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FHWA Launches New Climate Change Website

http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/hep/climate

Category > Now Available: May 20, 2009 (FHWA) 

The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) has created a new Web site to provide information on FHWA research, publications and resources related to climate change science, policies and actions. Check out the new site at http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/hep/climate.

 Save the Date for the National Rural Transportation Conference

http://www.RuralTransportation.org/pages/page.asp?page_id=59355

Category > Opportunity: May 20, 2009 (NADO)

Plan now to attend the 2009 National Rural Transportation Peer Learning Conference, to be held October 28-30, 2009 in Savannah, Georgia.  This year’s conference will feature mobile workshops, peer training and networking opportunities specifically designed for rural and small metropolitan regions. 

Training sessions will cover such policy and technical issues as transportation and economic development, land use, climate change, relationships with state departments of transportation and other planning partners, planning for regional transit and coordinated human services transportation, GIS and technology applications, safety planning, freight and intermodal transportation, finance and other topics. 

National Association of Development Organizations (NADO) member organizations are encouraged to submit abstracts of presentations online until May 30, 2009 at http://www.zoomerang.com/Survey/?p=WEB228TVR2RJRU. 

This year’s conference will also include special networking and learning events held jointly with the Association of Metropolitan Planning Organizations (AMPO) Annual Conference. This will provide an opportunity to share practices with transportation professionals from medium and large metropolitan regions as well as rural and small metropolitan regions.

For more information, contact NADO Program Manager Carrie Kissel at ckissel@nado.org or 202-624-8829.  For more details on the conference, visit http://www.RuralTransportation.org/pages/page.asp?page_id=59355.

 NADO and AMPO to Offer Climate Change Webinar

http://www.ruraltransportation.org/pages/page.asp?page_id=69578

Category > Opportunity: May 20, 2009 (AMPO)

Save the date for the upcoming Webinar entitled “Climate Change Is Heating Up: The Latest Information and Resources for Transportation Planning Agencies in Rural, Small- and Medium-sized Regions,” which will take place on Thursday, May 21, 2:00-3:30 p.m.  This Webinar will be offered free of charge, and AICP Certification Maintenance credits may be offered to attendees.

The Webinar will feature presentations by Cindy Burbank, National Planning and Environment Practice Leader for PB Americas, and Harrison Rue, Principal for ICF International. Burbank and Rue will provide an overview of climate change information and its relationship to transportation planning, discuss potential regulatory and legislative issues, economic impacts and prospects for addressing climate change, opportunities to adapt to and mitigate climate change and provide additional resources.

For more information and to register, visit http://www.ruraltransportation.org/pages/page.asp?page_id=69578.

This Webinar is supported in part by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) under Agreement No. DTFH61-06-H-00029. Any opinions, findings and conclusions or recommendations in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the view of FHWA.

 T3 Webinar: Next Generation 9-1-1 (NG 9-1-1) Summit for Large Cities 

http://www.pcb.its.dot.gov/t3/s090521_nxtgen.asp

Category > Opportunity: May 20, 2009 (JPO)

This Talking Technology and Transportation (T3) Webinar will take place on May 21, 2009, from 10:30-11:30 a.m. ET. This Webinar will provide a briefing on the status of the NG 9-1-1 Initiative and other development efforts and describe the transition to the National E-911 Implementation Coordination Office that is currently underway.

T3 Webinars are sponsored by the ITS Professional Capacity Building Program at the U.S. Department of Transportation’s ITS Joint Program Office. For more information and to register, click on the link above.

T3 Webinar: Minneapolis I-35 Bridge Collapse – A Major Emergency Incident

http://www.pcb.its.dot.gov/t3/s090603_tsagi35.asp

Category > Opportunity: May 20, 2009 (JPO)

This T3 Webinar will take place on  June 3, 2009, from 2:00-5:30 p.m. ET. Within a workshop setting, Transportation Safety Advancement Group members and other public safety professionals review actual public safety related events or incidents for the purpose of identifying management strategies and technology-based applications and corresponding successes, failures and lessons-learned. This Webinar will review the 2007 I-35 (MN) Bridge Collapse.

Case Studies Workshop presenters walk the audience through the tragic events of the day, focusing on 9-1-1 operations, Police, Fire and EMS response, as well as the Emergency Operations Center (EOC) activation and management. Presenters will share lessons learned and highlight the performance of the Minneapolis 911 Center, of local emergency responders and of operations strategies and technologies at the time of and responding to the incident.

