TransportGooru

Tuesday, August 10, 2010 – ISSN 1529-1057

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IBTTA 78th Annual Meeting & Exhibition — Register Today! Early Bird Discount Ends August 22, 2010

Join your colleagues in San Diego, September 12-15, 2010, for IBTTA’s 78th Annual Meeting & Exhibition, the year’s most highly-anticipated learning and networking event — attracting more than 700 toll industry experts and decision makers from across the globe. Under the theme, Sustainable Transportation, the technical program offers tracks focused on innovation, policy, the economy, and the California tolling experience. Hosted by the California Toll Operators Committee (CTOC), this event features interactive seminars, influential speakers, technical tours and special events, informative exhibits and more! Breaking News! The Hilton San Diego Bayfront has reduced the contracted room rate from $241/night to $219/night. The new rate applies to all existing confirmed reservations and any new reservations. Customized sponsorship and exhibitor packages are available. Visit IBTTA’s website for details.

BICYCLES

1) Momentum Grows for Federal Policy Breakthrough that Would Fast-Track Bikeway Innovations

Link to blog on BikePortland.org:

http://bikeportland.org/2010/08/10/momentum-grows-for-federal-policy-breakthrough-that-would-fast-track-bikeway-innovations/

CAMERAS

2) Maryland to Store License Plate Scanner Data at Intel Fusion Center

Link to blog from the Center for Investigative Reporting:

http://www.centerforinvestigativereporting.org/blogpost/20100809marylandtostorelicenseplatescannerdataatintelfusioncenter

CARTOGRAPHY

3) As Google Street View Ramps Up in Germany, Korea Clamps Down

Link to article in The Christian Science Monitor:

http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Global-News/2010/0810/As-Google-Street-View-ramps-up-in-Germany-Korea-clamps-down

ELECTRONIC TOLLING

4) Technology is Making Tolls (Almost) Painless

Link to article in the Reading Eagle:

http://readingeagle.com/article.aspx?id=240518

GPS / NAVIGATION

5) Putin Wants Russian Satnav System in New Cars from 2012

Link to AFP article:

http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5gXennqUAYggivPoWReBOHGilIFhg

MARITIME

6) Vessel Traffic Management System May Get Some Blame for Indian Ship Collision

Link to article in the Bangalore Mirror:

http://www.bangaloremirror.com/article/11/20100810201008102301575055dc25011/Guide-ditched-crashed-ship.html

7) Family of Fishing Guide Presumed Drowned Calls for GPS Locators

Link to article in the Times Colonist:

http://www.timescolonist.com/Family+fishing+guide+presumed+drowned+calls+locators/3380188/story.html

OTHER

8) Orange County Transportation Authority to Post Employee Pay, Benefits

Link to article in The Orange County Register:

http://www.ocregister.com/news/octa-261321-board-grand.html

9) New York Lauds Using Facial-Recognition for Driver’s Licenses

Link to article in The Washington Times:

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2010/aug/10/ny-lauds-facial-recognition-technology-licenses/

10) Commuter ‘Pain’ Fuels Smart Solutions

Link to article in InformationWeek:

http://www.informationweek.com/blog/main/archives/2010/08/commuter_pain_f.html

11) Can ‘Webinars’ Make Planning Workshops Obsolete?

Link to article on Planetizen:

http://www.planetizen.com/node/45478

PARKING

12) New Technology May Solve Your Parking Problems

Link to column in the Contra Costa Times:

http://www.contracostatimes.com/bay-area-news/ci_15722439

RAILROADS

13) Positive Train Control: Railroads, Suppliers Still Have a Ways to Go to Meet the 2015 Positive Train Control Mandate

Link to article in Progressive Railroading:

http://www.progressiverailroading.com/pr/article.asp?id=24053

ROADWAYS

14) Using Tech to Curb Deaths on Minnesota’s Roadways

Link to story and audio on Minnesota Public Radio:

http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2010/08/10/minnesota-traffic-deaths/

15) Seattle’s ‘Smart Highway Signs’ Go Online Today

Link to story and video on KING-TV:

http://www.king5.com/news/local/Seattle-Smarter-Highways-go-online-Tuesday-100320979.html

16) Vermont Shows Off New Signs Warning Drivers to Give Room to Emergency Vehicles

Link to article in The Burlington Free Press:

http://www.burlingtonfreepress.com/article/20100810/NEWS02/8100307/State-shows-off-new-signs-warning-drivers-to-give-room-to-emergency-vehicles

SAFETY / SECURITY

17) Driver Ed Battles Texting Obsession

Link to article on BrookfieldNOW:

http://www.brookfieldnow.com/news/100379259.html

TRANSIT

18) New York City Buses to Get Ads Opposing Islam Center

Link to article in The New York Times:

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/10/nyregion/10mta.html

19) NTSB Criticizes DC Metro Board Over Fatal Crash in 2009

Link to article in The Washington Post:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/08/09/AR2010080905986.html

Link to news releases from WMATA:

http://www.wmata.com/about_metro/news/PressReleaseDetail.cfm?ReleaseID=4601

http://www.wmata.com/about_metro/news/PressReleaseDetail.cfm?ReleaseID=4602

TRAVELER INFORMATION / TRANSPORTATION MANAGEMENT

20) Drawls Welcome: Texas DOT Tests Phone Info Line

Link to AP article:

http://abcnews.go.com/Travel/wireStory?id=11367583

Link to news release from Texas DOT:

http://www.dot.state.tx.us/news/035-2010.htm

21) Twin Cities Ahead of Curve in Managing Congestion

Link to article on Twin Cities Daily Planet:

http://www.tcdailyplanet.net/news/2010/08/09/twin-cities-ahead-curve-managing-congestion

