Monday, April 19, 2010 2:00 PM – 3:30 PM EDT

Learn how to conduct transportation research more efficiently and effectively.  TRB will host a free webinar that provides practical tips for using the Transportation Research Information Services (TRIS), Research in Progress (RiP), and Research Needs Statements (RNS) databases.  Panelists will provide an overview of each database, offer tips on how to refine searches, and demonstrate advanced features added to the databases last year.  Learn how to enter records into the RiP Website and find out how agency publications are entered into TRIS.  Panelists from the University of California, Berkeley and the Montana Department of Transportation will discuss ways that they use TRB databases to enhance their research programs.

Presenters for this session include:

• Barbara Post, Transportation Research Board
• Rita Evans and Kendra L Levine, Harmer E. Davis Transportation Library, Institute of Transportation Studies, University of California, Berkeley
• Susan Sillick, Montana Department of Transportation

Moderated by: Ken Winter, Virginia Department of Transportation

Questions may be posed any time during the webinar, and are answered at the end of the session.

Registration:  Participants must register 24 hours in advance of the Webinar.  This webinar is free for all participants.

There may be situations where a webinar may need to be rescheduled, due to interruptions in GoToWebinar servers or other unforseen events.  If a webinar needs to be rescheduled, TRB will contact you via email to discuss the situation and will provide information about rescheduling the session.

Click here to register. Problems signing in? Contact Reggie Gillum at rgillum@nas.edu or 202-334-2382

Tuesday, March 30, 2010 – ISSN 1529-1057

---

Register Now for IBTTA’s Upcoming Summit: The Future of Tolling – Going Mainstream

Through ORT and Interoperability, May 23-25, 2010 in Boston, MA

Join the International Bridge, Tunnel and Turnpike Association in Boston for the fourth Summit in a series of workshops focused on the hot topics of ORT and Interoperability. This Summit will bring together transportation experts who will focus on lessons learned, case studies, business rules and future decision-making about all-electronic toll collection, interoperability, violation enforcement, and implications for vehicle miles traveled charging. Breakout sessions are divided into four main categories – On the Road and in the Car; Technology and Backroom Issues; Road Pricing and Financial Issues and In the Public and Policy Forum. IBTTA is exploring opportunities to involve university students and faculty from the Boston area in research connected with the main topics of this Summit. Click here for registration, hotel and travel information and to view the preliminary agenda. www.IBTTA.org

AVIATION

1) IBM, FAA Team Up to Tackle Severe Security Risks to Flight Data

Link to column in The Hill:

http://thehill.com/blogs/hillicon-valley/technology/89689-faa-ibm-team-up-to-tackle-severe-security-risks-to-agencys-computer-systems

CAMERAS

2) Smile! Local Officers Quietly Snap Photos During Traffic Stops

Link to article in The Monitor:

http://www.themonitor.com/articles/smile-36924-local-snap.html

CARTOGRAPHY

3) Boom! Tweets and Maps Swarm to Pinpoint a Mysterious Explosion

Link to article in The New York Times:

http://www.nytimes.com/external/readwriteweb/2010/03/29/29readwriteweb-boom-tweets–maps-swarm-to-pinpoint-a-myste-34026.html

OTHER

4) Georgia Senate OKs Bill Targeting Non-English-Speaking Drivers

Link to article in The Atlanta Journal-Constitution:

http://www.ajc.com/news/georgia-politics-elections/senate-oks-bill-targeting-419647.html

ROADWAYS

5) How Good Asphalt Helps Visibility in the Rain

Link to column in the San Jose Mercury News:

http://www.mercurynews.com/news/ci_14779911

6) Federal Sign Language Tests Local Budgets

Link to article in The Daily Reporter:

http://dailyreporter.com/blog/2010/03/29/federal-sign-language-tests-local-budgets/

SAFETY / SECURITY

7) Pennsylvania DOT to Change Policy on Release of Driving-Record Information for Prospective School Bus Drivers

Link to article in The Philadelphia Inquirer:

http://www.philly.com/philly/news/local/89491252.html

8) Study: Only 2.5% Can Safely Drive and Phone

Link to CBS News story:

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2010/03/30/tech/main6346963.shtml

TRANSIT

9) Lack of Video Slows Hunt for a Killer in the New York Subway

Link to article in The New York Times:

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/30/nyregion/30subway.html

TRAVELER INFORMATION / TRANSPORTATION MANAGEMENT

10) Oklahoma City’s Traffic Link Project Gets a Green Light Again

Link to article and video in The Oklahoman:

http://www.newsok.com/oklahoma-citys-traffic-link-project-gets-a-green-light-again/article/3449849?custom_click=pod_headline_politics

11) High-Tech Data Collection to Aid Lower Manhattan’s Traffic Jams

Link to story and video on NY1 News:

http://www.ny1.com/8-queens-news-content/ny1_living/116093/high-tech-data-collection-to-aid-lower-manhattan-s-traffic-jams

12) Wireless Does Community Service

Behind-the-scenes municipal applications help urban traffic flow.

