Thursday, April 7, 2011 – ISSN 1529-1057

Free INRIX Webinar: Complying with FHWA’s new Real-Time System Management Information Program (RTSMIP) Mandate

Known by many simply as “the 1201 requirements”, which referred to the original section in SAFETEA-LU, the new RTSMIP program requires that within the next four years all states develop a real-time system management information program to provide monitoring of traffic and travel conditions of the major highways and share information to address congestion problems and facilitate traveler information. Hosted by Ted Trepanier, INRIX Executive Director of Public Sector and former Director of Traffic Operations for Washington State DOT, this webinar provides a brief overview of the requirements of the new rules and showcases a suite of cost-effective and easy to implement solutions for meeting compliance with the new rule.

Date: Thursday, April 13, 2011 Time: 10:00AM (PDT); 1:00PM (EDT)

Register now: http://www.inrix.com/webinars.asp

AVIATION

1) Indian Pilots’ Exams May Go Online in July

Link to article in the Indian Express:

http://www.indianexpress.com/news/Pilots–exams-may-go-online-in-July/772825/

GPS / NAVIGATION

2) New Google Maps Feature Nudges Drivers to Consider Alternatives

Link to blog on CaliforniaStreets.org:

http://www.californiastreets.org/2011/04/new-google-maps-feature-nudges-drivers-to-consider-alternatives/

RAILROADS

3) Federal Railroad Administration Bans Electronic Devices on Trains

Link to article in The Journal of Commerce:

http://www.joc.com/rail-intermodal/fra-bans-electronic-devices-trains

4) Bulgarian State Railways to Use GPS to Reduce Fuel Thefts

Link to article in The Sofia Echo:

http://www.sofiaecho.com/2011/04/07/1071660_bulgarian-state-railways-to-use-gps-to-reduce-fuel-thefts

ROADWAYS

5) Website Maps California Highway Crashes, May Lead to Safer Roads

Link to article from the Contra Costa Times:

http://www.mercurynews.com/breaking-news/ci_17786691?nclick_check=1

Link to news release from the University of California, Berkeley:

http://newscenter.berkeley.edu/2011/04/06/tims-california-traffic-collisions/

TELEMATICS

6) The Toyota-Microsoft Cloud Partnership is a Big Deal

Link to column in InformationWeek:

http://www.informationweek.com/news/global-cio/interviews/229401129

TRANSIT

7) Bus Shelters in Mysore to Go Intelligent Soon

Link to article in the Business Standard:

http://www.business-standard.com/india/news/bus-shelters-in-mysore-to-go-intelligent-soon/431368/

8) Woman Kicked Off Vancouver SkyTrain for Profane Lapel Pin

Link to CBC News story:

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/story/2011/04/06/bc-lapel-pin-f-k-yoga-translink.html

9) New York MTA’s Signs Off the Rails

Communications, especially for subway construction projects, can be a challenge.

Link to article from The Wall Street Journal:

http://www.marketwatch.com/story/mtas-signs-off-the-rails-2011-04-05

10) Victoria Transport Building Android, WP7 Apps

Link to article on ZDNet Australia:

http://www.zdnet.com.au/vic-transport-building-android-wp7-apps-339312814.htm

TRAVELER INFORMATION / TRANSPORTATION MANAGEMENT

11) ‘Drivers Should Have Been Alerted’

Witnesses blame reckless driving and poor information for pile-up on Abu Dhabi-Dubai highway.

Link to article in Gulf News:

http://gulfnews.com/news/gulf/uae/general/drivers-should-have-been-alerted-1.788847

News Releases

1) Operation Lifesaver Testifies on Its Role in Rail Safety at House Railroad Subcommittee Hearing

2) Sound Transit Launches New Website Featuring Improved Trip Planner, Rider-Focused Design

3) US DOT Releases ‘Faces of Distracted Driving’ Public Service Announcement

4) Global Commercial Telematics Shipments to Exceed 6.4 Million by 2016

5) Research and Markets: Global Automatic Number Plate Recognition Market 2010-2014 – Need for Security Boosts Adoption of Automatic Number Plate Recognition

Upcoming Events

MOSARIM Workshop: Automotive Radar Interference Mitigation and Countermeasures – May 26 – Ispra, Italy

http://www.ertico.com/mosarim-workshop-26-may-2011-ispra-italy-2/

Today in Transportation History

1521 **490^th anniversary** Ferdinand Magellan arrived at Cebu.

http://www.ancientsites.com/aw/Article/965899

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

The Transportation Communications Newsletter is published electronically Monday through Friday.

