Monday, May 11, 2009

Transportation Communications Newsletter

Monday, May 11, 2009 – ISSN 1529-1057

AVIATION

1) Buffalo Crash Sparks Debate Over Use of Cockpit Recordings
Link to story in The Wall Street Journal:
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124201244946205809.html

BUSES

2) New Web Site Lets You Compare Bus Tickets
Link to AP story:
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5iobWfqqU3VtjrCrbWiJMixP6Wu0QD9846SKG0
Link to BusJunction:
http://www.busjunction.com/

3) New York MTA’s Bright Idea
Agency to roll out LED screens on bus exteriors with full-motion ads.
Link to story in the New York Post:
http://www.nypost.com/seven/05092009/news/regionalnews/mtas_bright_idea_168407.htm

CAMERAS

4) Red Light Cameras Could Vanish in Texas
Link to story on KVIA-TV:
http://www.kvia.com/Global/story.asp?S=10333861&nav=menu193_2

ELECTRONIC TOLLING

5) Bridge Transponders Pass Test in Rhode Island
Link to story in The Providence Journal:
http://www.projo.com/news/content/Bz_Ezpass_a_hit_05-09-09_3FEALMP_v9.3471bdc.html

GPS / NAVIGATION

6) Blanket GPS Coverage in the Cross Hair
Link to story in PC World:
http://www.pcworld.com/article/164621/blanket_gps_coverage_in_the_cross_hair.html

OTHER

7) Innovation Beats Recession
A profile of New Zealand’s HMI Technologies, a provider of custom-built intelligent traffic systems and products.
Link to story in Business to Business:
http://www.btob.co.nz/cms/features/southern_focus/2009/05/innovation_beats_recession.php

PARKING

8) San Jose and Los Angeles Use Technology to Ease Downtown Parking Congestion
Link to story in PublicCEO:
http://www.publicceo.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=226:san-jose-and-la-use-technology-to-aleviate-downtown-parking-congestion&catid=156:information-technologies-publicceo-exclusive&Itemid=39

ROADWAYS

9) Kansas City Scout Signs Don't Warn About Closed Boulevard
Project manager says they didn't use signs because it didn't affect interstate or the entire off-ramp.
Link to column in The Kansas City Star:
http://www.kansascity.com/115/story/1188257.html

10) May Issue of Florida DOT’s SunGuide Disseminator Online
Link to newsletter:
http://www.dot.state.fl.us/TrafficOperations/Newsletters/2009/2009-005-May.pdf

SAFETY / SECURITY

11) Air Marshals' Secret Communication Weapon
Link to story in Wired:
http://www.wired.com/threatlevel/2009/05/air-marshals-secret-communication-weapon/
Link to further information on FAMSCOM:
http://honeywell.com/sites/aero/technology/avionics3_CA0A2F626-AEE9-48DE-12E5-47CBFC1208EB_H3D4AB53C-7757-A1BA-5C83-F07CF6FEF1AC.htm

12) Boston T to Ban Workers' Phone Use on the Job
Link to story in The Boston Globe:
http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2009/05/10/t_to_ban_workers_phone_use_on_the_job/
Grim Message: Texting Can Kill
http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2009/05/10/grim_message_texting_can_kill/

13) US-Canada Border Ready for New Era
Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative to have full implementation June 1.
Link to AP story:
http://www.burlingtonfreepress.com/article/20090511/NEWS03/90510013/Border+ready+for+new+era

14) Threat-Spotting Cameras Raise Question: Is Surveillance Better When Big Brother is a Computer?
Link to AP story:
http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/sns-ap-us-tec-smarter-cameras,0,7689983.story

TRANSIT

15) Bank Card System Weighed for DC Metro
Link to story in The Washington Post:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/05/09/AR2009050902459.html

16) Atheists Sue Bloomington Transit Over Ad Rejection
Link to story in the Indiana Daily Student:
http://www.idsnews.com/news/story.aspx?id=68218

17) Capitol Corridor Wants Internet-Equipped Trains
Link to story on Wi-Fi Net News:
http://wifinetnews.com/archives/2009/05/capitol_corridor_wants_internet-equipped_trains.html
Link to additional information from the Capitol Corridor Joint Powers Authority:
http://www.capitolcorridor.org/aboard_the_train/wi_fi.php

TRAVELER INFORMATION / TRANSPORTATION MANAGEMENT

18) Web Site Helps Baltimore Drivers Plan Morning Commute
Link to story on WJZ-TV:
http://wjz.com/seenon/traffic.cameras.commute.2.1006225.html

VEHICLES

19) Speed-Restricted Car: A Review
Link to story in the Telegraph:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/road-and-rail-transport/5300462/Speed-restricted-car-a-review.html


News Releases
1) European Consumers are Ready to Embrace Low Cost Navigation Systems, Finds Frost & Sullivan
2) UK Highways Agency Receives Industry Award for Keeping Roads and Information Flowing


Upcoming Events
Webinar: Next Generation 911 (NG 911) Summit for Large Cities – May 21
http://www.pcb.its.dot.gov/t3/s090521_nxtgen.asp


Today in Transportation History
1924 **85th anniversary** - Mercedes-Benz was created through the merger of Daimler-Motoren-Gesellschat and Benz & Cie.
http://www.museum-mercedes-benz.com/

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© 2009 Bernie Wagenblast