Transportation Communications Newsletter: Monday, August 8, 2011

Transportation Communications Newsletter

Monday, August 8, 2011 – ISSN 1529-1057

Take advantage of a tremendous opportunity to get face time with leading investment firms at the 2011 World Congress on ITS this October in Orlando, Florida! Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, a leading international venture capital firm, and Fontinalis Partners, a leading transportation strategic investment firm co-founded by Bill Ford, will host a special event designed to match innovative transportation technology companies with potential investors during the World Congress on Tuesday, October 17th.

Eight to ten businesses will be selected to make their pitch at a face-to-face presentation, and are also invited to join global transportation leaders at a special reception. Information on how to submit a proposal is available on the ITS World Congress website. Proposals are due by August 31, 2011.

AVIATION

1) German Air-Traffic Controllers Plan Fresh Strike Action for Tuesday

Link to story on Deutsche Welle:

http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,,15301861,00.html

2) Competing Air-Traffic Centers in Cyprus Invite Disaster, Confidential Documents Say

Link to AP article:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/middle-east/ap-impact-competing-air-traffic-centers-in-cyprus-invite-disaster-confidential-documents-say/2011/08/05/gIQAK2DpwI_story.html

3) South African Court Finds Planespotter Guilty

Man found guilty of illegally possessing a radio receiver and using it to listen to air-traffic communications.

Link to SAPA article:

http://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/News/Court-finds-planespotter-guilty-20110805

4) US to Give $30 Million to Upgrade Kyrgyz Air Control System

Link to IANS article:

http://www.daijiworld.com/news/news_disp.asp?n_id=111130

CAMERAS

5) Harlingen, Texas Installs License Plate Readers Around City

Link to article in The Brownsville Herald:

http://www.brownsvilleherald.com/news/harlingen-129652-installs-license.html

MARITIME

6) Intelligent Maritime Transport System Adopted in Vietnam

Link to article on VietNamNet:

http://english.vietnamnet.vn/en/science-technology/11656/intelligent-maritime-transport-system-adopted.html

OTHER

7) Delhi Autorickshaws Say No to Satnav

Link to BBC News story:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-south-asia-14384082

8) Florida Judge: Gas Stations Near Orlando Airport Must Post Their Prices

Link to article in the Orlando Sentinel

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/business/os-gas-station-sign-ruling-20110805,0,1693675.story

9) Should the DMV be Allowed to Censor Vanity Plates?

Link to blog on The Infrastructurist:

http://www.infrastructurist.com/2011/08/05/should-the-dmv-be-allowed-to-censor-vanity-plates/

RAILROADS

10) Railroad Magazine Keeps Steady Circulation, Adds Fans

Link to article in The Vindicator:

http://www.vindy.com/news/2011/aug/07/on-the-right-track/

Link to O Gauge Railroading:

http://www.ogaugerr.com

TRANSIT

11) Pittsburgh-Area Transit Agency Loses Appeal on Ads

Link to article in the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review:

http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/pittsburgh/s_750214.html

12) Startup Tracks Metro-North Trains – From Cafes

Link to article in the Fairfield County Business Journal:

http://westfaironline.com/2011/15361-startup-stoptips-tracks-trains-%E2%80%93-from-cafes/

Link to further information on StopTips: http://www.stoptips.com/

13) A Hop-On, Hop-Off Journey to Nowhere

More than ten years on, Sydney still awaits an e-ticket system.

Link to article in The Sydney Morning Herald:

http://www.smh.com.au/technology/technology-news/a-hopon-hopoff-journey-to-nowhere-20110805-1ifbq.html

14) Fear of Dire PR Blamed for Demise of Sydney T-card

Link to article in The Sydney Morning Herald:

http://www.smh.com.au/technology/technology-news/fear-of-dire-pr-blamed-for-demise-of-tcard-20110805-1ifii.html

15) BART Needs to Get On Board the Wi-Fi Express

Link to column in the San Francisco Chronicle:

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2011/08/07/BU801KJGMU.DTL

16) DC Metro's New Social Media Manager Breaks Out the Video Camera

Link to blog on TBD:

http://www.tbd.com/blogs/tbd-on-foot/2011/08/stations-closed-metro-s-new-social-media-manager-breaks-out-the-video-camera--12204.html

TRAVELER INFORMATION / TRANSPORTATION MANAGEMENT

17) Technology Drives Better Ways of Getting Around New Zealand
Link to article in the New Zealand Herald:
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/gadgets/news/article.cfm?c_id=238&objectid=10743767

18) Shanghai Police Use Helicopters to Inspect Traffic Conditions on Highways
Link to article in the People's Daily:
http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/90882/7562406.html

VEHICLES

19) China Gains on Google in Driverless Car Race with 177 Mile Road Trip

Link to article and video on Singularity Hub:

http://singularityhub.com/2011/08/07/china-gains-on-google-in-driverless-car-race-with-177-mile-road-trip-video/

News Releases

1) Trimble, PeopleNet, Masternaut and Cybit Push Telematics Industry Toward Consolidation

Upcoming Events

Railway Interchange 2011 – September 18-21 – Minneapolis

http://www.railwayinterchange.org/

Today in Transportation History

1946 **65^th anniversary** The first flight of the Convair B-36 was made.

http://www.cowtown.net/proweb/b36net/