To subscribe (for free) or unsubscribe, please contact me at bernie@bwcommunications.net.

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

Become a TCN fan on Facebook!

Questions, comments about the TCN?  Please write the editor, Bernie Wagenblast at bernie@bwcommunications.net.

© 2011 Bernie Wagenblast  www.bwcommunications.net

(Source: NY Times)

U.S. Doctors Say Biofuels Could Kill Over 192,000 Per Year in Developing Countries

The food vs. fuel debate has intensified a little more with the ever growing demand for bio-fuels.  Many of the world’s hungriest people are going to bed without a morsel to eat, as more of the conventional food crops such as corn are diverted towards making biofuels that power the vehicle fleets. This above graphic from the NY Times article shows an alarming increase in the way we have change the consumption from food to fuel starting at the dawn of this 21st century.

Each year, an ever larger portion of the world’s crops — cassava and corn, sugar and palm oil — is being diverted for biofuels as developed countries pass laws mandating greater use of nonfossil fuels and as emerging powerhouses like China seek new sources of energy to keep their cars and industries running. Cassava is a relatively new entrant in the biofuel stream.

But with food prices rising sharply in recent months, many experts are calling on countries to scale back their headlong rush into green fuel development, arguing that the combination of ambitious biofuel targets and mediocre harvests of some crucial crops is contributing to high prices, hunger and political instability.

This year, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization reported that its index of food prices was the highest in its more than 20 years of existence. Prices rose 15 percent from October to January alone, potentially “throwing an additional 44 million people in low- and middle-income countries into poverty,” the World Bank said.

On a related note, the following was published on TreeHugger.com:

The Association of American Physicians and Surgeons (AAPS) has released a warning that U.S. and European policy to increase the production of biofuels could lead to almost 200,000 deaths in poorer countries. How? Mostly through higher food prices. Most biofuels are made using food crops like corn at this time, and diverting corn to ethanol refineries not only increases the price of corn, but it also encourage farmers to plant more of it, leaving less space for other types of crops, driving up their price too. This is a big deal if you live on $1-2 a day…

Click here to read the entire article.

(Source:  Thecityfix.com)

SeeClickFix, an online forum created to engage residents with community leaders to resolve neighborhood complaints, today announced the launch of a Facebook application. The Facebook application, similar to the SeeClickFix website and smartphone application, empowers citizens by giving them a chance to report issues in their communities directly through their Facebook accounts. Once reported, local authorities receive alerts on the complaints and can respond to issues accordingly.

“When the App is installed, the user’s location is pulled either directly from his or her current Facebook profile location or entered manually if no location is given,” reports the SeeClickFix blog. “Once the location is set, the user can start reporting issues, creating watch areas, discovering problems reported by neighbors, and, most important, advocating for an issue to be fixed. Users can automatically post reported issues to their walls, allowing friends to comment on the issue or vote for a fix.”

SeeClickFix has 14,000 registered public officials and more than 50,000 reported issues have been resolved through the website and its mobile application’s open forums. A Facebook application further encourages public empowerment by linking citizens with public officials through a familiar interface.

Click here to read more.

(Source: TheCityFix.com)

U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood announced a 3 percent decrease in road fatalities between 2009 and 2010, which still adds up to 32,788 deaths. According to LaHood, last year’s traffic fatalities fell to the lowest levels since 1949, despite a 0.7 percent increase in the number of miles Americans drove—about 20.5 billion extra miles—and an 11 percent increase in congestion in the country’s 100 biggest metropolitan areas, making the decrease in traffic fatalities especially noteworthy.

Here is the USDOT’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) Press Release:

U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood today announced that the number and rate of traffic fatalities in 2010 fell to the lowest levels since 1949, despite a significant increase in the number of miles Americans drove during the year.“Last year’s drop in traffic fatalities is welcome news and it proves that we can make a difference,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood. “Still, too many of our friends and neighbors are killed in preventable roadway tragedies every day. We will continue doing everything possible to make cars safer, increase seat belt use, put a stop to drunk driving and distracted driving and encourage drivers to put safety first.”

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s (NHTSA) early projections, the number of traffic fatalities fell three percent between 2009 and 2010, from 33,808 to 32,788. Since 2005, fatalities have dropped 25 percent, from a total of 43,510 fatalities in 2005. The same estimates also project that the fatality rate will be the lowest recorded since 1949, with 1.09 fatalities per 100 million vehicle miles traveled, down from the 1.13 fatality rate for 2009. The decrease in fatalities for 2010 occurred despite an estimated increase of nearly 21 billion miles in national vehicle miles traveled.