Link to article in Network World:

http://www.networkworld.com/newsletters/wireless/2010/032910wireless2.html

VEHICLES

13) NASA to Test Toyota Electronics in Safety Probe

Link to Reuters article:

http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE62T0V620100330

14) Toyota Announces Safety Initiatives

Among steps, company will expand use of event data recorders and increase use of remote communications functions.

Link to article on just-auto:

http://www.just-auto.com/article.aspx?id=103853

15) Toyota’s PR ‘Lessons to be Learned’

Link to article on just-auto:

http://www.just-auto.com/article.aspx?id=103856&lk=dm

News Releases

1) One in Four Have Listened to an iPod or Other MP3 Player While Connected to a Car Stereo

2) Intelligent and Efficient Travel Management for European Cities – First In-Time Forum – Fine Tuning the Pilot Phase

3) CN Web Site Makes It Easier for Customers to Calculate Carbon Savings When Shipping by Rail

4) EGNOS Portal Launched for Europe’s Satellite Navigation Application Developers

5) US Airways Takes to the Sky with Gogo Inflight Internet

Upcoming Events

TRB Webinar: Knowledge Is Power: How TRB’s Databases Improve Access to Transportation Research – April 19

http://www.trb.org/Calendar/Blurbs/TRB_Webinar_Knowledge_Is_Power_How_TRBs_Databases_163080.aspx

Today in Transportation History

1945 **65^th anniversary** – A German Messerschmitt Me 262, the world’s first operational combat jet aircraft, was flown to flown to an American-held air base.

http://www.zenoswarbirdvideos.com/Images/Me262/ME262PILOTDEBRIEF.pdf

======================================================================

The Transportation Communications Newsletter is published electronically Monday through Friday.

To subscribe or unsubscribe, please visit:

http://groups.google.com/group/tcnl/subscribe

If you have any difficulties please contact me at i95berniew@aol.com.

TCN archives: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/transport-communications

Questions, comments about the TCN?  Please write the editor, Bernie Wagenblast at i95berniew@aol.com.

© 2010 Bernie Wagenblast  www.bwcommunications.net

(Sources: Transportation for America)

Today, I came across a tweet from someone that talked about T4America’s latest national poll results that said majority Americans support  increased access to public transportation and safe walking and biking.  As a curious mind would do it, I went on to explore the survey results and the press release issued by T4America and here is the summary of what I saw: American voters overwhelmingly support broader access to public transportation and safe walking and biking, according to this new national poll conducted for Transportation for America.  This must be a ton of good news for pro-transit & bike-ped folks, especially given all the activities that are happening on the next transportation re-authorization bill.  My favorite finding of this survey:  79% of rural folks support improved public transportation.  Now, who would have expected that from our American voters!

Here are some interesting findings:

• More than four-in-five voters (82 percent) say that “the United States would benefit from an expanded and improved transportation system, such as rail and buses” and a solid majority (56 percent) “strongly agree” with that statement.
• On a personal level, two-thirds (66%) say that they “would like more transportation options so they have the freedom to choose how to get where they need to go.” Along these same lines, 73% currently feel they “have no choice but to drive as much as” they do, and 57% would like to spend less time in the car.
• A majority (58 percent) say that more should be allocated to public transportation, while 35% feel that this is about the right amount. Only 5% say that less should be allocated to other transportation options.

As I said earlier, it will be interesting to see how these findings play into the next reauthorization bill.  While we wait to find that out, let’s take a moment to check out some more survey findings. You can download by clicking here.

The 16th IRF World Meeting will be held in Lisbon from 25 to 28 May 2010, and will be attended by major international players from the road sector.   The aim of the 16th IRF World Meeting is to provide a forum for debates, discussions and proposals leading to tomorrow’s solutions.

The IRF 16th World Road Meeting will bring together top-level representatives of the road construction industries, the engineering companies, the road equipment companies, the concessionaires, the road authorities, the researchers and the interest groups. Their common aim will be sustainable mobility for the 21st century, a multi-faceted issue that will require innovative and elaborate solutions.

With this in mind, World Road Meeting delegates will hear about road safety issues, environmental concerns, financial challenges, educational offers, latest research and applications, and many more topics.

The IRF 16th World Road Meeting offers a unique platform for the Road Infrastructure Community to showcase their latest research and proposals in a friendly, peer group, result-oriented environment. It also offers good opportunities for technology transfer and business development. Road industry leaders from both the public and private sectors from around the world will be in Lisbon for this one-of-a-kind event.

Who should attend?

The 16th IRF World Road Meeting invites people from across the road infrastructure sector, may they come from construction companies, government agencies, funding bodies, research, concessionnaires, ITS and other road furbishing companies.

Exhibitor profile:
Road construction and maintenance, Road equipment, Horizontal and vertical road markings, Street furniture, Vehicle manufacturers, Tyre manufacturers, ITS Technology, Tolling Systems, Traffic Emergency systems, Road Safety material, Engineering companies, Consultancy & research, Education, Publications and any other related industry.

Visitor Profile:
IRF World Road Meeting’s delegates are coming from all over the world. Most visitors come from construction companies, government agencies, funding bodies, research, engineering forms, research institutes, concessionaires, ITS and other road furbishing companies. The visitors of the exhibition are at decision making level, highly qualified professionals from the road infrastructure and transport industries.

