Transportation Communications Newsletter: March 2010

Join the International Bridge, Tunnel and Turnpike Association in Boston for the fourth Summit in a series of workshops focused on the hot topics of ORT and Interoperability. This Summit will bring together transportation experts who will focus on lessons learned, case studies, business rules and future decision-making about all-electronic toll collection, interoperability, violation enforcement, and implications for vehicle miles traveled charging. Breakout sessions are divided into four main categories – On the Road and in the Car; Technology and Backroom Issues; Road Pricing and Financial Issues and In the Public and Policy Forum. IBTTA is exploring opportunities to involve university students and faculty from the Boston area in research connected with the main topics of this Summit. Click here for registration, hotel and travel information and to view the preliminary agenda.www.IBTTA.org

AVIATION

1) IBM, FAA Team Up to Tackle Severe Security Risks to Flight Data

Link to column in The Hill:

http://thehill.com/blogs/hillicon-valley/technology/89689-faa-ibm-team-up-to-tackle-severe-security-risks-to-agencys-computer-systems

CAMERAS

2) Smile! Local Officers Quietly Snap Photos During Traffic Stops

Link to article in The Monitor:

http://www.themonitor.com/articles/smile-36924-local-snap.html

CARTOGRAPHY

3) Boom! Tweets and Maps Swarm to Pinpoint a Mysterious Explosion

Link to article in The New York Times:

http://www.nytimes.com/external/readwriteweb/2010/03/29/29readwriteweb-boom-tweets--maps-swarm-to-pinpoint-a-myste-34026.html

OTHER

4) Georgia Senate OKs Bill Targeting Non-English-Speaking Drivers

Link to article in The Atlanta Journal-Constitution:

http://www.ajc.com/news/georgia-politics-elections/senate-oks-bill-targeting-419647.html

ROADWAYS

5) How Good Asphalt Helps Visibility in the Rain

Link to column in the San Jose Mercury News:

http://www.mercurynews.com/news/ci_14779911

6) Federal Sign Language Tests Local Budgets

Link to article in The Daily Reporter:

http://dailyreporter.com/blog/2010/03/29/federal-sign-language-tests-local-budgets/

SAFETY / SECURITY

7) Pennsylvania DOT to Change Policy on Release of Driving-Record Information for Prospective School Bus Drivers

Link to article in The Philadelphia Inquirer:

http://www.philly.com/philly/news/local/89491252.html

8) Study: Only 2.5% Can Safely Drive and Phone

Link to CBS News story:

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2010/03/30/tech/main6346963.shtml

TRANSIT

9) Lack of Video Slows Hunt for a Killer in the New York Subway

Link to article in The New York Times:

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/30/nyregion/30subway.html

TRAVELER INFORMATION / TRANSPORTATION MANAGEMENT

10) Oklahoma City’s Traffic Link Project Gets a Green Light Again

Link to article and video in The Oklahoman:

http://www.newsok.com/oklahoma-citys-traffic-link-project-gets-a-green-light-again/article/3449849?custom_click=pod_headline_politics

11) High-Tech Data Collection to Aid Lower Manhattan’s Traffic Jams

Link to story and video on NY1 News:

http://www.ny1.com/8-queens-news-content/ny1_living/116093/high-tech-data-collection-to-aid-lower-manhattan-s-traffic-jams

12) Wireless Does Community Service

Behind-the-scenes municipal applications help urban traffic flow.

Link to article in Network World:

http://www.networkworld.com/newsletters/wireless/2010/032910wireless2.html

VEHICLES

13) NASA to Test Toyota Electronics in Safety Probe

Link to Reuters article:

http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE62T0V620100330

14) Toyota Announces Safety Initiatives

Among steps, company will expand use of event data recorders and increase use of remote communications functions.

