Monday, August 16, 2010 – ISSN 1529-1057

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Participate in Global Traffic Solutions – GEWI Traffic Technologies Tour

This November, GEWI will be touring the US and Canada for the purpose of exchanging information about advanced traffic technologies being used around the world.  The tour demonstrates solutions for a variety of transportation related problems and ideas, including global vehicle/infrastructure projects similar to the US IntelliDrive initiative.  Other topics include data collection, harmonization, interoperability and dealing with emerging data types.  GEWI also wants to hear your current traffic data or system challenges.  This information exchange is just one of the many ways GEWI ensures that the TIC software product continues to be the global leader for the processing of transportation data.

If you’re interested in attending or hosting this free event in your area, contact jim.oneill@gewi.com.

AVIATION

1) Southwest Airlines Takes Proactive Approach When Things Go Wrong In-Flight

Link to article in The Dallas Morning News:

http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/bus/industries/airlines/stories/DN-swapology_15bus.ART0.State.Edition1.26cd7a0.html

BICYCLES

2) The Bike that Expresses Its Feelings

Link to blog on CNET News:

http://news.cnet.com/8301-17852_3-20013670-71.html

GPS / NAVIGATION

3) New York City to Retrofit Buses with GPS Tracking

Link to article in Washington Square News:

http://nyunews.com/news/2010/08/08/09gps/

MARITIME

4) NTSB Ties US Coast Guard Collision to Cell Phone Use

Link to article in The Hill:

http://thehill.com/blogs/hillicon-valley/technology/114137-ntsb-ties-coast-guard-collisions-to-cell-phone-use

OTHER

5) Latest Issues of Thinking Highways Online

–  Europe/RoW edition

http://thinkinghighways.com/Pages/View-issue.aspx?id=5d1ae3bb-0899-4bf8-a786-2e2b31499a62

–  North American edition

http://thinkinghighways.com/Pages/View-issue.aspx?id=21c8d997-8d9c-4854-b34c-8ded4121fa79

RAILROADS

6) Railroads’ Guarded Secret: Not Even Hazmat Teams are Told What’s on Train

Link to article in the Press & Sun-Bulletin:

http://www.pressconnects.com/article/20100814/NEWS01/8140340/1112/Railroads–guarded-secret–Not-even-HAZMAT-teams-are-told-what-s-on-train

7) Rail Safety: Making the Railroad Mantra ‘Safety First’ More than Words in a Manual

Link to article in Progressive Railroading:

http://www.progressiverailroading.com/pr/article.asp?id=24056&email=bernie@bwcommunications.net

ROADWAYS

8) University of Maryland Researcher Aims for Early Warning System for Bridges

Link to article in The Baltimore Sun:

http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/bs-md-bridge-sensors-20100816,0,7287279.story

SAFETY / SECURITY

9) Firms Crack Down on Driving While Distracted

Link to article in the Chicago Sun-Times:

http://www.suntimes.com/news/transportation/2601804,CST-NWS-ride16.article

TRANSIT

10) Johnson County (Kansas) Transit Offers New Web Site to Explain Transit Task Force

Link to article in The Kansas City Star:

http://www.kansascity.com/2010/08/13/2148259/joco-offers-new-website-to-explain.html

11) Defining a Transit Wireless Blueprint

Link to blog in Mass Transit:

http://www.masstransitmag.com/interactive/2010/08/12/defining-a-transit-wireless-blueprint/

12) Reconciling Security, Disclosure, and Record-Retention Requirements in Transit Procurements

Link to report from the Transportation Research Board:

http://www.trb.org/Main/Blurbs/Reconciling_Security_Disclosure_and_RecordRetentio_163894.aspx

TRAVELER INFORMATION / TRANSPORTATION MANAGEMENT

13) Rush Hour Alerts a Hit with Auckland Drivers

Link to article in The New Zealand Herald:

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10666174

14) Real-Time Traffic Business in Europe: Interview with Mediamobile CEO Vincent Godec

Link to video interview on GPS Business News:

http://www.gpsbusinessnews.com/Real-Time-Traffic-Business-in-Europe-Interview-with-Mediamobile-CEO-Vincent-Godec_a2398.html

15) Hopes High for New Winter Haven, Florida Traffic-Monitoring System

Link to article in The News Chief:

http://www.newschief.com/article/20100815/NEWS/8155061/-1/living02?Title=Hopes-high-for-new-W-H-traffic-monitoring-system

16) Q&A: Color-Coded Traffic in Google Maps

Link to column in The New York Times:

http://gadgetwise.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/08/16/q-a-color-coded-traffic-in-google-maps/

News Releases

1) Minnesota DOT Commissioner Tom Sorel to Kick Off New ITS America Webinar Series

2) Announcement of the Inaugural ITS Australia Awards

3) Blind Driver Challenge Project Wins Top Awards at NIWeek

4) Walk Score Launches Transit Score and Commute Reports

5) UAE Roads & Transport Authority Launches Accepted Fasting, Safe Road Campaign for Ramadan

Upcoming Events

Webinar: General Overview of the 2009 MUTCD Parts 1 and 6 – August 24

http://ops.fhwa.dot.gov/resources/news/news_detail.asp?ID=664

Today in Transportation History

1960 **50^th anniversary** Joseph Kittinger set a world record, which still stands, for the highest altitude skydive at 102,800 feet (31,300 meters).

http://www.af.mil/information/heritage/person.asp?dec=&pid=123006518

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© 2010 Bernie Wagenblast  www.bwcommunications.net