Monday, April 5, 2010

Transportation Communications Newsletter

Monday, April 5, 2010 – ISSN 1529-1057

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Only Four 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) Lapses Hinder Rescue Teams Hunting for Lost Planes

Link to AP article:

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5gUsdB2D_EMpcbbDce2qm8PAUQn6wD9ES0U4G0

2) FAA Error-Reporting Program Reveals Hazards, Yields Fixes

Link to article in USA Today:

http://www.usatoday.com/travel/flights/2010-04-04-faa-error-reports_N.htm

3) Raleigh-Durham Airport to Appeal Ruling Allowing Newspaper Racks

Link to article in USA Today:

http://www.usatoday.com/travel/flights/2010-04-05-airportcheckin05_ST_N.htm

4) Aviation Apps for iPad

Link to article on AVweb:

http://www.avweb.com/avwebflash/news/AviationAppsForIPad_202278-1.html

CARTOGRAPHY

5) Google Street View Goes 3D

Link to article on Softpedia:

http://news.softpedia.com/news/Google-Catches-the-3D-Craze-139022.shtml

OTHER

6) States Pursue English-Only Driver Testing Requirement

Link to article in Land Line:

http://www.landlinemag.com/todays_news/Daily/2010/Mar10/032910/040210-02.htm

7) ITS are Useful Tools to Weaken Greenhouse-Gas Emissions

Link to article in Roads & Bridges:

http://www.roadsbridges.com/Gas-Fizzling-article11

8) Need a Cab? New GPS Analysis Shows Where to Find One in New York City

Link to article in The New York Times:

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/03/nyregion/03icab.html

PUBLIC INFORMATION / EDUCATION

9) Gainesville, Florida Police Track Percentage of Drivers Yielding to Pedestrians

Link to article in The Gainesville Sun:

http://www.gainesville.com/article/20100405/ARTICLES/100409725?Title=GPD-tracks-percent-of-cars-yielding-to-pedestrians

RAILROADS

10) DB Netz Grows High-Tech Track, Tunnels and Bridges

Link to article in Eurailmag:

http://www.eurailmag.com/mag/21.htm?page=116

11) Train Driver Desks Crossing Borders with EUDDplus

Link to article in Eurailmag:

http://www.eurailmag.com/mag/21.htm?page=18

SAFETY / SECURITY

12) Airline Passenger Conversations to be Monitored Under EU Project

Link to article in the Telegraph:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/travelnews/7553214/Airline-passenger-conversations-to-be-monitored-under-EU-project.html

SPACE

13) Key Antenna Fails as Discovery Enters Orbit

Link to article in Computerworld:

http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9174828/NASA_Key_antenna_fails_as_i_Discovery_i_enters_orbit

TRANSIT

14) Transit TV Returns with New Programming and an Innovative New Advertising System

Link to article in Los Angeles County MTA’s The Source:

http://thesource.metro.net/2010/04/02/transit-tv-returns-with-new-programming-and-an-innovative-new-advertising-system/

15) A New Look for Google Transit Maps

Link to Google’s Lat Long Blog:

http://google-latlong.blogspot.com/2010/04/new-look-for-google-transit-maps.html

TRAVELER INFORMATION / TRANSPORTATION MANAGEMENT

16) Seven Ways to Get Transportation Information for Shanghai World Expo

Link to article in the China Daily:

http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2009worldexpo/2010-04/05/content_9687283.htm

17) Eyes on the Road in San Marcos, California

Link to article in The San Diego Union-Tribune:

http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2010/apr/04/eyes-on-the-road/

18) Way-To-Go Vancouver Olympics - Lessons For Transport Planners

Link to blog on Planetizen:

http://www.planetizen.com/node/43644

VEHICLES

19) NHTSA is Behind Times on Car Electronic Safety

Link to article in The Tennessean:

http://www.tennessean.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=20104050333

20) E-tags Eyed for Car Transport

Link to article in The Yomiuri Shimbun:

http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/business/T100404001569.htm

21) An Interview with Christopher Barger, Director of Social Media for General Motors

Link to podcast on ZDNet:

http://blogs.zdnet.com/feeds/?p=2622

22) Ford Lures Small Businesses with Graphic Web Site to Customize Transit Connect

Link to article in The Detroit News:

http://www.detnews.com/article/20100403/BIZ/4030334/1148/Ford-lures-small-businesses-with-graphic-Web-site-to-customize-Transit-Connect

23) Shedding Light on Safety

Mercedes adaptive LED headlight system can help drivers see better and avoid blinding other drivers.

Link to article in The New York Times:

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/04/automobiles/04LIGHT.html

News Releases

1) Beat the Traffic Announces New Touch Technology for TV Traffic Reporting

2) EMBARQ Network Launches New Association to Advance Public Transport in Latin American Cities

Upcoming Events

ITS Joint Program Office Strategic Plan Workshop – April 28-29 – Washington, DC

http://www.pcb.its.dot.gov/workshops/april28-10.asp

Today in Transportation History    

1910 **100^th anniversary** The Transandine rail tunnel, connecting Argentina and Chile, opened.

http://www.runyard.org/rr/baja/99_01.html

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© 2010 Bernie Wagenblast  www.bwcommunications.net