VEHICLES

22) After 12 Years, EU License Plate Gets Traction

Link to AP article:

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5gsMi_PefCSEbXt0sO7Vfm6zzIZmAD9HGNJQ82

News Releases

1) Federal Highway Administrator Mendez Helps Launch Smarter Highways on I-5 in Seattle

2) Telvent to Implement Light Rail Priority System in Algeria

3) Automated Valet Creates Customized iPhone App for DFW Airport Valet

4) Lockheed Martin-Built GPS Satellite Surpasses 10 Years On-Orbit

5) Waze 2.0 Available for Download, Featuring New Driving Groups

6) ReportLinker Adds Collecting and Distributing Traffic Information in China

Upcoming Events

National Unified Goal for Traffic Incident Management Summit – September 21-22 – Linthicum Heights, Maryland

http://www.i95coalition.org/i95/Portals/0/Public_Files/Whats-New/NUG%20Summit%20updated.pdf

Today in Transportation History

1990 **20^th anniversary** Magellan reached Venus to begin extensive radar mapping of the planet’s surface.

http://www2.jpl.nasa.gov/magellan/

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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

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

© 2010 Bernie Wagenblast  www.bwcommunications.net

Workshop Details

• August 25-26, 2010 – Detroit, MI, USA (9:00-4:30 local time)
• 
  
• September 1-2, 2010 – San Jose, CA, USA (9:00-4:30 local time)
• 
  
• September 29-30, 2010 – Washington, DC (9:00-4:30 local time, Location TBD)

Attend one of three FREE IntelliDrive workshops and inventors meetings at the U.S. Department of Transportation‘s (USDOT) Intelligent Transportation Systems Joint Program Office (ITS-JPO), part of the Research and Innovative Technology Administration (RITA) will be hosting on IntelliDrive(SM) Systems Engineering User Needs to obtain stakeholder input for the definition of the core IntelliDrive System.

User needs identified during these workshops will be critical to the development of the new IntelliDrive Concept of Operations (ConOps).  The ConOps will describe the vision for how the IntelliDrive system will work, from the perspective of the user.

Each workshop, which is open to all interested transportation parties, will engage participants to identify their current vision for the IntelliDrive system.  These workshops will provide an overview of the IntelliDrive concept definition process and include break out groups to explore specific operational needs in detail as well as concluding sessions that summarizes the findings from the workshops.

The agenda features:

• Wednesday
• 9:00-4:30 local time
• Overview of the IntelliDrive concept definition process
• Thursday
• 9:00-4:30 local time
• Breakout Sessions to explore specific operation needs in detail & a summary of workshop findings

The sessions and your participation are essential in assisting the ITS-JPO to advance transportation safety. Persons who cannot attend can pass this along to an interested colleague.

To see the full agenda for the meetings please click here:  <http://www.its.dot.gov/press/2010/intellidrive_engineering.htm>

Registration and Venue:

This workshop is free of charge. Registration and venue information for:

• Detroit, MI <http://www.itsa.org/itsa/files/Detroit_Registration.doc>
• San Jose, CA <http://www.itsa.org/itsa/files/SanJose_Registration.doc>

Additional information will be available at: http://www.its.dot.gov/index.htm.

Please contact Brei Whitty at bwhitty@itsa.org or 202-721-4236 for any questions.

FREE Meeting for IntelliDrive Inventors

Inventors who have developed a software component, hardware device or other technology that can be used to help bring about safe, efficient, greener transportation should attend these first-ever IntelliDrive inventors meetings where innovators can meet others who might be looking for new technologies.

The meetings will be held at the end of the first day of the ITS-JPO Systems Engineering User Workshops in Detroit (August 25), San Jose (September 1) and Washington, DC (September 29).

Innovators can make a very brief presentation about their work and meet with potential users of their products.  Interested innovators who want to attend and/or make a presentation at the meeting should register in advance.

Please send an e-mail with the inventor’s name, company, product and contact information to Delores Colbert at Delores.colbert@DOT.gov in order to obtain a five minute presentation slot.  Presentations should be no more than three PowerPoint slides. Please use  “Inventors Meeting” and which location (Detroit, San Jose or Washington, DC) in the subject line.

The IntelliDrive Inventors meetings are being held To learn more about the meeting e-mail Mike Pina at Mike.pina@dot.gov

To learn more about ITS-JPO and the IntelliDrive program log on to www.its.dot.gov.

Make your hotel reservations:

Be sure to reserve your room under the room block “Intellidrive” in order to receive government rate!

Detroit

Doubletree Hotel Detroit/Dearborn

5801 Southfield Expressway

Detroit, MI 48228

313-336-3340

http://doubletree1.hilton.com/en_US/dt/hotel/DTTDBDT-Doubletree-Hotel-Dearborn-Michigan/index.do

San Jose

Doubletree Hotel San Jose

2050 Gateway Place

San Jose, CA 95110

408-453-4000

http://doubletree1.hilton.com/en_US/dt/hotel/JOSE-DT-Doubletree-Hotel-San-Jose-California/index.do

Washington DC – Hotel TBD

Please contact Brei Whitty at ITS America at bwhitty@itsa.org or 202-721-4236 for any questions related to registration for the user needs workshops or hotel accommodations.

* –  IntelliDrive is a service mark of the U.S. Department of Transportation.