Monday, December 21, 2009 – ISSN 1529-1057

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Registration Opens for ITS America’s 20^th Annual Meeting & Exposition, May 3-5, 2010, Houston, Texas

ITS America’s 20^th Annual Meeting & Exposition, May 3-5, 2010 in Houston, Texas, will bring together a diverse community of transportation professionals, business leaders, elected officials, and federal and state public agency representatives for three days of thought leadership in the debate over the nation’s transportation future.   We invite you to take this opportunity to make business connections, experience the most comprehensive exhibition of smart technologies, earn Professional Development Hours, and take home best practices from leading ITS professionals.  Special rates are available for public sector employees and first-time attendees.  To register, go to www.itsa.org/amregistration.html.

AVIATION

1) Airlines Eye ‘Contact-Less’ Travel

Link to AFP article:

http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5iDzsrlQQD-uv9DJMJylV19RQWCTw

2) A Dream for an Airline and a Hotel Chain

American Airlines gets lots of positive screen-time in new movie.

Link to article in The New York Times:

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/21/business/media/21adco.html?_r=1

Link to Up in the Air site: http://www.theupintheairmovie.com/

BICYCLES

3) Education Key to Reversing Trend in Bicycle Accidents

Link to article in the Pres-Telegram:

http://www.presstelegram.com/news/ci_14033691

Link to BikeLongBeach.org: http://bikelongbeach.org/

ELECTRONIC TOLLING

4) North Carolina Turnpike Authority Awards Electronic Toll System Contracts

Link to story on WRAL-TV:

http://www.wral.com/traffic/story/6651570/

5) Southern States do a U-turn on Toll Roads

Link to article in USA Today:

http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2009-12-21-toll-lanes-south_N.htm

6) New Toll Lanes Untangle Commutes

Link to article in USA Today:

http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2009-12-20-high-occupancy-toll-lanes_N.htm

MARITIME

7) Port Canaveral, Florida Moves Ahead on $9 Million Joint Port Intelligence and Operation Center Complex

Link to article in the Orlando Business Journal:

http://orlando.bizjournals.com/orlando/stories/2009/12/21/story5.html?b=1261371600%5E2604491

8) Reservation System Eyed for Washington State Ferries

Link to story on KOMO-TV:

http://www.komonews.com/news/local/79717787.html

OTHER

9) First Electronic Information Board Unveiled in Qatar

EIBs will be installed in busy pedestrian areas to provide instant information for residents and tourists.

Link to article in The Peninsula:

http://www.thepeninsulaqatar.com/Display_news.asp?section=Local_News&subsection=Qatar+News&month=December2009&file=Local_News2009122151316.xml

10) Implementing Transportation Knowledge Networks

Link to further information from the Transportation Research Board:

http://www.trb.org/Main/Blurbs/Implementing_Transportation_Knowledge_Networks_162700.aspx

PUBLIC INFORMATION / EDUCATION

11) Thousands of Road Safety Posters Lie Unused in South Africa

Link to article from the Weekend Argus:

http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=6&art_id=vn20091220082857983C761903

ROADWAYS

12) New Jersey DOT’s Lens Not Focused on Atlantic City

No camera views available online of Atlantic City or County.

Link to editorial in The Press of Atlantic City:

http://www.pressofatlanticcity.com/blogs/carla_linz/article_a12e12ba-ed77-11de-a8a0-001cc4c03286.html

SAFETY / SECURITY

13) Risky Roads – Traffic Experts have an Arsenal of Solutions

Link to article in the Press-Telegram:

http://www.presstelegram.com/news/ci_14033692

14) Encryption of Drone Feeds Won’t Finish Until 2014, US Air Force Says

Link to article in The Washington Post:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/12/18/AR2009121804281.html

TRAVELER INFORMATION / TRANSPORTATION MANAGEMENT

15) Pune ‘Intelligent Transport System’ to be Managed by Private Agency

Link to article in The Indian Express:

http://www.indianexpress.com/news/-Intelligent-transport-system–to-be-managed-by-private-agency/556607

16) Big Brother to Watch KZN

Freeway management system coming to Durban.

Link to article in The Independent on Saturday:

http://www.independentonsaturday.co.za/?fSectionId=&fArticleId=vn20091219092113720C636567

17) Coordinated Technology Could Help Fight Gridlock in Reno

Link to article in the Reno Gazette-Journal:

http://www.rgj.com/article/20091219/NEWS/912190348/1321/news

18) New Jersey Highway Signs Will Get More to Say

Link to article in The Record:

http://www.northjersey.com/news/state/79782212.html

19) Monitoring Traffic at the Lincoln Tunnel from Inside the Tunnel

Link to article and video in The Star-Ledger:

http://videos.nj.com/star-ledger/2009/12/monitoring_traffic_at_the_linc.html

VEHICLES

20) Ford Cars to Become Wi-Fi Hot Spots

Link to CNET News article:

http://news.cnet.com/8301-1035_3-10419548-94.html

Link to news release from Ford:

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/Ford-SYNC-Goes-WiFi-Turning-prnews-3560719582.html?x=0&.v=1

21) With Improved Features, It’s a Safer Driving World

Link to article in The Boston Globe:

http://www.boston.com/yourtown/news/somerville/2009/12/with_improved_features_its_a_s.html

News Releases

1) Vaisala Acquires Quixote Transportation Technologies, Inc.

Upcoming Events

The Location Business Summit – April 28-29 – Amsterdam

http://www.thewherebusiness.com/locationsummit/

Today in Transportation History

1829 **180^th anniversary** – The Carrollton Viaduct, the first masonary arch railroad bridge in the  US, was officially opened.  The bridge is still in use.

http://www.ce.jhu.edu/baltimorestructures/index.php?location=Carrollton%20Viaduct

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© 2009 Bernie Wagenblast  www.bwcommunications.net