A regional breakdown showed the greatest drop in fatalities occurred in the Pacific Northwest states of Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana and Alaska, where they dropped by 12 percent. Arizona, California and Hawaii had the next steepest decline, nearly 11 percent.

“The decrease in traffic fatalities is a good sign, but we are always working to save lives,” said NHTSA Administrator David Strickland. “NHTSA will continue pressing forward on all of our safety initiatives to make sure our roads are as safe as they can possibly be.”

The Department of Transportation (DOT) has taken a comprehensive approach to reducing roadway fatalities by promoting strong traffic safety laws coupled with high-visibility enforcement and through rigorous vehicle safety programs and public awareness campaigns.

In 2009, Secretary LaHood launched a national anti-distracted driving campaign modeled on other successful NHTSA efforts to reduce fatalities, such as its “Over the Limit. Under Arrest.” and “Click It Or Ticket” campaigns to curb drunk driving and increase seat belt use. The U.S. DOT has launched a dedicated website, Distraction.gov, to provide the public with a comprehensive source of information on distracted driving. DOT has also hosted two national summits devoted to the issue, crafted sample legislation which states can use to adopt distracted driving laws, and initiated pilot law enforcement programs in Hartford, Conn., and Syracuse, N.Y.

NHTSA has also taken action to improve vehicle safety. The agency has urged automakers to swiftly and voluntarily report safety defects to keep the driving public safe. NHTSA has also encouraged the development and use of technologies to prevent crashes, such as electronic stability control, forward collision warning and lane departure warning systems. The agency also unveiled an updated 5-star rating system in 2010, which established more rigorous crash-test standards and began providing consumers with improved information about which cars perform best in collisions.

The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) has also been encouraging the use of Safety Edge technology — which reduces drivers’ risk of running off the road by shaping pavement edge — on new road and highway projects. FHWA has also promoted the use of rumble strips and cable median barriers to separate opposing directions of traffic to reduce the incidence of crossover head-on collisions.

To view NHTSA’s latest statistical projections of traffic fatalities in 2010, including regional estimates, click here.

(Source: car-insurance.com via Autoblog)

(Source: Street Films)

This nice video from StreetFilms provides a brief overview of the concept of traffic calming and highlights some examples from cities across the country.  Do check out the other videos from the Moving Beyond Automobiles series. Have you ever observed such “calming” measures in your neighborhood?  Now that you have seen this, the next time you step out onto the streets you may notice a few of these measures deployed in your neighborhood.  If you don’t recognize them, would you like to share with us what traffic calming features work well in your neighborhood?

(Sources: Washington Post, FAA, & WSJ)

The Federal Aviation Administration plans to order immediate inspections of older-model Boeing 737 jetliners that are the workhorse of domestic air travel, a precaution after a hole opened in the hull of a Southwest Airlines plane flying at 34,400.

The FAA on Monday announced (See FAA press release below) a speedy, but limited, response: It said it intends to issue an emergency safety directive calling for stepped-up structural inspections affecting about 170 of aircraft giantBoeing Co.’s workhorse 737s world-wide.

 

FAA Presser

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The FAA will issue an emergency directive tomorrow that will require operators of specific early Boeing 737 models to conduct initial and repetitive electromagnetic inspections for fatigue damage. This action will initially apply to a total of approximately 175 aircraft worldwide, 80 of which are U.S.-registered aircraft. Most of the aircraft in the U.S. are operated by Southwest Airlines.

“Safety is our number one priority,” said Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood. “Last Friday’s incident was very serious and could result in additional action depending on the outcome of the investigation.”

“The FAA has comprehensive programs in place to protect commercial aircraft from structural damage as they age,” said FAA Administrator Randy Babbitt. “This action is designed to detect cracking in a specific part of the aircraft that cannot be spotted with visual inspection.”

The FAA airworthiness directive will require initial inspections using electromagnetic, or eddy-current, technology in specific areas of the aircraft fuselage on certain Boeing 737 aircraft in the -300, -400 and -500 series that have accumulated more than 30,000 flight cycles. It will then require repetitive inspections at regular intervals.

Last November, the FAA published a rule designed specifically to address widespread fatigue damage in aging aircraft. The rule requires aircraft manufacturers to establish a number of flight cycles or hours a plane can operate and be free from fatigue damage. The rule requires aircraft manufacturers to incorporate the limits into their maintenance programs.

Click here to read more.

