Wednesday, September 9, 2009

Transportation Communications Newsletter

Wednesday, September 9, 2009 – ISSN 1529-1057

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IBTTA and ITS America Join Forces on Sustainable Transportation and Facility Maintenance — October 4-6, 2009 in St. Louis, MO

Register today for this groundbreaking joint conference, Sustainability, Social Responsibility, Energy Conservation and Fall Maintenance, October 4-6, 2009 at the Hilton Hotel in St. Louis. Agenda highlights include: Congressman (MO-3rd) Russ Carnahan; the “Four Legs” of Sustainable Transportation presented by John Charles, President & CEO, Cascade Policy Institute and his expert panel, including Allen Biehler, President of AASHTO and Michael Replogle, Global Policy Director of ITDP; Dennis Archer, Chairman, Dickinson Wright, PLLC, and Former Mayor of Detroit will discuss the role of the federal government in promoting sustainable transportation policies for metropolitan areas; views of the FHWA and the US DOT ITS Joint Program Office on operational strategies, policies and supporting ITS Technologies and their impacts on climate change; 21st Century Roadway Maintenance and more. Meeting Host: The Missouri Department of Transportation; Organization Sponsors: AASHTO, The Bipartisan Policy Center and the Missouri Valley Section of the Institute of Transportation Engineers. Visit IBTTA’s website for information on registration, hotel reservations, exhibiting or sponsorship.

AVIATION

1) Aviation Weather: FAA and the National Weather Service are Considering Plans to Consolidate Weather Service Offices, but Face Significant Challenges

Link to US Government Accountability Office report:

http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d09761.pdf

BUSES

2) Federal Communications Commission Issues Report on Distributing Radio and TV Programming on School Buses

Link to FCC report:

http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-09-1999A1.pdf

CAMERAS

3) Mumbai Traffic Cops to Keep Tabs via CCTV

Link to article in The Times of India:

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/news/city/mumbai/Traffic-cops-to-keep-tabs-via-CCTV/articleshow/4988487.cms

CARTOGRAPHY

4) Map Still has a Place in this GPS World

Link to article in the Chicago Tribune:

http://www.chicagotribune.com/travel/chi-trav-gps-sep0609,0,2328206.story

ELECTRONIC TOLLING

5) New Pell Bridge Toll-Collection Technology Doesn’t Cut Crossing Cost

Link to article in The Providence Journal:

http://www.projo.com/business/content/Toll_Hike_09-09-09_7AFKC95_v9.38ae810.html

MARITIME

6) Buzzes Replace Tiring ‘Beep, Beep, Beeps’ at Port of Olympia

Sound of backing-up warning changed after complaints from neighbors.

Link to article in The Olympian:

http://www.theolympian.com/southsound/story/964497.html

OTHER

7) American Traffic Solutions Wins Bidding for Nestor Traffic-Enforcement Systems

Link to article in The Providence Journal:

http://www.projo.com/economy/NESTOR_BIDS_09-09-09_9RFLJA8_v7.37ce128.html

Link to news release from American Traffic Solutions, Inc.:

http://www.reuters.com/article/pressRelease/idUS224833+09-Sep-2009+BW20090909

8) September Issue of Florida DOT’s SunGuide Disseminator Online

Link to newsletter:

http://www.dot.state.fl.us/TrafficOperations/Newsletters/2009/2009-009-Sep.pdf

PUBLIC INFORMATION / EDUCATION

9) Caltrain, Facing Surge in Deaths, Aims to Educate Public on Dangers of Tracks

Link to Bay Area News Group article:

http://www.mercurynews.com/peninsula/ci_13296815

RAILROADS

10) Rail Implicated Falsely by Reporters’ Use of Active Voice

Link to blog on Greater Greater Washington:

http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post.cgi?id=3392

SAFETY / SECURITY

11) National Transportation Safety Board Tells Workers to Hang Up Cells

Link to article in USA Today:

http://www.usatoday.com/tech/wireless/2009-09-08-ntsb_N.htm

12) Driver Texting Now an Issue in Backseat

Link to article in The New York Times:

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/09/technology/09distracted.html?partner=rss&emc=rss&pagewanted=all

13) US and Mexico to Create Cross Border Public Security Communications Network

Link to article in Government Security News:

http://www.gsnmagazine.com/cms/features/news-analysis/2623.html

14) National Transportation Safety Board Workers Barred from Using Wireless Devices While Driving on Duty

Link to AP video report:

http://www.metro-magazine.com/MetroTV/?id=37EEA620-64FC-47BF-98C2-FA4FC660DEED&CategoryID=1017

TELEMATICS

15) Mobile Carriers Sign Up to EU In-Car Accident Alert System

Link to article in PC World:

http://www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/171680/mobile_carriers_sign_up_to_eu_incar_accident_alert_system.html

16) OnStar is Not for Sale, New Features are Being Explored, Executive Says

Link to article in AutoWeek:

http://www.autoweek.com/article/20090908/CARNEWS/909089991

TRANSIT

17) Likely New York MTA Chief Looks to Bring British Innovation to NYC Transit

Plans include contactless fare cards and digital signs with next train arrival times.

Link to article in amNew York

http://www.amny.com/urbanite-1.812039/likely-mta-chief-looks-to-bring-british-innovation-to-nyc-transit-1.1431202

TRAVELER INFORMATION / TRANSPORTATION MANAGEMENT

18) RACC Automobile Club Launches a New Live Traffic Information Web Site in September

Link to article from ERTICO:

http://www.ertico.com/en/news/ertico_newsroom/partner_news_racc.htm

19) iheartradio 2.2 Adds Features, Including Traffic Reports on Demand, to Popular iPhone App

Link to article in Radio Online:

http://news.radio-online.com/cgi-bin/rol.exe/headline_id=n19705

VEHICLES

20) Blind Fears Over ‘Silent’ Hybrids

Link to PA article:

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ukpress/article/ALeqM5gVHxFa51Gc7QFp-OqwikBVvu03Fw

WEATHER

21) NOAA Supercomputers to Forecast Better Weather?

Link to CNET News article:

http://news.cnet.com/8301-17939_109-10347566-2.html?tag=newsEditorsPicksArea.0

News Releases

1) Transportation Secretary LaHood to Keynote September 24 New York Metropolitan Transportation Council Meeting

2) DMG Unveils US$10 Million Digital Media Innovation in Beijing Metro

Upcoming Events

Webinar: Best Practices for Developing an Integrated and Effective Road Weather Information System (RWIS): Developing an RWIS Concept of Operations – October 13

http://www.pcb.its.dot.gov/t3/s091013_rwis.asp

Today in Transportation History

1909 **100^th anniversary** - E.H. Harriman, a railroad executive who controlled the Union Pacific, Southern Pacific, Illinois Central and Central of Georgia, died.

http://www.pbs.org/harriman/1899/1899_part/participantharriman.html

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© 2009 Bernie Wagenblast