T3 Webinars are sponsored by the ITS Professional Capacity Building Program at the U.S. Department of Transportation’s ITS Joint Program Office. For more information and to register, click on the link above.

Public and Private Sector Leaders Call for Deployment of Intelligent Systems and Technologies

http://www.itsa.org/itsa/files/pdf/ITSAmericaAuthorizationProposal-FINAL.pdf

Category > Breaking News: May 20, 2009 (ITS America)

 A coalition of transportation and technology leaders – including state and local officials, industry and academic leaders and prominent stakeholder organizations – is calling on Congress to focus federal funding in the surface transportation authorization bill on the deployment of smart technologies and innovative solutions in order to create a performance-driven, intermodal transportation system that is safer, cleaner, more efficient and more financially sustainable for communities, businesses and the traveling public.

“As a result of successful research initiatives and private sector innovation, technologies are here today which can help increase safety, reduce congestion and emissions, boost competitiveness, improve system performance, and create more livable and sustainable communities,” the coalition wrote today to House transportation leaders. “While a continued and strengthened research role is still needed, it is critical that state and local agencies and private sector partners make better use of technology to modernize today’s infrastructure and optimize existing capacity, while building smart and efficient roads, bridges, transit systems, and multimodal transportation options for tomorrow’s transportation users.” 

ITS America’s complete authorization recommendations are available here: http://www.itsa.org/itsa/files/pdf/ITSAmericaAuthorizationProposal-FINAL.pdf.

Rough Roads Costing Motorists Hundreds More Per Year

http://news.transportation.org/press_release.aspx?Action=ViewNews&NewsID=231

Category > Now Available: May 20, 2009 (AASHTO)

Driving on rough roads costs the average American motorist approximately $400 a year in extra vehicle operating costs. Drivers living in urban areas with populations over 250,000 are paying upwards of $750 more annually because of accelerated vehicle deterioration, increased maintenance, additional fuel consumption, and tire wear caused by poor road conditions.

Rough Roads Ahead: Fix Them Now or Pay for It Later, a report released by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) and TRIP, reports that one-third of the nation’s major highways, including Interstates, freeways, and major roads, are in poor or mediocre condition. Roads in urban areas, which carry 66 percent of the traffic, are in much worse shape.

The full report is available at http://roughroads.transportation.org, along with charts, photographs, and examples from states working to improve their highway systems. Rough Roads is part of Are We There Yet? We Can Be!, AASHTO’s effort to build awareness and support for the nation’s transportation system.

 Secretary LaHood: TIGER Discretionary Grants Will Target Major-Impact Transportation Projects, Job Creation

http://www.dot.gov/affairs/2009/dot6909.htm

Category > Breaking News: May 20, 2009 (U.S. DOT)

 U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood announced the availability of $1.5 billion in TIGER (Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery) Discretionary Grants for capital investment in surface transportation projects. Grants will be awarded on a competitive basis to projects that have a significant impact on the nation, a region or metropolitan area and can create jobs and benefit economically distressed areas.

“TIGER discretionary funding will open up the door to many new innovative and cutting-edge transportation projects,” said Secretary LaHood. “This is exciting news and I believe that these projects will promote greater mobility, a cleaner environment and more livable communities.”

The grants can range from $20 million up to $300 million to support high impact transportation projects. Secretary LaHood can waive the minimum grant requirement for beneficial projects in smaller cities, regions or states. The U.S. Department of Transportation will require rigorous economic justifications for projects over $100 million. To ensure responsible spending, the department will require all fund recipients to report on their activities on a routine basis.

Applications for TIGER discretionary grants must be submitted by September 15, 2009, from state and local governments, including U.S. territories, tribal governments, transit agencies, port authorities and others. Comments on the criteria must be received by June 1, 2009. The Federal Register notice can be accessed by clicking here: http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2009/pdf/E9-11542.pdf.

2010 TRB 89th Annual Meeting and Transportation Research Record: Calls for Papers

http://www.trb.org/news/blurb_detail.asp?id=10343

Category > Opportunity: May 20, 2009 (TRB)

Transportation Research Board standing committees have issued more than 40 calls for papers for the TRB 89th Annual Meeting, January 10-14, 2010, in Washington, D.C, and the Transportation Research Record: Journal of the Transportation Research Board (TRR). While papers addressing any relevant aspect of transportation research will be considered, some committees are soliciting papers in specific subject areas to help potential authors identify topics for their papers. Committees will be producing calls for papers through June, so authors should visit this site periodically.

