Monday, July 11, 2011 – ISSN 1529-1057

The Transportation Communications Newsletter & Social Media

While the daily email newsletter is the main way I share information, the TCN also has a presence on Facebook and Twitter.  You can become a fan of the TCN on Facebook by clicking here.  By becoming a fan of the TCN you can also makes posts on the page and connect with other TCN readers.  I also provide a quick summary, and occasional updates between editions on Twitter.  You can follow me at@TransportComm.

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AVIATION

1) Memphis a Proving Ground for FAA’s New Air Traffic Control System

Link to article in The Commercial Appeal:

http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2011/jul/10/fedex-delta-hop-on-board-with-nextgen/

2) GOP: FAA Should Use More Private Resources for NextGen

Link to article in The Hill:

http://thehill.com/blogs/transportation-report/aviation/170489-gop-faa-should-use-more-private-resources-for-nextgen

3) Iridium Offers New Air-Traffic Service

Link to article from The Wall Street Journal:

http://www.morningstar.co.uk/uk/markets/newsfeeditem.aspx?id=148573656386616

Link to news release from Iridium:

http://investor.iridium.com/releasedetail.cfm?ReleaseID=590316

OTHER

4) Intelligent Transport Society of South Africa Voices Support for User-Pays Principle

Link to article in Engineering News:

http://www.engineeringnews.co.za/article/transport-society-voices-support-for-user-pays-principle-2011-07-08

5) US Army Transportation School Uses ‘Smart’ Training

Link to article on Military.com:

http://www.military.com/news/article/army-news/transportation-school-uses-smart-training.html

6) Technology May Soon Change Meaning of ‘Drive Time’

Link to commentary in The Patriot Ledger:

http://www.patriotledger.com/features/x1850042817/COMMENTARY-Technology-may-soon-allow-us-to-charge-fairly-for-highway-use

7) Traffic Technology International – June/July 2011

Link to magazine:

http://viewer.zmags.com/publication/956bceea#/956bceea/1

8) SunGuide Disseminator – July 2011

Link to newsletter from the Florida Department of Transportation:

http://www.dot.state.fl.us/TrafficOperations/Newsletters/2011/2011-007-Jul.pdf

PARKING

9) The Ups and Downs of Meter Rates

First results in from San Francisco’s SFpark parking-management program.

Link to article in the San Francisco Chronicle:

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2011/07/11/BAHN1K8DMK.DTL

10) Portland, Oregon Will Test Pay-by-Phone Street Parking Starting in August

Link to article in The Oregonian:

http://www.oregonlive.com/portland/index.ssf/2011/07/portland_will_test_pay-by-phon.html

PUBLIC INFORMATION / EDUCATION

11) ‘Move Over’ Rule to be Touted in California Traffic Safety Campaign

Link to article in The Sacramento Bee:

http://www.sacbee.com/2011/07/10/3759137/move-over-rule-to-be-touted-in.html

12) Winnipeg Stadium Traffic Plan ‘Clouded in Secrecy’

Link to article in the Winnipeg Free Press:

http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/stadium-traffic-plan-clouded-in-secrecy-33000-fans-fewer-than-7100-parking-spots-at-bombers-future-home-125284893.html

RAILROADS

13) Suppliers Prep Wayside Components to Cover the Dark Territory and Trackside Monitoring Aspects of Positive Train Control

Link to article in Progressive Railroading:

http://www.progressiverailroading.com/ptc/article/CS-Suppliers-prep-wayside-components-to-cover-the-dark-territory-trackside-monitoring-aspects-of-PTC–26841

ROADWAYS

14) Worries About Boston Tunnel Lights Were Kept in the Dark

Engineers knew corroded tunnel fixtures could signify real danger, but they moved slowly, secretly.

Link to article in The Boston Globe:

http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2011/07/10/worries_about_lights_were_kept_in_the_dark/

15) Massachusetts Lawmakers Seek to Query Transportation Head About Agency Secretiveness

Link to article in The Boston Globe:

http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2011/07/11/lawmakers_seek_to_query_transportation_head_about_agency_secretiveness/

SAFETY / SECURITY

16) Distracted-Driving Programs Show Success

Link to article in USA Today:

http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2011-07-11-programs-help-cut-distracted-driving_n.htm

Link to news release from US DOT:

http://www.dot.gov/affairs/2011/dot8211.html

17) FEMA and FCC Commit to More Training Before Implementing Emergency Mobile Alerts