Note: Visitors must hold a valid passport; a visa may be required in some cases. For more information about visas, please consult the nearest Portuguese Embassy.

Click here to Register and click here to download the Preliminary Programme.  For those in a hurry, I’ve attached the Preliminary Progamme below.

Monday, March 29, 2010 – ISSN 1529-1057

---

Only Five 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) Pocket GPS Used to Make Emergency Passenger Jet Landing in Russia

Link to RIA Novosti article:

http://www.spacedaily.com/reports/Pocket_GPS_Used_To_To_Make_Emergency_Passenger_Jet_Landing_999.html

2) Air Traffic Controller Talks About ‘Pushing Tin’

Link to article in the Daily Herald:

http://www.dailyherald.com/story/?id=369081

CAMERAS

3) Columbus, Ohio Traffic-Camera Deal Won’t Face Competition

Link to article in The Columbus Dispatch:

http://www.dispatchpolitics.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2010/03/28/copy/traffic-camera-deal-wont-face-competition.html?adsec=politics&sid=101

ELECTRONIC TOLLING

4) Illinois Tollway May Get Words, Not Lights, When Toll is Paid

Link to column in the Chicago Tribune:

http://www.chicagotribune.com/classified/automotive/commute/ct-met-gettingaround-0329-20100328,0,852933.column

GPS / NAVIGATION

5) The 11 Mobile Apps You Need to Get Around Any City

Link to article on The Infrastructurist:

http://www.infrastructurist.com/2010/03/29/the-11-mobile-apps-you-need-to-get-around-any-city/

MARITIME

6) Radar to Spot Icebergs in Alaska’s Prince William Sound is Working Again

Link to article in Petroleum News:

http://www.petroleumnews.com/pntruncate/785662712.shtml

OTHER

7) ERTICO Interview with SINTEF

Link to interview:

http://www.ertico.com/en/news/ertico_newsroom/new_partner_interview_sintef.htm

ROADWAYS

8) New Jersey Exploring Selling Turnpike Rest-Stop Naming Rights

Link to AP article:

http://www.1010wins.com/NJ-Exploring-Selling-Turnpike-Rest-Stop-Naming-Rig/6672031

SAFETY / SECURITY

9) Apps to Curb Texting While Driving Have Tough Task

Link to AP article:

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hDvCrghR-0yJ1CknUsB6YSp2L7VAD9ENPD680

TELEMATICS

10) CeBIT in Motion – Telematics and ITS Joining the IT-Community

Link to ERTICO article:

http://www.ertico.com/en/news/ertico_newsroom/cebit_in_motion__telematics_and_its_joining_the_it-community.htm

11) Peterbilt Launches New In-Dash Telematics and Infotainment System

Link to article in Truck News:

http://www.trucknews.com/issues/story.aspx?aid=1000365757

TRANSIT

12) Boston T Debuts Subway Wireless Service

Link to article in The Boston Globe:

http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2010/03/27/orange_line_riders_get_cellphone_coverage_for_the_whole_ride/

13) Yale University Directing Parking Students to Transit via Personalized E-mail

Link to article in Metro:

http://www.metro-magazine.com/News/Story/2010/03/Yale-directing-parking-students-to-transit.aspx

14) Politicians Ask, and the New York MTA Jots It Down

State law requires agency to compile and publish every official communication from members of the legislature.

Link to article in The New York Times:

http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/03/29/politicians-ask-and-the-m-t-a-jots-it-down/

TRAVELER INFORMATION / TRANSPORTATION MANAGEMENT

15) West Virginia Installing Traffic Detection Cameras as Part of Larger Intelligent Transportation System

Link to article in The Journal:

http://journal-news.net/page/content.detail/id/534042.html

16) India, Canada to Sign MOU for Cooperation in Highways, Transport Sector

Areas of cooperation include ITS, highway management and road safety.

Link to ANI article:

http://sify.com/news/india-canada-to-sign-mou-for-cooperation-in-highways-transport-sector-news-national-kd3wOdhgijd.html

VEHICLES

17) How ‘Black Boxes’ Help in Car Crash Reconstructions

Link to article in USA Today:

http://www.usatoday.com/money/autos/2010-03-29-blackboxes29_ST_N.htm

18) BMW and Siemens Car2X System Transmits Data Between Traffic Lights and Vehicles to Optimize Stop-Start Function

Link to article on Green Car Congress:

http://www.greencarcongress.com/2010/03/car2x-20100318.html

19) NASCAR Drivers and Fans Embrace Social Networks

Link to article in the Martinsville Bulletin:

http://www.martinsvillebulletin.com/article.cfm?ID=23044

News Releases

1) Telematics Can Reduce Range Anxiety and Enhance the Electric Vehicle Ownership Experience, Notes Frost & Sullivan

2) Tennessee DOT Debuts Enhanced TN511 Motorist Information System

3) TomTom Lifetime Map and Traffic Updates Now Available in North America

Upcoming Events

International Road Federation World Road Meeting 2010 – May 25-28 – Lisbon

http://www.irfnews.org/news-events/event-detail/irf-world-road-meeting-2010/

Today in Transportation History

1945 **65^th anniversary** The final V-1 flying bomb attack against the UK took place.

http://www.stelzriede.com/ms/html/sub/marshwvr.htm

======================================================================

The Transportation Communications Newsletter is published electronically Monday through Friday.

