Bernie’s Transportation Communications Newsletter (TCN) – April 22, 2010

April 22, 2010 at 10:59 pm

Thursday, April 22, 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) Problems Plague New US Air Traffic Control Computers

Link to AP article:

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5jUzZBZ4iGVmNZdu6BygXGzliy2OgD9F7O8V81

2) Airlines, in Flight Again, See Lesson in Crisis

Industry officials see response to ash cloud as haphazard and urge speed in creating “single sky.”

Link to article in The Wall Street Journal:

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704133804575197363596504510.html

3) Review: Many Sick Airline Passengers Aren’t Reported

Link to article in USA Today:

http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2010-04-21-sick-passengers_N.htm

4) FCC Claims Three Radio Stations Caused Interference with Lubbock Airport Landing System

Link to story on KJTV-TV:

http://www.myfoxlubbock.com/news/local/story/ILS-FCC/Tcj-wxe1zUWgrlz84RcYOQ.cspx

GPS / NAVIGATION

5) Southwest Airlines Counts on GPS to Save Time, Money

Link to story and video on WFAA-TV:

http://www.wfaa.com/news/business/GPS-serves-up-precision-to-shave-off-time-for-Southwest-flights-91757794.html

OTHER

6) World’s First ITS-Specific Test Track Takes Shape

Link to article from ERTICO:

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

7) Los Angeles Metro Transportation Library Launches ‘Primary Resources’ Blog

Link to blog:

http://metrotransportationlibrary.blogspot.com/2010/04/as-many-of-you-know-metro-library.html

RAILROADS

8) Feds Say CN Underreported Blocked Illinois Rail Crossings

Link to article in the Southtown Star:

http://www.southtownstar.com/news/2187480,042210blockedcrossings.article

ROADWAYS

9) After Haiti, Chile Earthquakes, British Columbia Bridges Monitored for Seismic Events

An online system being developed with Chile to measure ground motion.

Link to article in the Daily Commercial News and Construction Record:

http://dcnonl.com/article/id38512

SAFETY / SECURITY

10) Do Databases Cross a Line in Border Checks?

Link to article in USA Today:

http://www.usatoday.com/tech/news/surveillance/2010-04-21-canadawatch_N.htm

VEHICLES

11) Virginia Stamps Out License to Hate: DMV Recalls Plate with Coded Racist Message

Link to article in The Washington Post:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/04/21/AR2010042105132.html

News Releases

1) Metro Traffic Announces New Enhancements to Traffic Data Collection with Integration of TIC3 from GEWI

2) Tolling Industry Mourns Loss of Ed DeLozier, IBTTA Board Member, Officer and Leader

3) NCR Brings Digital Entertainment to Airport Travelers with First Major Kiosk Deployment

4) New Pennsylvania DOT Web Site Offers Ways to ‘Green’ Your Commute

5) Federal Highway Administration Proposes Revision of Rules to Make Roadway Markings Brighter

6) Amtrak Scores Big with Television Commercial Targeting Hispanic Audiences

7) Frost & Sullivan Recognizes TomTom for its Outstanding Achievements in the Automotive Navigation Market

Solicitation

–  Call for Abstracts – Poster Section – Naturalistic Driving Research Symposium – Virginia Tech Transportation Institute

http://www.cpe.vt.edu/ndmas/ndmas-call-abstracts.pdf

Upcoming Events

FISITA World Automotive Congress – May 30-June 4 – Budapest

http://www.fisita2010.com/

Today in Transportation History

1930 **80th anniversary** The United Kingdom, Italy, France, Japan and the United States signed the London Naval Treaty to reduce and limit naval armaments.

http://www.microworks.net/pacific/road_to_war/london_treaty.htm

1970 **40th anniversary** The first Earth Day was observed.

http://celebrating200years.noaa.gov/events/earthday/nelson_newsletter650.jpg

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

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