Thursday, March 29, 2012

Transportation Communications Newsletter

Thursday, March 29, 2012 – ISSN 1529-1057

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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

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