To subscribe or unsubscribe, please visit:

http://groups.google.com/group/tcnl/subscribe

If you have any difficulties please contact me at i95berniew@aol.com.

TCN archives: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/transport-communications

Questions, comments about the TCN?  Please write the editor, Bernie Wagenblast at i95berniew@aol.com.

© 2010 Bernie Wagenblast  www.bwcommunications.net

Friday, March 26, 2010 – ISSN 1529-1057

---

Using the Phone and E-mail to Disseminate Transportation Information

As many of you know, in addition to editing the TCN and other transportation newsletters, I also lend my voice to a variety of transport projects.  This week I discovered an interesting service that allows you to easily record a message by phone or online and then add it to an e-mail message.  Seeing how transportation agencies and organizations are using everything from e-mail to Twitter accounts to share information, I thought this is an innovative method to engage those you want to reach in a different way.  I’ve included a couple of links to let you hear how it sounds.  The first is a message I recorded over the phone.

Phone message

The second example was done with a professional microphone.  It’s one of the announcements I made for the AirTrain at Newark Liberty International Airport.

Airport announcement

With this you could take advantage of those speakers attached to most computers and truly talk to your customers or constituents.  Using voice is more personal and conveys emotion better than words on a screen ever can.  Please contact me at bernie@bwcommunications.net if you’d like more information.  You can also visit my Web site at www.bwcommunications.net.

AVIATION

1) Air Traffic Controller Honored for Helping Pilot in Danger

Link to story and video on WISC-TV:

http://www.channel3000.com/news/22960687/detail.html

BICYCLES

2) Los Angeles DOT Launches Bicycle Blog

Link to LADOT Bike Blog:

http://ladotbikeblog.wordpress.com/

GPS / NAVIGATION

3) Court Rules Cell Phone GPS Records Not Enough to Dismiss Speeding Ticket

Link to CNET News article:

http://news.cnet.com/8301-13578_3-20001248-38.html

MARITIME

4) Safety Pain Scheme: Increasing Safety Morale

Link to article in Marine News:

http://dwp.marinelink.com/pubs/nwm/MN/201003/

PEDESTRIANS

5) British Columbia Launching Online Map to Show Walking Routes Around Province

Link to article in the Vancouver Sun:

http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/news/westcoastnews/story.html?id=80b851e2-2b74-4b94-85d5-663862b023c3

ROADWAYS

6) ‘Hell is Real’ Bill Could Cost Kentucky $42 Million a Year in Federal Transportation Money

Legislation would exempt regulation of certain billboards.

Link to article in the Lexington Herald-Leader:

http://www.kentucky.com/2010/03/26/1198054/hell-is-real-bill-could-cost-state.html

TRANSIT

7) Uh Oh, Los Angeles Metro’s Time Schedule Monitors

Some suggestions on what the MTA can do to provide greater access to departure times on their monitors.

Link to blog on Plus Metro:

http://www.plusmetro.com/archive/all/2010/03/25/uh-oh-metros-time-schedule-monitors

News Releases

1) Destination-Specific Content Now Available on US Airways Boarding Passes

2) Ohio DOT District 7 Unveils New Online Technology Available to Motorists

3) British Columbia, Washington State Improve Cross-Border Travel with Expanding Traveler Information Systems

Upcoming Events

Webinars: National Transit Database Rural Reporting – Various Dates

http://www.ntionline.com/CourseInfo.asp?CourseNumber=TRI18-18 (State DOTs and Tribes)

http://www.ntionline.com/CourseInfo.asp?CourseNumber=TRI18-19 (Transit Agency Personnel)

Friday Bonus

Waiting for the Paris Metro? You might be in an IKEA ad.

http://www.fastcompany.com/1583435/waiting-for-the-paris-metro-you-might-be-in-an-ad

Today in Transportation History

1910 **100^th anniversary** Orville Wright made the first engine-powered flight in Alabama in Montgomery.  The site later became Maxwell Air Force Base.

http://www.encyclopediaofalabama.org/face/Article.jsp?id=h-1364

======================================================================

The Transportation Communications Newsletter is published electronically Monday through Friday.

To subscribe or unsubscribe, please visit:

http://groups.google.com/group/tcnl/subscribe

If you have any difficulties please contact me at i95berniew@aol.com.

TCN archives: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/transport-communications

Questions, comments about the TCN?  Please write the editor, Bernie Wagenblast at i95berniew@aol.com.