Link to article on just-auto:

http://www.just-auto.com/article.aspx?id=103853

15) Toyota’s PR ‘Lessons to be Learned’

Link to article on just-auto:

http://www.just-auto.com/article.aspx?id=103856&lk=dm

News Releases

1) One in Four Have Listened to an iPod or Other MP3 Player While Connected to a Car Stereo

2) Intelligent and Efficient Travel Management for European Cities - First In-Time Forum – Fine Tuning the Pilot Phase

3) CN Web Site Makes It Easier for Customers to Calculate Carbon Savings When Shipping by Rail

4) EGNOS Portal Launched for Europe’s Satellite Navigation Application Developers

5) US Airways Takes to the Sky with Gogo Inflight Internet

Upcoming Events

TRB Webinar: Knowledge Is Power: How TRB's Databases Improve Access to Transportation Research – April 19

http://www.trb.org/Calendar/Blurbs/TRB_Webinar_Knowledge_Is_Power_How_TRBs_Databases_163080.aspx

Today in Transportation History

1945 **65^th anniversary** - A German Messerschmitt Me 262, the world’s first operational combat jet aircraft, was flown to flown to an American-held air base.

http://www.zenoswarbirdvideos.com/Images/Me262/ME262PILOTDEBRIEF.pdf

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The Transportation Communications Newsletter is published electronically Monday through Friday.

To subscribe or unsubscribe, please visit:

http://groups.google.com/group/tcnl/subscribe

If you have any difficulties please contact me at i95berniew@aol.com.

TCN archives: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/transport-communications

Questions, comments about the TCN? Please write the editor, Bernie Wagenblast at i95berniew@aol.com.

Monday, March 29, 2010

Transportation Communications Newsletter

Monday, March 29, 2010 – ISSN 1529-1057

Only Five Weeks Away: Be Sure to Register for ITS America’s 20th Annual Meeting & Expo, May 3-5, 2010, at the George R. Brown Convention Center in Houston, Texas.

· FHWA Administrator Victor Mendez joins the lineup of USDOT Presidential Appointees and executives at USDOT’s May 4 Opening Plenary. Speakers Include Administrators of NHTSA, FMCSA and RITA as well as Deputy Administrators of FTA, FRA and RITA.

· Reserve your hotel room now. Rooms are 90% sold, and conference rates expire April 9.

· Can’t attend? Register for our technical session webinars. Click “Attendee Registration”; enter your info; on “Profile Page,” scroll down to “Webinar” block.

· Exhibit space and sponsorship opportunities are still available.

AVIATION

1) Pocket GPS Used to Make Emergency Passenger Jet Landing in Russia

Link to RIA Novosti article:

http://www.spacedaily.com/reports/Pocket_GPS_Used_To_To_Make_Emergency_Passenger_Jet_Landing_999.html

2) Air Traffic Controller Talks About ‘Pushing Tin’

Link to article in the Daily Herald:

http://www.dailyherald.com/story/?id=369081

CAMERAS

3) Columbus, Ohio Traffic-Camera Deal Won’t Face Competition

Link to article in The Columbus Dispatch:

http://www.dispatchpolitics.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2010/03/28/copy/traffic-camera-deal-wont-face-competition.html?adsec=politics&sid=101

ELECTRONIC TOLLING

4) Illinois Tollway May Get Words, Not Lights, When Toll is Paid

Link to column in the Chicago Tribune:

http://www.chicagotribune.com/classified/automotive/commute/ct-met-gettingaround-0329-20100328,0,852933.column

GPS / NAVIGATION

5) The 11 Mobile Apps You Need to Get Around Any City

Link to article on The Infrastructurist:

http://www.infrastructurist.com/2010/03/29/the-11-mobile-apps-you-need-to-get-around-any-city/

MARITIME

6) Radar to Spot Icebergs in Alaska’s Prince William Sound is Working Again

Link to article in Petroleum News:

http://www.petroleumnews.com/pntruncate/785662712.shtml

OTHER

7) ERTICO Interview with SINTEF

Link to interview:

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

ROADWAYS

8) New Jersey Exploring Selling Turnpike Rest-Stop Naming Rights

Link to AP article:

http://www.1010wins.com/NJ-Exploring-Selling-Turnpike-Rest-Stop-Naming-Rig/6672031