The calls for papers can be sorted by major subject area, title, or sponsoring committee. Solicited and unsolicited papers for presentation and/or publication as part of the 89th TRB Annual Meeting and the TRR must be submitted directly to TRB via the online paper submission Web site by August 1, 2009. The paper submission Web site will open in June. By late October, TRB communicates the results of the initial review to the corresponding author indicated on the paper submission form.

Register Now for IBTTA’s Upcoming Meeting – Incident Management, Safety and Security, July 19-21, 2009, Denver, CO

http://www.ibtta.org/Events/eventdetail.cfm?ItemNumber=3857

Category > Opportunity: May 20, 2009 (IBTTA)

Join the International Bridge, Tunnel and Turnpike Association (IBTTA) in Denver, CO to learn about best practices from around the world in Incident Management and Emergency Response. Sessions will explore the most effective tools and communication methods available to promote toll facility safety and security; maintain operations in the face of disruption; and effectively communicate with customers during all phases of an incident, from prevention to recovery. Other topics include crisis management during special events, Post Traumatic Distress Disorder and psychological impacts to employees, the role of engineering and maintenance in prevention and safety, and business continuity during disasters. Visit the link above to view the preliminary agenda and register today!

ITS JPO Lesson of the Month

http://www.itslessons.its.dot.gov/its/benecost.nsf/WhatNewLessons?OpenForm&Seq=1&type=Lessons

Category > Now Available: May 20, 2009 (JPO)

 The ITS JPO Lesson of the Month for May 2009 is, “Use a common Concept of Operations for evacuation operations that clarifies stakeholder roles and defines coordination activities for all operational phases of the evacuation.” This lesson discusses the usefulness of a shared transportation operations plan in emergency evacuations with advance notice. To read the lesson, click on the link above.

Upcoming ITE Webinars

http://www.ite.org/education/clearinghouse/

Category > Opportunity: May 20, 2009 (ITE)

The Institute of Transportation Engineers is offering the following upcoming Webinars:

Access Management at Intersections Part II

http://www.ite.org/education/webinars_accesste.asp#ACCESS_PART_II

Background: Building from the “Access Management at Intersections Part I” web seminar, this web seminar will highlight major classifications of access management techniques at intersections, such as objective of separating conflicts, geometric access management and operational techniques.

Date: Tuesday, May 26, 2009

Time: 3:00 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. Eastern

Traffic Signal Operations Specialist® (TSOS) Refresher Courses

http://www.ite.org/education/webinars_tsos.asp#TSOSSuite

Background: The suite of courses includes five (5) learning modules on traffic signal control, signal design and installation, signal phasing and timing, signal system timing and operations and signal operations and safety review. See individual modules below for course details and learning objectives.

Dates: Thursdays, May 28- June 25, 2009 (Modules 1-5 )

Time: 3:00 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. Eastern

Professional Traffic Operations Engineer® (PTOE) Refresher Courses

http://www.ite.org/education/webinars_ptoe.asp#PTOE__SUITE

Background: The suite of courses includes five (5) learning modules on traffic engineering studies, traffic operations analysis, operational effects of geometric design, traffic safety and traffic control devices. See individual modules below for course details and learning objectives.

Dates: Tuesdays, June 2-30, 2009 (Modules 1-5)

Time: 12:00 p.m. – 1:30 p.m. Eastern

Traffic Operations Practitioner Specialist® (TOPS) Refresher Courses

http://www.ite.org/education/webinars_tops.asp#Suite%20REFRESHER

Background: The suite of courses includes six (6) learning modules on traffic operations studies, traffic devices, elements of design, traffic safety, incident management and transportation management. See individual modules below for course details and learning objectives.

Dates: Wednesday, August 19 – September 23, 2009 (Modules 1-6 )

Time: 12:00 p.m. – 1:30 p.m. Eastern

FHWA Exploratory Advanced Research Program: Broad Agency Announcement

http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/advancedresearch/index.cfm

Category > Opportunity: May 20, 2009 (FHWA)

 The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) Exploratory Advanced Research Program has posted its spring Broad Agency Announcement covering 12 topics in four focus areas: nanoscale research; concepts for integrated highway safety and systems operations; new technologies and advanced policies for energy and resource conservation systems; and macro, mega and national scale modeling systems. Proposals are due Wednesday, June 24, 2009. Please see http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/advancedresearch/index.cfm.