© 2010 Bernie Wagenblast  www.bwcommunications.net

Thursday, March 25, 2010 – ISSN 1529-1057

---

Register Now for IBTTA’s Organization Management Workshop – April 18-20, 2010 in Austin, TX

The toll industry is evolving at an astonishing rate. Driven by financial realities, political change, and technological innovations the industry is facing a wide range of challenges and opportunities and is being forced to respond to them at lightning speed. Join IBTTA, April 18-20, 2010 in Austin, TX and keep your organization current on the latest industry trends to Enhance Mobility Through Innovation. Featured presenters include: Tom Vanderbilt, Keynote, Best-Selling Author and Journalist; Clarence Jones and Ellen Jaffe Jones, Winning News Media, Inc.; and Hans Bleiker and Annemarie Bleiker, Institute for Participatory Management & Planning. The hotel reservation cut-off for this meeting is Friday, March 26^th. Click here for registration, hotel and travel information and to view the preliminary agenda. www.IBTTA.org

AVIATION

1) Stealth Indianapolis Airport Study Tracked Phones

Link to article in The Indianapolis Star:

http://www.indystar.com/article/20100325/BUSINESS/3250337/1003/BUSINESS/Stealth-09-Indy-airport-study-tracked-phones

2) NASA Researcher Revolutionizes Air Traffic Management

Link to India Blooms News Service article:

http://www.indiablooms.com/EnvironmentDetailsPage/environmentDetails250310c.php

CAMERAS

3) Los Angeles Police: Red-Light Camera Report was Flawed

Link to story and video on KABC-TV:

http://abclocal.go.com/kabc/story?section=news/local/los_angeles&id=7347347

GPS / NAVIGATION

4) Navigating the Future of GPS Devices

Link to column on CNET News:

http://news.cnet.com/8301-31499_3-10470210-253.html

PARKING

5) Wireless Technology to Make Parking Spaces ‘Smart’ in Los Angeles and San Francisco

Link to article on PublicCEO:

http://www.publicceo.com/index.php/local-governments/151-local-governments-publicceo-exclusive/1317-wireless-technology-to-make-parking-spaces-smart-in-la-and-sf

RAILROADS

6) High-Speed Rail is a Public Relations Orphan

Link to blog in BizTimes:

http://www.biztimes.com/blogs/milwaukee-biz-blog/2010/3/25/high-speed-rail-is-a-pr-orphan

ROADWAYS

7) Germany’s Free Democrat’s: ‘Foolish’ Traffic Sign Changes Must End

Link to article on The Local:
http://www.thelocal.de/national/20100325-26109.html

SAFETY / SECURITY

8) FCC Seeks Input on Common Alerting Protocol-Related Emergency Alert System Rule Changes

Protocol will allow geo-specific warnings to be sent to multiple platforms, including highway signs.

Link to article in Radio World:

http://www.rwonline.com/article/97268

TELEMATICS

9) UPS Invests $1 Billion in Technology to Cut Costs

Link to IDG News Service article:

http://www.pcworld.com/article/192434/ups_invests_1_billion_in_technology_to_cut_costs.html

10) Can Telematics Reinvent Auto Insurance?

Link to article in Telematics Update:

http://social.telematicsupdate.com/industry-insight/can-telematics-reinvent-auto-insurance

TRANSIT

11) Pittsburgh Makes Transit Data Available to Developers

Link to article in TheTransitWire:

http://www.thetransitwire.com/2010/03/25/pittsburgh-makes-transit-data-available-to-developers/

VEHICLES

12) Pimp Your Ride: Keep Yourself Entertained with These In-Car Gadgets

Link to story and video on STV Living:

http://living.stv.tv/home-garden/gadgets/165714-pimp-your-ride-keep-yourself-entertained-with-these-in-car-gadgets/

News Releases

1) Missouri DOT Weather Sensors a Winter Success

2) Navteq Selects WeatherBug Information to Compliment Industry-Leading Navteq Traffic Solution

Upcoming Events

TRB Webinar: Managing and Marketing Small Airports – April 6

http://www.trb.org/Calendar/Blurbs/TRB_Webinar_Managing_and_Marketing_Small_Airports_162977.aspx

Today in Transportation History

1910 **100^th anniversary** US President William Howard Taft sends Congress a report from the Liberian Commission, which includes a recommendation that the US establish a coaling station in Liberia for US ships.

http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/index.php?pid=68497

======================================================================

The Transportation Communications Newsletter is published electronically Monday through Friday.

To subscribe or unsubscribe, please visit:

http://groups.google.com/group/tcnl/subscribe

If you have any difficulties please contact me at i95berniew@aol.com.

TCN archives: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/transport-communications

Questions, comments about the TCN?  Please write the editor, Bernie Wagenblast at i95berniew@aol.com.

© 2010 Bernie Wagenblast  www.bwcommunications.net

Wednesday, March 24, 2010 – ISSN 1529-1057

---

Register Now for IBTTA’s Organization Management Workshop – April 18-20, 2010 in Austin, TX

The toll industry is evolving at an astonishing rate. Driven by financial realities, political change, and technological innovations the industry is facing a wide range of challenges and opportunities and is being forced to respond to them at lightning speed. Join IBTTA, April 18-20, 2010 in Austin, TX and keep your organization current on the latest industry trends to Enhance Mobility Through Innovation. Featured presenters include: Tom Vanderbilt, Keynote, Best-Selling Author and Journalist; Clarence Jones and Ellen Jaffe Jones, Winning News Media, Inc.; and Hans Bleiker and Annemarie Bleiker, Institute for Participatory Management & Planning. The hotel reservation cut-off for this meeting is Friday, March 26^th. Click here for registration, hotel and travel information and to view the preliminary agenda. www.IBTTA.org