SAFETY / SECURITY

9) Apps to Curb Texting While Driving Have Tough Task

Link to AP article:

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hDvCrghR-0yJ1CknUsB6YSp2L7VAD9ENPD680

TELEMATICS

10) CeBIT in Motion – Telematics and ITS Joining the IT-Community

Link to ERTICO article:

http://www.ertico.com/en/news/ertico_newsroom/cebit_in_motion__telematics_and_its_joining_the_it-community.htm

11) Peterbilt Launches New In-Dash Telematics and Infotainment System

Link to article in Truck News:

http://www.trucknews.com/issues/story.aspx?aid=1000365757

TRANSIT

12) Boston T Debuts Subway Wireless Service

Link to article in The Boston Globe:

http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2010/03/27/orange_line_riders_get_cellphone_coverage_for_the_whole_ride/

13) Yale University Directing Parking Students to Transit via Personalized E-mail

Link to article in Metro:

http://www.metro-magazine.com/News/Story/2010/03/Yale-directing-parking-students-to-transit.aspx

14) Politicians Ask, and the New York MTA Jots It Down

State law requires agency to compile and publish every official communication from members of the legislature.

Link to article in The New York Times:

http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/03/29/politicians-ask-and-the-m-t-a-jots-it-down/

TRAVELER INFORMATION / TRANSPORTATION MANAGEMENT

15) West Virginia Installing Traffic Detection Cameras as Part of Larger Intelligent Transportation System

Link to article in The Journal:

http://journal-news.net/page/content.detail/id/534042.html

16) India, Canada to Sign MOU for Cooperation in Highways, Transport Sector

Areas of cooperation include ITS, highway management and road safety.

Link to ANI article:

http://sify.com/news/india-canada-to-sign-mou-for-cooperation-in-highways-transport-sector-news-national-kd3wOdhgijd.html

VEHICLES

17) How ‘Black Boxes’ Help in Car Crash Reconstructions

Link to article in USA Today:

http://www.usatoday.com/money/autos/2010-03-29-blackboxes29_ST_N.htm

18) BMW and Siemens Car2X System Transmits Data Between Traffic Lights and Vehicles to Optimize Stop-Start Function

Link to article on Green Car Congress:

http://www.greencarcongress.com/2010/03/car2x-20100318.html

19) NASCAR Drivers and Fans Embrace Social Networks

Link to article in the Martinsville Bulletin:

http://www.martinsvillebulletin.com/article.cfm?ID=23044

News Releases

1) Telematics Can Reduce Range Anxiety and Enhance the Electric Vehicle Ownership Experience, Notes Frost & Sullivan

2) Tennessee DOT Debuts Enhanced TN511 Motorist Information System

3) TomTom Lifetime Map and Traffic Updates Now Available in North America

Upcoming Events

International Road Federation World Road Meeting 2010 – May 25-28 – Lisbon

http://www.irfnews.org/news-events/event-detail/irf-world-road-meeting-2010/

Today in Transportation History

1945 **65^th anniversary** The final V-1 flying bomb attack against the UK took place.

http://www.stelzriede.com/ms/html/sub/marshwvr.htm

======================================================================

The Transportation Communications Newsletter is published electronically Monday through Friday.

To subscribe or unsubscribe, please visit:

http://groups.google.com/group/tcnl/subscribe

If you have any difficulties please contact me at i95berniew@aol.com.

TCN archives: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/transport-communications

Questions, comments about the TCN? Please write the editor, Bernie Wagenblast at i95berniew@aol.com.

Friday, March 26, 2010

Transportation Communications Newsletter

Friday, March 26, 2010 – ISSN 1529-1057

Using the Phone and E-mail to Disseminate Transportation Information

As many of you know, in addition to editing the TCN and other transportation newsletters, I also lend my voice to a variety of transport projects. This week I discovered an interesting service that allows you to easily record a message by phone or online and then add it to an e-mail message. Seeing how transportation agencies and organizations are using everything from e-mail to Twitter accounts to share information, I thought this is an innovative method to engage those you want to reach in a different way. I’ve included a couple of links to let you hear how it sounds. The first is a message I recorded over the phone.

