Bernie’s Transportation Communications Newsletter – May 14, 2009

May 14, 2009 at 9:54 am

Wednesday, May 13, 2009 – ISSN 1529-1057


AVIATION

1) Continental Airlines to Shut Tampa Call Center, Cut 500 Jobs

Link to AP story:

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hUlxsCBAXmPJ5x8ysNH9MmQSkrLgD985EN6O1

2) Regional Routes Served by Big Carriers are Often Operated by ‘Feeder’ Airlines

Accident record information is available via the Web from the NTSB, but information on specific pilots is difficult to obtain.

Link to story in The Wall Street Journal:

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124217348431613081.html

3) Hong Kong Airport Says It Now Uses Only RFID Baggage Tags

Link to story in RFID Journal:

http://www.rfidjournal.com/article/articleview/4885

4) No Way to E-Mail Frontier Airlines? Not Necessarily

Link to column on Elliott:

http://www.elliott.org/blog/no-way-to-e-mail-frontier-airlines-not-necessarily/

BUSES

5) Is This Your Stop? Pull the Cord, Like Old Times

Bell cord makes a comeback on New York City buses.

Link to story in The New York Times:

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/13/nyregion/13cords.html?partner=rss&emc=rss&pagewanted=all

CARTOGRAPHY

6) A Look Into the Future of Mapping

Link to interview with Maarten Oldenhof, CEO of Automotive Navigation Data on The Where Business:

http://social.thewherebusiness.com/content/look-future-mapping

7) Electronics Replace Old Fashioned Maps

US/Canadian Map Co. shuts down.

Link to story and video on WLUK-TV:

http://www.fox11online.com/dpp/news/local_wluk_electronics_replace_old_fashion_maps_200905121736_rev1

GPS / NAVIGATION

8) Navigation Boon for Stalled WiMax?

Link to Reuters story:

http://www.reuters.com/article/marketsNews/idUSSEO34908020090513

MARITIME

9) US Coast Guard Releases Anti-Piracy Rules

New regulations for US-flagged ships include lookout for pirates and requirement to submit new security plans.

Link to story in Navy Times:

http://www.navytimes.com/news/2009/05/coastguard_piracy_051209w/

OTHER

10) EU Adopts RFID Privacy Recommendations

Link to story in Government Technology:

http://www.govtech.com/gt/673788

ROADWAYS

11) Vail, Colorado Looks for Better Road Sign System

Electronic signs might also expand to pedestrian paths and integrate with Vail Resort’s on-mountain information system.

Link to story in the Vail Daily:

http://www.vaildaily.com/article/20090512/NEWS/905129939/1078&ParentProfile=1062

12) Los Angeles Wants to Limit Digital Billboards to 21 Areas

Link to story in the Contra Costa Times:

http://www.contracostatimes.com/california/ci_12358604

13) Electronic Billboards Nixed Along West Virginia Highway

Link to AP story:

http://www.dailymail.com/ap/ApTopStories/200905130118

SAFETY / SECURITY

14) 8,000 New Yorkers Got Emergency E-Mails, Phone Calls and Texts on Aborted Flyover

Link to story in the Daily News:

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/2009/05/13/2009-05-13_city_hotline_provides_411_on_danger.html

15) New DVD Shows Dangers of Texting and Driving

Link to AP story:

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/UT_NO_TEXTING_AD_UTOL-?SITE=CODEN&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT

SPACE

16) A Twitter First: NASA Astronaut Sends First Tweet from Space

Link to story in Computerworld:

http://www.computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&articleId=9132979

Link to Twitter feed:  http://twitter.com/Astro_Mike

TELEMATICS

17) New Sync Begins Rollout May 18

Link to story in TWICE:

http://www.twice.com/article/CA6658004.html

TRAVELER INFORMATION / TRANSPORTATION MANAGEMENT

18) Arizona DOT Now Using Twitter, Facebook to Report US 93 Updates

Link to story in The Kingman Daily Miner:

http://www.kingmandailyminer.com/main.asp?SectionID=1&subsectionID=1&articleID=31402

News Releases

1) FAA Virtualizes Critical International Communication Application with Stratus

2) OnStar Enhances Emergency Response with Microsoft Virtual Earth

3) CVIS: Connected Vehicles for Next-Generation Mobility

Upcoming Events

ITE Annual Meeting & Exhibit – August 9-12 – San Antonio, Texas

http://www.ite.org/AnnualMeeting/default.asp

Today in Transportation History

1829 **180th anniversary** – The Stourbridge Lion, the first steam locomotive to operate in the US, arrived in New York.

http://www.bridge-line.org/blhs/stourbridge_lion.html

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© 2009 Bernie Wagenblast