CAMERAS

1) Yellow-Lights Shorter at Chicago Red-Light Camera Intersections

Link to article on Chicago Breaking News:

http://www.chicagobreakingnews.com/2010/03/yellow-lights-shorter-at-chicago-red-light-camera-intersections.html

GPS / NAVIGATION

2) GPS Data from New York City Cabs Provides Detailed Picture of Traffic

Link to article in The New York Times:

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/24/nyregion/24traffic.html

RAILROADS

3) Penn Station Baltimore Announcer Replaced by Digital Voice

Link to story and video on WJZ-TV:

http://wjz.com/watercooler/digital.voice.penn.2.1583739.html

4) In Memoriam: Norfolk Southern Logo, ‘Thoroughbred’ Brand Architect H. Pier Clifford

Link to article in Progressive Railroading:

http://www.progressiverailroading.com/prdailynews/news.asp?id=22843

SPACE

5) Mars Rover Gets Smarter with Age …and Software

Link to CNET News article:

http://news.cnet.com/8301-11386_3-10470421-76.html

VEHICLES

6) EU Shows Off ‘Talking Car’ Technology

Link to article on just-auto:

http://www.just-auto.com/article.aspx?id=103786&lk=dm

7) GM’s Car of the Future

Electric-powered vehicle uses GPS and vehicle-to-vehicle communications to determine best route.

Link to article in Forbes:

http://www.forbes.com/2010/03/23/general-motors-future-business-autos-gm-cars.html

8) Mobility 2.0 Live at Cooperative Mobility Showcase 2010

Link to article and video from ERTICO-ITS Europe:

http://www.ertico.com/en/news/press/showcase.htm

News Releases

1) Indiana DOT Deploys Proxim Wireless for Statewide Intelligent Transportation System

2) FCC Reminds Telecommunications Service Providers of Importance of Implementing Advisory Committee 9-1-1 and Enhanced 9-1-1 Services Best Practices

3) Canada’s Skymeter Corporation Scoops the Main Prize in the Coveted Intertraffic Innovation Awards

Solicitation

–  Invitation to Negotiate – Video Aggregation Subsystem Phase II – Florida Department of Transportation

http://vbs.dms.state.fl.us/vbs/ad.view_ad?advertisement_key_num=86018

Upcoming Events

TRB Webinar: New Managed Lane Provisions in the 2009 Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD) – April 1

http://www.trb.org/Calendar/Blurbs/TRB_Webinar_New_Managed_Lane_Provisions_in_the_200_163053.aspx

Today in Transportation History

1910 **110^th anniversary** – Ground was formally broken for construction of a subway tunnel connecting Manhattan and Brooklyn.

http://www.nycsubway.org/articles/nytimes-1900-tunnelbegun.html

======================================================================

The Transportation Communications Newsletter is published electronically Monday through Friday.

To subscribe or unsubscribe, please visit:

http://groups.google.com/group/tcnl/subscribe

If you have any difficulties please contact me at i95berniew@aol.com.

TCN archives: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/transport-communications

Questions, comments about the TCN?  Please write the editor, Bernie Wagenblast at i95berniew@aol.com.

© 2010 Bernie Wagenblast  www.bwcommunications.net

(Sources: Wired; RTTNews, Associated Press, The Detroit News GM Press Release)

General Motors always dreams big, no matter how much money they have in their bank account.  Now that Uncle Sam’s treasury is backing up the financial future,  GM continues its tradition of dreaming big and the latest outcome of this is a future where people navigate crowded cities in big Segways that look kinda like a Dyson vacuum cleaner and can drive you home when you’ve had one too many after a long day at work. . Seriously.

Today, GM unveiled a trio of electric “urban mobility vehicles,” built with help from the über-geeks at Segway, today in Shanghai. They’re called Electric Networked Vehicles (EN-V) and they’re designed for cities bursting at the seams with traffic.  The EN-V, pronounced “envy,” is GM’s latest effort to burnish its credentials as a future-focused, environmentally friendly company and shed its image as the bastion of the gas guzzling Hummer. The automaker is in the process of winding down Hummer after a deal collapsed to sell it to a Chinese heavy equipment maker. The helmet-shaped two-seater vehiclesunveiled today in Shanghai will be now showcased at world expo 2010 to be held in Shanghai starting May 1 through October 31. The pavilion will be shared by GM with its Chinese partner SAIC Motor Corp.  There will be three models on display in Shanghai:

• Red – Jiao, or Pride – Created by designers at GM Europe, the vehicle was influenced by bullet trains and Chinese opera masks.
• Black – Miao, or Magic –  Sculpted by designers at GM’s Advanced Design Studio in California and influenced by the consumer electronics industry’s sleek, masculine looks.
• Blue –  Xiao, or Laugh –  Created by GM Holden’s designers in Australia, who took a more lighthearted approach to the vehicle’s “gumball blue” paint and nautical design.

