Tuesday, February 3, 2009

Transportation Communications Newsletter

Tuesday, February 3, 2009 -- ISSN 1529-1057

AVIATION

1) Pilots: FAA Taking Too Long on Useful Bird Radar
Link to AP story:
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5i4uNSCQjTwaVkosn1uX4EvfC7UIQD963NJ9O0
Link to news release from the Air Line Pilots Association, International:
http://www.alpa.org/DesktopModules/ALPA_Documents/ALPA_DocumentsView.aspx?itemid=17722&ModuleId=15681&Tabid=73

2) New Group Formed to Push for Airline Passenger Rights
Link to story in The Dallas Morning News:
http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/bus/stories/020309dnbusairpax.3dff1fb.html
Link to news release from the Association for Airline Passenger Rights:
http://www.flyfriendlyskies.com/pdf-docs/2009_AARP_Press_Launch_01-28-09.pdf

BUSES

3) Trainlike Buses Quickly Connect Riders, Light Rail in Arizona
Link to story in The Arizona Republic:
http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/news/articles/2009/02/03/20090203link0202.html

GPS / NAVIGATION

4) Nokia Wants to Track Your Location Everywhere
Link to story in Fast Company:
http://www.fastcompany.com/blog/kit-eaton/technomix/nokia-wants-track-your-location-everywhere

5) Interview with NAVX
Link to interview in GPS Business News:
http://www.gpsbusinessnews.com/NAVX-we-provide-content-to-TomTom,-Garmin-and-Mio-_a1305.html

MARITIME

6) Indian Ports Opposed to Circular on Cargo Scanners
Link to story in The Times of India:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Mumbai/Ports_opposed_to_circular_on_scanner/articleshow/4067246.cms

OTHER

7) More Wi-Fi Options Coming to Commuters in 2009
Link to story on End User:
http://www.enduserblog.com/2009/01/more-wireless-options-coming-to-transit-in-2009.html

8) Travel Firms Respond to Events, Share News via Twitter
Link to story in USA Today:
http://www.usatoday.com/travel/news/2009-02-02-hotel-airlines-travel-twitter_N.htm

RAILROADS

9) Acela Looks to Lure from the Skies and the Roads in New Ad Campaign
Link to story and video in The New York Times:
http://travel.nytimes.com/2009/02/02/business/media/02adnewsletter1.html

ROADWAYS

10) ‘Smart’ Buildings, Structures May Save Billions
Link to story in the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review:
http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/s_609957.html

11) Traffic Noise May Boost Heart Attack Risk, Swedish Study Says
Link to Bloomberg News story:
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601081&sid=a_w1XaYmMbcM

SAFETY / SECURITY

12) Leaders Tell Boston T: Cameras Can be Lifesavers Too
Want cameras installed on inner-city buses.
Link to story in the Boston Herald:
http://www.bostonherald.com/news/regional/view.bg?articleid=1149627
Link to news release from the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority:
http://www.mbta.com/about_the_mbta/news_events/?id=16525&month=&year

TELEMATICS

13) GM in Talks to Offer OnStar to Other Carmakers
Link to story on MotorAuthority:
http://www.motorauthority.com/gm-in-talks-to-offer-onstar-to-other-carmakers.html

TRANSIT

14) Halifax’s Metro Transit Rejects Godless Ad
Link to story in The Chronicle-Herald:
http://thechronicleherald.ca/Metro/1104461.html
Link to news release from Humanist Canada:
http://www.humanistcanada.com/humanist-bus/

15) Seoul Public Transport Improves Online Service
Link to story in The Chosun Ilbo:
http://english.chosun.com/w21data/html/news/200902/200902030027.html
Link to Seoul public transport site: http://bus.seoul.go.kr/ (in Korean)

TRAVELER INFORMATION / TRANSPORTATION MANAGEMENT

16) $4 Parking Meter: Traffic Decongestant?
Cities are testing new technology to direct people to open spots and experimenting with congestion pricing.
Link to AP story:
http://www.oregonlive.com/news/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/news/1233456906318520.xml&coll=7

17) Funds Released for Freeway Information System in Hawaii
Link to story in The Honolulu Advertiser:
http://www.honoluluadvertiser.com/article/20090202/BREAKING01/90202041/-1
Link to news release from the Governor of Hawaii:
http://hawaii.gov/gov/news/releases/2009-news-releases/governor-lingle-releases-833-000-for-o-ahu-freeway-traveler-information-system

18) High-Tech Highway to Connect Vadodara and Bharuch, India
Link to story in The Times of India:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Vadodara/Hi-tech_highway_to_connect_Vadodara_Bharuch/articleshow/4071832.cms

19) Intelligent Transportation System Worked During January Flooding in Issaquah, Washington
Link to story in the Issaquah Press:
http://www.issaquahpress.com/2009/02/03/intelligent-transportation-system-worked-during-january-flooding/

20) Hillsborough County, Florida Adding Traffic Cameras to Aid Traffic Flow
Link to story in The Tampa Tribune:
http://www2.tbo.com/content/2009/feb/03/hillsborough-adding-cameras-aid-traffic-flow/

VEHICLES

21) The Cockpit of the Future
Dashboard display shows velocities, engine speeds or warnings in three dimensions.
Link to story on PhysOrg:
http://www.physorg.com/news152814020.html


News Releases
1) Northrop Grumman Prototype Ground Control System Successfully Controls GPS Test Satellite
2) Urban Mapping Introduces Free Mass Transit Proximity API
3) Nearly 60 Million Advanced Driver Assist Systems by 2013
4) NJ Transit and Homeland Security Announce Communications Upgrade on Newark Light Rail
5) UMTRI, Con-way Freight Launch Field Testing of a Safety Warning System for Commercial Trucks
6) Allstate and Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety Unveil Public Policy Fellowship Program
7) Telvent Acquires Assets of Northern Great Lakes Data Corp.


Upcoming Events
Talking Freight Seminar: Moving Size and Weight Enforcement to the 21st Century – February 18
http://ops.fhwa.dot.gov/resources/news/news_detail.asp?ID=500


Today in Transportation History
1959 **50th anniversary** - Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and J.P. "The Big Bopper" Richardson died in a plane crash in Iowa.
http://www.fiftiesweb.com/crash.htm

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© 2009 Bernie Wagenblast