Monday, June 23, 2008

Transportation Communications Newsletter

Monday, June 23, 2008 -- ISSN 1529-1057

AVIATION

1) Federal Officials to Audit Staffing Levels of Air Traffic Controllers at 3 California Facilities
Link to story in the Los Angeles Times:
http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/california/la-me-audit21-2008jun21,0,903878.story

2) EU Seeks to Overhaul Air Traffic Control
Link to story in the International Herald Tribune:
http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/06/22/business/air.php

3) Mobile Phones Promise Paperless Air Travel
Link to story on ZDNet:
http://news.zdnet.co.uk/communications/0,1000000085,39437711,00.htm

4) US Air Force Test New Broadband IT
Link to story in Government Computer News:
http://www.gcn.com/online/vol1_no1/46529-1.html

BUSES

5) New GPS-Savvy, Solar Signs Help Bus Riders Connect in Real-Time
Link to story in USA Today:
http://www.usatoday.com/tech/products/environment/2008-06-22-Bussigns_N.htm

ELECTRONIC TOLLING

6) For Whom the Toll Bills? For Thee
Illinois malfunction fines only drivers from Wisconsin.
Link to story in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:
http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=764542

GPS / NAVIGATION

7) Bermuda Taxis Must Switch On Their GPS
Link to story in The Royal Gazette:
http://www.royalgazette.com/siftology.royalgazette/Article/article.jsp?articleId=7d86aa73003000c&sectionId=60

8) Car Navigation Systems Get Smarter
Link to story in Australian IT:
http://www.australianit.news.com.au/story/0,24897,23909782-5013037,00.html

MARITIME

9) Ship-Tracking Satellite Launched
Link to UPI story:
http://www.upi.com/Emerging_Threats/2008/06/21/Ship-tracking_satellite_launched/UPI-17501214032415/
Link to news release from the US Coast Guard:
http://www.piersystem.com/go/doc/786/212499/

10) New Observation System Comes to the Port of Gulfport, Mississippi
Link to story on WLOX-TV:
http://www.wlox.com/Global/story.asp?S=8536673&nav=menu40_3

PUBLIC INFORMATION / EDUCATION

11) US DOT Tries Out Wikis, Blogs and More
Link to commentary in the Federal Times:
http://federaltimes.com/index.php?S=3592436

SAFETY / SECURITY

12) Plan to Fingerprint Foreigners Leaving US is Opposed
Link to story in The Washington Post:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/06/21/AR2008062101466.html

13) Distracting Miss Daisy
Why stop signs and speed limits endanger Americans.
Link to story in The Atlantic:
http://www.theatlantic.com/doc/200807/traffic

14) Top Brands Leverage Hands-Free Cell Phone Laws
Link to story on Online Media Daily:
http://publications.mediapost.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=Articles.showArticleHomePage&art_aid=85175

TELEMATICS

15) Gone, but Not Forgotten
Norwich Union has pulled the plug on its telematics-based car insurance scheme, which charged drivers according to when and where they used their vehicle.
Link to commentary in Traffic Technology International:
http://www.traffictechnologytoday.com/industry-blogs.php?BlogID=91

16) Chrysler Brings ‘Infobahn’ to Autobahn
Link to story in Wired:
http://www.wired.com/cars/coolwheels/news/2008/06/car_internet

TRANSIT

17) Maryland Transit Authority Trip Planner Doesn’t Click, Yet
Link to column in The Baltimore Sun:
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/local/bal-md.dresser23jun23,0,3883958.column

18) SEPTA: New Fare Tech by Spring 2009
Link to story in Metro Philadelphia:
http://philly.metro.us/metro/local/article/SEPTA_New_fare_tech_by_spring/12704.html

TRAVELER INFORMATION / TRANSPORTATION MANAGEMENT

19) Delhi Plans Intelligent Traffic System
Link to story in Traffic Technology International:
http://www.traffictechnologytoday.com/news.php?NewsID=6250

20) New Signs Tell Travelers of Wait Times at Four Canada Border Crossings
Link to story in The Seattle Times:
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2008012970_webborder23m.html

21) Optical Illusions Used as Virtual Speed Bumps
Link to story in the Telegraph:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/howaboutthat/2146818/Optical-illusions-used-as-virtual-speed-humps.html


Job Posting
- NY5 BRT Project Manager/Implementation Coordinator – Capital District Transportation Authority – Rensselaer, New York
http://www.cdta.org/pdfs/Employment%20Files/BD%20-%20BRT%20Project%20Manager%20JD%205-08.pdf


Upcoming Events
Talking Operations Webinar: Work Zone Traffic Analysis Strategies – July 9
http://www.nhi.fhwa.dot.gov/resources/webconference/web_conf_learner_reg.aspx?webConfID=14539


Today in Transportation History
1938 **70th anniversary** - The Civil Aeronautics Act is signed into law in the US.
http://www.archives.gov/research/guide-fed-records/groups/197.html#197.1

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© 2008 Bernie Wagenblast