Shanghai is the perfect place to show the funky runabouts because China is the largest automobile market on the planet. A lot of thought is going into figuring out how all those people buying all those cars will get around. Sixty percent of the world’s population will live in urban areas by 2030 and there will be 2 billion cars on the road. Automakers are looking for ways to build cars that pollute less and take up less space.

Here are some interesting nuggets gleaned from the above sources:

• To that end, the two-seater concepts are about one-sixth the size of a conventional car.
• They’re made of lightweight materials like carbon fiber and weigh just 1,000 pounds apiece. GM says you can squeeze five of them into a single parking space.
• The 1.5 meter by 1.5 meter (about 5 foot by 5 foot) EN-V appears to build on GM’s earlier work with Segway Inc. in developing the Personal Urban Mobility and Accessibility (PUMA) concept vehicle. It will use the same types of battery cells as the Segway and the same battery supplier, Valence Technology Inc.
• The propulsion technique employed in the prototype was, however, introduced earlier by GM on its Hy-wire concept, introduced at the Paris Motor Show 2006.  The forward-thinking concepts build upon we saw last year in New York.
• Powered by Lithium-ion batteries and enriched with capabilities like dramatically smaller turning radius, the zero-emission vehicle is designed to travel at least 40 kilometers on a single charge.
• GM notes that the operating costs are one-fifth to one-sixth the price of a conventional motor vehicle and one-third to one-fourth the operating cost of a passenger car.
• The EN-Vs are super-connected. They’ll use GPS, distance-sensing technology and vehicle-to-vehicle communications to ease congestion and reduce the risk of accidents. GM says the vehicles can “sense” what’s around them and react quickly to obstacles or changes in driving conditions.
• There’s a motor in each wheel and a lithium-ion battery. It’s got “dynamic stabilization technology” so it can balance on two wheels, and GM says it can “literally turn on a dime.” It also says the vehicles have a range of 25 miles and a top speed of 25 mph, which it says is more than adequate for daily city driving.
• There will be an estimated 1.2 billion vehicles worldwide in 2030. That’s up from 844 million three years ago, according to the Motor & Equipment Manufacturers Association.
• People living in major cities will have a more difficult time commuting because in 20 years, 60 percent of the world’s population will live in urban areas, according to GM.
• In major cities, 30 percent of fuel is wasted while drivers hunt for parking spots, which adds to the cost associated with operating vehicles.

Click here for some interesting pictures and a detailed scoop.  If you are interested in reading more about the concept and have the time to enjoy some cool videos that demonstrate the technology and vision, click here.

Related articles by Zemanta

• GM Previews EN-V Mobility Concepts Ahead Of 2010 Shanghai World Expo (thecarconnection.com)
• GM Pod Car Looks Like a 2-Wheeled Vacuum (wired.com)
• GM’s EN-V concept car: auto redo for green future (seattletimes.nwsource.com)
• GM’s two-seater EN-V concept makes ‘urban mobility’ hip again (engadget.com)
• They’re Also Known As…: (brothersjuddblog.com)
• GM Unveils EN-V Concept Vehicle (ubergizmo.com)
• GM unveils three futuristic, urban EN-V concepts (autoblog.com)
• GM EN-V Concept Car Could Fit Into An Apartment (huffingtonpost.com)
• Is it a bike, is it a car? GM debuts electric mini-vehicle concept car (businessgreen.com)
• GM floats autonomous two-seater city car idea (news.cnet.com)

Tuesday, March 23, 2010 – ISSN 1529-1057

---

Register Now for IBTTA’s Organization Management Workshop – April 18-20, 2010 in Austin, TX

The toll industry is evolving at an astonishing rate. Driven by financial realities, political change, and technological innovations the industry is facing a wide range of challenges and opportunities and is being forced to respond to them at lightning speed. Join IBTTA, April 18-20, 2010 in Austin, TX and keep your organization current on the latest industry trends to Enhance Mobility Through Innovation. Featured presenters include: Tom Vanderbilt, Keynote, Best-Selling Author and Journalist; Clarence Jones and Ellen Jaffe Jones, Winning News Media, Inc.; and Hans Bleiker and Annemarie Bleiker, Institute for Participatory Management & Planning. The hotel reservation cut-off for this meeting is Friday, March 26^th. Click here for registration, hotel and travel information and to view the preliminary agenda. www.IBTTA.org

AVIATION

1) A Vote to Replace Radar

Link to article in The New York Times:

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/23/us/23brfs-AVOTETOREPLA_BRF.html

2) Airport Device Follows Fliers’ Phones

TSA could use technology to track time spent in security lines.

Link to article in USA Today:

http://www.usatoday.com/tech/wireless/2010-03-23-cellphones_N.htm

3) Air-Traffic Controllers Earn Praise for a Calm Assist

Link to column in The Washington Post:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/03/22/AR2010032203512.html

4) e-Media: A Look at Web-Based Customer Service and Marketing Solutions

Link to article in Airport Business:

http://www.airportbusiness.com/print/Airport-Business-Magazine/e—Media–A-look-at-Web-based-customer-service-and-marketing-solutions-/1$34757

5) In-Air Advertising Soars with Branded Snack Bags on Delta

In-airport advertising also growing.