(Source: Marlerhaley via  Killer Infographics & Autoblog Green)

On a related note, it might be worth noting that there is a already a lot of controversy surrounding the official numbers posted by the automakers versus the results from real life driving conditions in Europe.  Here is a peek at the ongoing debate:

Jos Dings, director of Brussels-based Transport & Environment, told Automotive News (sub. req.) that official CO2 emissions results posted by automakers are “less and less a reflection of what we are seeing on the road.” Dings says that the amount of CO2 emitted under controlled test conditions can be up to 50 percent lower than in real-world driving, telling AN that, “We don’t want cuts on paper. We want them in reality.”

Image Courtesy: via Autoblog — CO2 emissions chart

Click here to read more about this ongoing issue.

(Source: ITDP & Streetfilms)

Cities worldwide are demonstrating innovation in transport planning by integrating bike, BRT and metro systems, with Guangzhou in China announced as winner of the 2011 Sustainable Transport Award. Guangzhou’s new world-class BRT system integrates with bike lanes, bike share and metro stations, raising the bar for all cities.

Last year the city made major strides to cut carbon emissions and reclaim space for people, opening new bus rapid transit and public bike sharing systems.  It now carries 800,000 passengers a day, seamlessly connecting riders to both the metro system and the city’s new bike-share network.

Editor’s Note: It will be interesting to see how the other mega cities in Asia (New Delihi, Mumbai, Shanghai, Jakarta, etc) will adopt this successful and sustainable transportation option into the existing mix.   With growing prices for petroleum products and rising congestion, the cities will be forced to explore/adopt this model sooner than later.

Monday, April 4, 2011 – ISSN 1529-1057

On April 1, The PBSJ Corporation and its PBS&J subsidiary company will be renamed Atkins. PBSJ operates as a national business of Atkins in North America following its acquisition in October. Atkins is the world’s 11th largest design firm.

“The Atkins name is well known and highly respected through the United Kingdom and Europe, the Middle East, Asia, and the Pacific and in key sectors such as energy,” states Robert J. Paulsen, former chairman and president of PBSJ Corp. and now president and regional managing director of Atkins North America. “We have maintained our focus on client service and our commitment to delivering technical excellence. Our teams are highly skilled and we are confident in our ability to augment our services by delivering Atkins’ international expertise locally through teams that understand the local requirements, practices, and culture.  We continue to believe a local presence is essential to best serve many of our clients.”

AVIATION

1) Heathrow Report Highlights Crisis Management Systems Failings

Airport operator BAA is investing £50 million in improving incident management and communications systems.

Link to article in Computerworld UK:

http://www.computerworlduk.com/news/it-business/3268169/heathrow-report-highlights-crisis-management-systems-failings/

2) Air Traffic System Update Encountered Turbulence

Link to article in The New York Times:

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/02/business/02air.html

3) ITT Joins Nexa Capital in $1.5 Billion Air Control Upgrade Fund

Link to Bloomberg article:

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-04-04/itt-joins-nexa-capital-in-1-5-billion-air-control-upgrade-fund.html

Link to news release:

http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/nextgen-equipage-fund-announces-public-private-partnership-119175089.html

4) Research Group Defines 2050 Vision for Aviation in EU

Link to article on EurActiv:

http://www.euractiv.com/en/transport/research-group-defines-2050-vision-aviation-news-503707

CAMERAS

5) Florida DOT: I-75 Cameras Won’t be Recording

Link to article in the Bradenton Herald:

http://www.bradenton.com/2011/04/03/3083222/fdot-i-75-cameras-wont-record.html

GPS / NAVIGATION

6) LightSquared: GPS Issues Won’t Stall Launch

Link to article on Light Reading Mobile:

http://www.lightreading.com/document.asp?doc_id=206302

7) MTS Rolls Out First Cellphone Using GLONASS

Link to article in The Economic Times:

http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/tech/hardware/mts-rolls-out-first-phone-using-russian-technology/articleshow/7865527.cms

MARITIME

8) Fishing Vessel Monitoring System Under Test in Sri Lanka

Link to article in the Daily News:

http://www.dailynews.lk/2011/04/05/news25.asp

9) British Company Makes Device that Track Ships

Link to article from the Mail on Sunday:

http://www.tmcnet.com/usubmit/-signal-uk-success-story-maritime-technology-mail-sunday-/2011/04/03/5420071.htm

10) Smaller is Better

New technologies provide a lightweight solution for the US Navy’s communications.

Link to article in the Oak Ridge National Laboratory Review:

http://www.ornl.gov/info/ornlreview/v44_1_11/article09.shtml

OTHER

11) Leaders Say Virtual Port Will Grow Economy in Northern West Virginia

Weirton Port Authority wants high-speed wireless network to connect first responders in catastrophe and to facilitate transfer of information about shipments.