Phone message

The second example was done with a professional microphone. It’s one of the announcements I made for the AirTrain at Newark Liberty International Airport.

Airport announcement

With this you could take advantage of those speakers attached to most computers and truly talk to your customers or constituents. Using voice is more personal and conveys emotion better than words on a screen ever can. Please contact me at bernie@bwcommunications.net if you’d like more information. You can also visit my Web site at www.bwcommunications.net.

AVIATION

1) Air Traffic Controller Honored for Helping Pilot in Danger

Link to story and video on WISC-TV:

http://www.channel3000.com/news/22960687/detail.html

BICYCLES

2) Los Angeles DOT Launches Bicycle Blog

Link to LADOT Bike Blog:

http://ladotbikeblog.wordpress.com/

GPS / NAVIGATION

3) Court Rules Cell Phone GPS Records Not Enough to Dismiss Speeding Ticket

Link to CNET News article:

http://news.cnet.com/8301-13578_3-20001248-38.html

MARITIME

4) Safety Pain Scheme: Increasing Safety Morale

Link to article in Marine News:

http://dwp.marinelink.com/pubs/nwm/MN/201003/

PEDESTRIANS

5) British Columbia Launching Online Map to Show Walking Routes Around Province

Link to article in the Vancouver Sun:

http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/news/westcoastnews/story.html?id=80b851e2-2b74-4b94-85d5-663862b023c3

ROADWAYS

6) ‘Hell is Real’ Bill Could Cost Kentucky $42 Million a Year in Federal Transportation Money

Legislation would exempt regulation of certain billboards.

Link to article in the Lexington Herald-Leader:

http://www.kentucky.com/2010/03/26/1198054/hell-is-real-bill-could-cost-state.html

TRANSIT

7) Uh Oh, Los Angeles Metro’s Time Schedule Monitors

Some suggestions on what the MTA can do to provide greater access to departure times on their monitors.

Link to blog on Plus Metro:

http://www.plusmetro.com/archive/all/2010/03/25/uh-oh-metros-time-schedule-monitors

News Releases

1) Destination-Specific Content Now Available on US Airways Boarding Passes

2) Ohio DOT District 7 Unveils New Online Technology Available to Motorists

3) British Columbia, Washington State Improve Cross-Border Travel with Expanding Traveler Information Systems

Upcoming Events

Webinars: National Transit Database Rural Reporting – Various Dates

http://www.ntionline.com/CourseInfo.asp?CourseNumber=TRI18-18 (State DOTs and Tribes)

http://www.ntionline.com/CourseInfo.asp?CourseNumber=TRI18-19 (Transit Agency Personnel)

Friday Bonus

Waiting for the Paris Metro? You might be in an IKEA ad.

http://www.fastcompany.com/1583435/waiting-for-the-paris-metro-you-might-be-in-an-ad

Today in Transportation History

1910 **100^th anniversary** Orville Wright made the first engine-powered flight in Alabama in Montgomery. The site later became Maxwell Air Force Base.

http://www.encyclopediaofalabama.org/face/Article.jsp?id=h-1364

======================================================================

The Transportation Communications Newsletter is published electronically Monday through Friday.

To subscribe or unsubscribe, please visit:

http://groups.google.com/group/tcnl/subscribe

If you have any difficulties please contact me at i95berniew@aol.com.

TCN archives: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/transport-communications

Questions, comments about the TCN? Please write the editor, Bernie Wagenblast at i95berniew@aol.com.

Transportation Communications Newsletter

Wednesday, March 31, 2010

Wednesday, March 31, 2010

Tuesday, March 30, 2010

Tuesday, March 30, 2010

Monday, March 29, 2010

Monday, March 29, 2010

Friday, March 26, 2010

Friday, March 26, 2010

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