Friday, May 8, 2009 – ISSN 1529-1057

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Register Now for ITS America’s 2009 Annual Meeting & Exposition, June 1-3, National Harbor, Maryland 

Join U.S. Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood, U.S. Chief Technology Officer-designate Aneesh Chopra, Members of Congress, and other transportation, technology, business and policy leaders at ITS America’s 2009 Annual Meeting & Exposition – located just 15 minutes away from the nation’s capitol. If you are in the transportation industry, you cannot afford to miss this event.  ITS America has put together an exciting program of nearly 100 educational and Congressional fact-finding sessions, opportunities to interact with Members of Congress and senior government officials, 150,000 square feet of exhibits, technical tours of local ITS facilities and projects, a “City Streets” technology demonstration staged right outside of the convention center, and a closing reception and technology showcase in the new Capitol Visitors Center.  For more information on the program and to register, visit http://www.itsa.org/amregistration.html.  

AVIATION

1) Tech, Ops Changes Eyed to Cut Bird Strikes

Link to story in Aviation Week:

http://www.aviationweek.com/aw/generic/story_channel.jsp?channel=comm&id=news/BIRD050709.xml&headline=Tech,%20Ops%20Changes%20Eyed%20To%20Cut%20Bird%20Strikes

2) Wi-Fi Slow to Become Ubiquitous Onboard Airlines

Link to AP story:

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/Wi-Fi-slow-to-become-apf-15189287.html?.v=2

3) Alaska Company Manufactures Safety Technology for Airports

Link to story in the Alaska Journal of Commerce:

http://www.alaskajournal.com/stories/050809/loc_img_local001.shtml

Link to ADS-B Technologies:  http://www.ads-b.com/

OTHER

4) Latest Issue of Thinking Highways Online

Link to magazine:

http://www.thinkinghighways.com/#/54  (North American Edition)

http://www.thinkinghighways.com/#/142  (Europe/RoW Edition)

ROADWAYS

5) Google Phenomenon Factor in Border Delays

Map directions lead to delays at Lewiston-Queenston Bridge.

Link to story on WGRZ-TV:

http://www.wgrz.com/news/local/story.aspx?storyid=66530

TRANSIT

6) Chicago Transit: Illinois House Panel OKs Bill to Require Updated Fare System

Link to story in the Chicago Tribune:

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-transit-legis-smartcards-08-may08,0,7249507.story

7) BART Dials Into Phone-Pay System

Link to story in The Examiner:

http://www.sfexaminer.com/local/BART-dials-in-to-phone-pay-system-44573062.html

News Releases

1) Finalists Revealed for Telematics Awards 2009

2) Virginia DOT Launches Interactive Road Construction Map on Web

3) ITS United Kingdom Publishes Intelligent Transport Systems Guides for Local Authority Personnel

Upcoming Events

National Transit Institute Course: Implementing Contactless Fare Collection Systems – May 18-19 – Pittsburgh

https://www.ntionline.com/CourseInfo.asp?CourseNumber=TRI-29

Friday Bonus

In honor of the opening of Star Trek, I present the world’s first car-cloaking device.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/lancashire/8030766.stm

Today in Transportation History

1989 **20^th anniversary** – STS-30 landed after successfully deploying the Magellan spacecraft, the first deep-space probe to be launched from a shuttle.

http://science.ksc.nasa.gov/shuttle/missions/sts-30/mission-sts-30.html 

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

© 2009 Bernie Wagenblast