Link to story on WBOY-TV:

http://www.wboy.com/story.cfm?func=viewstory&storyid=97062

12) Interview with the Director of the IBM Global Rail Innovation Center

Information technology could be used to better integrate travel modes.

Link to interview and video on The Infrastructurist:

http://www.infrastructurist.com/2011/04/04/talking-trains-again-with-ibm%E2%80%99s-head-of-rail-innovation/

SAFETY / SECURITY

13) Unique Montana Fatality Marker Safety Program

Link to article in the Great Falls Tribune:

http://www.greatfallstribune.com/article/20110403/NEWS01/104030301/0/BUSINESS/Group-quietly-bears-cross-marking-state-s-highway-fatalities

14) Battling Driver Distraction

Technology from iQ-Telematics could allow drivers to focus on driving when most needed.

Link to article in the Detroit Free Press:

http://www.freep.com/article/20110403/BUSINESS06/104030451/Battling-driver-distraction

15) Avoiding the Great Compromise

Protecting public safety without compromising freedom or commerce.

Link to article in the Oak Ridge National Laboratory Review:

http://www.ornl.gov/info/ornlreview/v44_1_11/article12.shtml

TRANSIT

 

16) Auckland Integrated Ticket Card Launched

Link to article in Computerworld:

http://computerworld.co.nz/news.nsf/news/auckland-integrated-ticket-card-launched

Link to news release from the NZ Transport Agency:

http://www.nzta.govt.nz/about/media/releases/1151/news.html

17) Will Mozart Help Prevent Crime?

More Portland light rail stations will get classical music under bill in Oregon legislature.

Link to AP article:

http://www.katu.com/news/local/119123129.html

TRAVELER INFORMATION / TRANSPORTATION MANAGEMENT

18) South Dakota DOT Secretary Says Changes Made for Faster Road Updates on Web, 511

Link to AP article:

http://www.rapidcityjournal.com/news/article_cfab4420-5e62-11e0-8dba-001cc4c002e0.html

19) Pennsylvania DOT Expands Camera Coverage to Bucks County

Link to article and video in the Bucks County Courier Times:

http://www.phillyburbs.com/news/crime/cameras-now-focused-on-bucks-roadways/article_b389b31a-5ea5-11e0-bf1f-001a4bcf6878.html

20) Transportation and Transit Apps Slay in New York City App Contest

Link to story on Transportation Nation:

http://transportationnation.org/2011/04/04/transportation-and-transit-apps-slay-in-nyc-app-contest/

Link to additional information from the City of New York:

http://nycbigapps.com/submissions

21) Students Display Innovative Traffic Management Models

Link to article in The Times of India:

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/varanasi/Students-display-innovative-traffic-mgmt-models/articleshow/7859953.cms

22) Twaffic

Will Twitter – and tweets about traffic – change the way we drive?

Link to column in Slate:

http://www.slate.com/id/2290169/

23) Supporters Ought to Make Business Case for ITS Legislation

Link to editorial in the Livingston Daily:

http://www.livingstondaily.com/article/20110403/OPINION01/104030319/1014/opinion/Supporters-ought-make-business-case-road-plan

News Releases

1) Monroe County, New York Traffic Cameras Now Streaming Live Online

2) Crewmember Identity Verification Program to Begin Testing

3) Tennessee DOT Introduces SmartWay Mobile

4) Ascendent ID Announces Smallest Tag for Automatic Vehicle Identification

5) China TransInfo Announces Development Agreement with Nissan Motor Co. for New Traffic Information System

Solicitation

–  Request for Proposals – Deployment of a Transit Vehicle Arrival Information System – City of Pasadena, California

http://vendors.planetbids.com/Pasadena/biddtl.cfm?BidNo=1303&Status=Bidding

Upcoming Events

Transit ITS Regional Workshop – May 17-18 – Columbia, South Carolina

http://www.ntionline.com/sectioninfo.asp?section_number=TRI-26-051711SC1

Today in Transportation History

1581 **430^th anniversary** Francis Drake is knighted for his circumnavigation of the world.

http://www.wired.com/science/discoveries/news/2007/04/dayintech_0404

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

The Transportation Communications Newsletter is published electronically Monday through Friday.

To subscribe (for free) or unsubscribe, please contact me at bernie@bwcommunications.net.

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

Become a TCN fan on Facebook!

Questions, comments about the TCN?  Please write the editor, Bernie Wagenblast at bernie@bwcommunications.net.

© 2011 Bernie Wagenblast  www.bwcommunications.net