Link to article on MediaBuyerPlanner:

http://www.mediabuyerplanner.com/entry/49787/in-air-advertising-soars-with-branded-snack-bags-on-delta/

CARTOGRAPHY

6) Fury as Google Puts the SAS’s Secret Base on Street View in ‘Very Serious Security Breach’

Link to article in the Daily Mail:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1259162/Google-Street-View-shows-secret-SAS-base-major-security-breach.html

ELECTRONIC TOLLING

7) Cash Tolls on Miami-Dade Expressways Will Soon be Electronic

Link to article in The Miami Herald:

http://www.miamiherald.com/2010/03/23/1542836/cash-tolls-on-miami-dade-expressways.html

GPS / NAVIGATION

8) Three New GLONASS Satellites Activated

Link to article in GPS World:

http://www.gpsworld.com/gnss-system/glonass/news/glonass-up-date-and-out-state-9710

MARITIME

9) Washington State Ferry Riders Can Use HERO Line to Report Line Cutters

Link to article in The Seattle Times:

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2011417623_ferrylinecuts23m.html

OTHER

10) Flinc Will Turn Your Car Into a Taxi (Fare Included)

Link to CNET News blog:

http://news.cnet.com/8301-27076_3-20000919-248.html

PARKING

11) The Future of… Parking

Link to video on ZDNet:

http://news.zdnet.com/2422-19177_22-398998.html

ROADWAYS

12) Florida Road System to Warn of Panthers

Link to article in The News-Press:

http://www.news-press.com/article/20100323/NEWS0125/100322081/1075/Florida-road-system-to-warn-of-panthers

SAFETY / SECURITY

13) More Cities Ban Digital Billboards

Link to article in USA Today:

http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2010-03-22-visual-soup_N.htm

14) Cell Restriction Included in Proposed Commercial Motor Vehicle Texting Ban

Link to article in Land Line:

http://www.landlinemag.com/todays_news/Daily/2010/Mar10/032210/032210-01.htm

15) Drones May be Sent Soon to Help with US-Mexico Border Security, DHS Secretary Says

Link to article in The Dallas Morning News:

http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/texassouthwest/stories/DN-border_20tex.ART.State.Edition1.4c56cec.html

TELEMATICS

16) Motolingo Brings Telematics to Clunkers

Link to CNET News column:

http://news.cnet.com/8301-19882_3-20000948-250.html

TRANSIT

17) An Easier Way to Use Bus Tracker

DePaul University puts tracking information on public displays around campuses.

Link to article in the Chicago Sun-Times:

http://www.suntimes.com/news/transportation/2115280,CST-NWS-ride22.article

TRAVELER INFORMATION / TRANSPORTATION MANAGEMENT

18) Pune Municipal Corporation’s Intelligent Transport System Draws Flak

Link to Express News Service article:

http://www.indianexpress.com/news/PMC-s-intelligent-transport-system-draws-flak/594325

19) Bangalore’s Traffic Nightmare

Technology may help commuters.

Link to article and video on GlobalPost:

http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/india/100318/bangalore-technology-traffic

20) RAC Traffic Review

Link to review on Know Your Mobile:

http://www.knowyourmobile.com/smartphones/smartphoneapps/androidapplications/446219/rac_traffic_review.html

21) Hey Los Angeles Metro, How About Some Accurate Information?

Link to blog on KTLA-TV:

http://blogs.ktla.com/news_custom_eric/2010/03/hey-metro-how-about-some-accurate-information.html

VEHICLES

22) Former General Electric CEO Jack Welch on Toyota’s PR Disaster

Link to CNBC video:

http://cosmos.bcst.yahoo.com/up/player/popup/?rn=289004&cl=18766423&src=finance&ch=4043681

News Releases

1) Federal Railroad Administration Launches a New, Innovative Train Simulator to Improve Research Efforts

2) NTSB Chairman Highlights Runway Safety and Human Fatigue in Address to Air Traffic Controllers

3) Indiana DOT Partners with Broadcasters to Make Traffic Video Available

4) Thousands in UK Tune In to Non-Stop Travel News on Their Mobile Phone

5) University of Alabama at Birmingham Testing Software Program to Improve Safety Among Older Drivers

6) ZoomSafer Enables Drivers to Send and Receive Voice-Powered Texts and E-mails

Upcoming Events

Webinar: Experience from Others: How to Successfully Apply the ITS Knowledge Resources for Decision Making – April 15

http://www.pcb.its.dot.gov/t3/s100415_knowledge.asp

Today in Transportation History

1965 **45^th anniversary** Gemini-3, the first two-person NASA space flight, was launched.

http://science.ksc.nasa.gov/history/gemini/gemini-3/gemini-3.html

======================================================================

The Transportation Communications Newsletter is published electronically Monday through Friday.

To subscribe or unsubscribe, please visit:

http://groups.google.com/group/tcnl/subscribe

If you have any difficulties please contact me at i95berniew@aol.com.

TCN archives: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/transport-communications

Questions, comments about the TCN?  Please write the editor, Bernie Wagenblast at i95berniew@aol.com.

© 2010 Bernie Wagenblast  www.bwcommunications.net