges-are-unchanged

16) Japan, Vietnam Sign Agreement to Develop Traffic Control System for Hanoi Freeways

Link to article in Tuoi Tre:

http://www.tuoitrenews.vn/cmlink/tuoitrenews/society/japan-helps-vietnam-control-expressways-1.66803

VEHICLES

17) New Technology Challenges Car Dealers – and Buyers

Link to article in USA Today:

http://content.usatoday.com/communities/driveon/post/2012/03/lexus-new-technology-challenges-car-dealers----and-buyers/1

18) Telematics: Backing Up on Backup Cameras

Link to article on Telematics Update:

http://analysis.telematicsupdate.com/v2x-safety/telematics-backing-backup-cameras

19) EU/US Announce Plans for Joint Showcase at Vienna ITS World Congress

Link to statement:

http://www.its.dot.gov/press/2012/harmonization_coresafety.htm

News Releases

1) GEWI Newsletter: 'The Quality Issue' – March/April 2012

2) Socialtruck Launched; Networking Tool for Truck Drivers, Dispatchers and Logistic Companies

3) Serious Gaming Debuts as Maritime Security Tool

4) Alaska Airlines Unveils Its 'Airport of the Future' at Los Angeles International Airport

5) BearingPoint Study Reveals Broad Use of Free and Open Source Software in Automotive Industry

6) Kapsch Equips High-Speed Line in Spain with Latest Train Communication Technology

Upcoming Events

Webinar & Roundtable: Automation and the Human - Intended and Unintended Consequenences – April 13 – Cambridge, Massachusetts

http://www.volpe.dot.gov/coi/outreach/colloquia/tsda/roundtable2.html

Today in Transportation History

1912 **100^th anniversary** The last three members of Robert Scott's South Pole expedition died as they tried to return to their base camp.

http://www.nzhistory.net.nz/media/photo/robert-falcon-scotts-death

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

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.

Wednesday, March 28, 2012

Transportation Communications Newsletter

Wednesday, March 28, 2012 – ISSN 1529-1057

Register for IBTTA Symposium on Mileage-Based User Fees and Transportation Finance Summit, April 29-May 1, 2012 in Jersey City, New Jersey

This conference combines the best features of IBTTA's Transportation Finance Summit with the depth of content from the Symposium on Mileage-Based User Fees organized by the Texas Transportation Institute and the University of Minnesota in 2009-2011. Sessions will explore the latest studies and pilot programs in mileage-based user fees and the diverse range of financing tools available to toll agencies, state DOTs and local governments. Conference Partners: Humphrey School of Public Affairs, University of Minnesota; Texas Transportation Institute and TRB. Co-Sponsors: I-95 Corridor Coalition, Mileage-Based User Fee Alliance and the Reason Foundation. View the preliminary agenda, make your hotel and travel reservations, and register today! Registration deadline is April 20, 2012. www.ibtta.org/jerseycity

AVIATION

1) European Parliament Committee Gives Green Light to Passenger Data Deal with US

Link to article on EurActiv:

http://www.euractiv.com/general/meps-give-green-light-passenger-data-deal-us-news-511812

2) Airport Chatter Wants to Make the Airport Experience Better via Communities

Link to article on Tnooz:

http://www.tnooz.com/2012/03/27/tlabs/airport-chatter-wants-to-make-the-airport-experience-better-via-communities

Link to Airport Chatter: http://airportchatter.com/

CAMERAS

3) DC Mayor Plans to 'Cover the Entire City' with Traffic Enforcement Cameras

Link to article in The Washington Post:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/dc-politics/dc-mayor-vincent-gray-plans-to-cover-the-entire-city-with-traffic-cameras/2012/03/27/gIQAzAxFfS_story.html

GPS / NAVIGATION

4) Navigating the Moon

European Space Agency asks for ideas on how to use navigation satellites on the Moon.

Link to article in GPS World:

http://www.gpsworld.com/gnss-system/navigating-moon-12811

OTHER

5) Dailynews @ Intertraffic Amsterdam – Day 2

Link to newsletter:

http://campaign.route2email.com/view.aspx?id=297

RAILROADS

6) Bulgarian Railway Network Management is Streamlined with GIS

Link to article in Arc News:

http://www.esri.com/news/arcnews/spring12articles/bulgarian-railway-network-management-is-streamlined-with-gis.html

ROADWAYS

7) 28 Companies Respond to Oregon-Organized Road Use Charge Pilot

Link to article on TOLLROADSnews:

http://www.tollroadsnews.com/node/5836

SAFETY / SECURITY

8) Automakers Call for Cooperation with Cellphone Developers to Fight Distracted Driving

Link to article in The Washington Post:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/trafficandcommuting/auto-makers-call-for-cooperation-with-cellphone-developers-to-fight-distracted-driving/2012/03/27/gIQATupLfS_story.html

9) Chapel Hill, North Carolina Council Bans All Cellphone Use While Driving

Link to article in The News & Observer:

http://www.newsobserver.com/2012/03/26/1960281/chapel-hill-to-consider-cell-phone.html

TELEMATICS

10) GM to Offer Navigation App with Traffic Updates in MyLink System

Link to article in The Detroit News:

http://www.detroitnews.com/article/20120328/AUTO0103/203280401/1361/GM-to-offer-navigation-app-with-traffic-updates-in-MyLink-system

Link to news release: http://goo.gl/vgM56

TRANSIT

11) T-Mobile Coverage Expands in Boston Subway Tunnels

Link to article in The Boston Globe:

http://www.boston.com/Boston/metrodesk/2012/03/mobile-coverage-expands-downtown-tunnels/gfNgW2XirOL45qkykOQxrI/index.html

News Releases

1) ITS America Receives Motorola Solutions Foundation Public Safety Grant

2) ASSE Transportation Group Offers New Resources, Tips for April's Distracted Driving Awareness Month

3) Canadian Helicopter Corporation Safety & Quality Summit Wins Transport Canada Aviation Safety Award

4) TomTom to Provide Highly Detailed Traffic Analysis to Atkins

5) OnStar's New Family Link Service Allows Unique Access to Vehicle Location

6) Cadillac XTS Safety Seat Alerts Drivers to Dangers

7) Kapsch Wins Innovation Award at Intertraffic for Tunnel Safety Product

Upcoming Events

MIT Course: Modeling and Simulation of Transportation Networks – August 6-10 – Cambridge, Massachusetts

http://web.mit.edu/professional/short-programs/courses/simulation_transportation.html

Today in Transportation History

1912 **100^th anniversary** Marina Mikhailovna Raskova, the first woman navigator in the Soviet Air Force, and later a pilot during World War II, was born in Moscow.

http://www.warheroes.ru/hero/hero.asp?Hero_id=653 (in Russian)

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

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.