Link to article on Nextgov:

http://www.nextgov.com/nextgov/ng_20110708_4021.php

TELEMATICS

18) Talking to Your Car Not so Farfetched with Telematics Options

Link to column in the Las Vegas Review-Journal:

http://www.lvrj.com/drive/talking-to-your-car-not-so-farfetched-with-telematrics-options-125202298.html

TRANSIT

19) App Designed to Make Travel by Public Transit Easier

Link to article on Gizmag:

http://www.gizmag.com/fraunhofer-smart-way-public-transit-app/19168/

Link to further information from the Fraunhofer Institute for Transportation and Infrastructure Systems:

http://www.fraunhofer.de/en/press/research-news/2010-2011/19/mobile-guide.jsp

20) Toronto Transit Commission Launches Real-Time Vehicle-Tracking System for Buses

Link to article in The Globe and Mail:

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/toronto/ttc-launches-real-time-vehicle-tracking-system-for-buses/article2093353/

Link to news release from the TTC:

http://www3.ttc.ca/News/2011/July/07_11_NVAS_Bus.jsp

21) DC Metro’s Model Riders are Really Models

Link to article in The Examiner:

http://washingtonexaminer.com/local/dc/2011/07/metros-model-riders-are-really-models

22) Social Media’s Influence on Public Transit

Link to blog on Human Transit:

http://www.humantransit.org/2011/07/social-medias-influence-on-public-transit-guest-post.html

TRAVELER INFORMATION / TRANSPORTATION MANAGEMENT

23) Kentucky Speedway Officials Vow to Improve Traffic Conditions

Link to story and video on WLKY-TV:

http://www.wlky.com/r/28504910/detail.html

Link to statement from the Kentucky Speedway:

http://www.kentuckyspeedway.com/newsline/news.aspx?newsID=1038

24) California DOT Gets High-Tech for ‘Carmageddon’

Link to story and video on KABC-TV:

http://abclocal.go.com/kabc/story?section=resources/traffic&id=8244027

25) Metropolitan Manila Development Authority to Launch Latest Traffic, Flood Updating Program

Link to article in the Sun.Star:

http://www.sunstar.com.ph/manila/local-news/2011/07/10/mmda-launch-latest-traffic-flood-updating-program-166071

26) Colorado Signs Display Travel Times

Vehicle transponders help compute the estimates.

Link to article in The Gazette:

http://www.gazette.com/articles/says-121304-sign-getting.html

27) Southampton, UK’s CCTV Control Center to Move

Officials hope to find a private firm to run the service.

Link to article in the Daily Echo:

http://www.dailyecho.co.uk/news/9132274.CCTV_control_centre_to_leave_stadium/

VEHICLES

28) Ford Wins a Rare Corporate Foothold on Google+

Link to article on CNET:

http://news.cnet.com/8301-30685_3-20077242-264/ford-wins-a-rare-corporate-foothold-on-google/

29) Designing Intelligence Into the Car – On Demand Webinar

Link to view webinar from EE Times:

http://www.eetimes.com/electrical-engineers/education-training/webinars/4216833/Designing-Intelligence-into-the-Car?Ecosystem=communications-design

News Releases

1) New York MTA Launches Competition for Best Transportation-Related Apps

2) Ford Trials Complimentary Live Operator Assistance for Sync Services; Free Business Search and Address Entry Support

3) Streetline Launches Smart Parking Program for New Brunswick, New Jersey

4) European Traffic Information is Available Free on the ViaMichelin Website, the iPhone and the iPad

5) Avery Dennison Launches Retroreflectivity Compliance Kit

Upcoming Events

7^th International ASME/IEEE Conference on Mechatronics and Embedded Systems and Applications – August 28-31 – Washington, DC

http://iel.ucdavis.edu/mesa/MESA11/

Today in Transportation History  

 

1911 **100^th anniversary** The Federal Express derailed in Bridgeport, Connecticut.  Fourteen people died. The St. Louis Cardinals were traveling on the train and were credited with saving many lives.

http://www.ctnow.com/sports/hc-train-wreck-0710-20110709,0,2471871,full.story

1911 **100^th anniversary** Construction began on California’s Santa Maria Valley Railroad.

http://www.ksby.com/news/santa-maria-valley-railroad-will-soon-celebrate-100th-anniversary1/

1936 **75t^h anniversary** The Triborough Bridge opened.  The bridge connects the New York City boroughs of Queens, the Bronx and Manhattan.

http://mta.info/news/stories/?story=305

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