TransportGooru

The Washington Post’s Coverage: A federal investigation has identified pervasive flaws in rail safety at Metro and severe inadequacies in the agency responsible for oversight. Findings released Thursday call for widespread changes in how the nation’s second-busiest subway system is supervised and managed.

The sternly worded report, prepared by the Federal Transit Administration and presented Thursday to Washington area members of Congress, was the first in-depth look at Metro’s safety program, FTA Administrator Peter Rogoff said. It revealed deep-rooted deficiencies at the transit agency and its independent oversight committee, highlighting vulnerabilities in the systems that are supposed to safeguard passengers and workers, he said.

Rogoff said the safety performance of the Washington system was worse than others of similar size. He said the findings were a symptom of a much deeper problem, extending from executive leadership down to the most junior employee, and he urged the incoming Metro general manager to use the report as a “road map” for the “overarching safety problem.” Click here to read the Washington Post article.

The FTA’s audit resulted in 21 findings and recommendations: 11 findings and recommendations for TOC and 10 findings and recommendations to WMATA.

I have to agree with this excerpt from a post by David Alpert on one of my favorite local blogs – Greater Greater Washington:

The most disappointing piece to me is why it took press attention and FTA oversight to identify, explain, and fix these issues. WMATA could have formulated and publicized its own report explaining how the safety structure was deficient and suggesting ways it would fix them on its own. It didn’t. After the Post discovered and publicized the lapses, WMATA’s statements instead nitpicked specific wording from TOC Chair Eric Madison to try to claim there wasn’t a problem at all.

WMATA needs to own up to these things, not just respond to the FTA’s report and have meetings but actually start coming clean to riders. There are undoubtedly some points the FTA missed; WMATA should proactively suggest those as well. As for the TOC, they have a solemn responsibility to ensure safety, and should take whatever steps necessary without regret, whether that’s breaking procedure and going directly to top managers or the Board, or talking to the press and shouting from the rooftops when something is wrong.

Summary List of Findings and Recommendations

Findings to the Tri-State Oversight Committee (TOC):

1. Assess the level of resources necessary from each jurisdiction (District of Columbia, Maryland and Virginia) to meet TOC’s responsibilities. Use the results of this assessment to establish resource commitments from each jurisdiction to TOC for the next three calendar years. Resources should be committed and onboard before the beginning of the next Federal audit cycle.
2. Evaluate the technical and professional skills that TOC representatives need to effectively carry out their oversight duties.  To the extent that TOC representatives do not currently possess these skills, ensure training is provided as soon as practicable to each TOC member.
3. Determine the best method to respond quickly and professionally, as WMATA safety situations arise and require coordinated action.  Consider whether full-time TOC positions can be vested with decision-making authority to act in specific safety situations with WMATA.
4. Identify and formalize a mechanism to ensure that critical unresolved WMATA safety concerns identified by TOC members are elevated to the highest levels of each TOC jurisdictional agency and WMATA for immediate action.
5. Require WMATA to complete a timely, thorough, and competent review and update of WMATA’s Safety Rules and Procedures Manual.  This review and update must reflect actual current practices and needed improvements identified by TOC and by FTA in this audit report.
6. Require WMATA to develop (and TOC to review and approve) an internal WMATA safety audit recovery plan for calendar year 2010 and calendar year 2011. Before WMATA develops this plan, TOC should sponsor a meeting with WMATA’s Safety Department, Quality Department, and Executive Leadership Team to explain the internal safety audit program requirements and TOC’s expectations regarding WMATA’s internal safety audit recovery plan.
7. Require WMATA to develop a recovery plan to complete all open accident investigations following procedures established in TOC’s Program Standard, WMATA’s System Safety Program Plan and WMATA’s Accident Investigation Procedures.
8. Document the Corrective Action Plan Technical Review process in TOC’s Program Standard and Procedures and WMATA’s System Safety Program Plan.
9. Work with WMATA to ensure that there is a process in place for evaluating Corrective Action Plans (CAP) alternatives that may be necessary as a result of capital and operating program resource limitations.
10. Require WMATA to develop and implement a comprehensive and system-wide hazard management program (as required by 49 CFR Part 659.31).
11. Require WMATA to strictly adhere to the annual certification of compliance with its System Safety Program Plan (as specified in 49 CFR 659.43), including identifying areas where WMATA is not in compliance with its System Safety Program Plan as well as specific actions WMATA is taking to achieve compliance.

Recommendations to the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA):

1. Conduct an assessment to identify the resources and expertise necessary for the Safety Department to carry out the activities specified in WMATA’s System Safety Program Plan and Safety Rules and Procedures Manual.
2. Use the results of the assessment to ensure adequate staffing levels and expertise within the Safety Department.
3. Increase the Safety Department’s access to operating and maintenance information and reports to ensure that this information is being analyzed for potential impacts on the safety of WMATA.
4. Develop an internal process to require the communication of safety-related information across all WMATA departments, including the impacts of budget reductions and resource constraints on the performance of safety-related maintenance activities and requirements.
5. Define and implement the process for the top Safety Department position to communicate safety priorities to the General Manager in a timely and consistent manner.
6. Identify the technical skills required to perform system-wide hazard analysis (as required in 49 CFR Part 659 and TOC’s Program Standard). To the extent that WMATA Safety Department staff does not currently possess the needed skills, provide training as soon as practicable.
7. Update the WMATA System Safety Program Plan (specifically Procedure #2.1/0 and Section 6) to develop a hazard management process that ensures that all WMATA departments participate in an on-going manner.
8. Institute a process to ensure that changes in operating rules are analyzed for safety impacts before system-wide implementation. For example, WMATA engineering bulletins are “field tested” before full implementation.
9. Finalize the right-of-way protection rules, develop training to implement the new rules and ensure all right-of-way employees and contractors receive this training before accessing the right-of-way.
10. Implement the configuration management program described in the WMATA System Safety Program Plan.

You can read the oral statement of the FTA Administrator to the congress here.  Below is a copy of the report, which is also available for download at the FTA website.

Thursday, March 4, 2010 – ISSN 1529-1057

The toll industry is evolving at an astonishing rate. Driven by financial realities, political change, and technological innovations the industry is facing a wide range of challenges and opportunities and is being forced to respond to them at lightning speed. Join the International Bridge, Tunnel and Turnpike Association, April 18-20, 2010 in Austin, TX and keep your organization current on the latest industry trends toEnhance Mobility Through Innovation. Main topics will include: communications, winning with the news media, finance trends, reauthorization update, successful project implementation and more. This meeting is ideal for toll industry professionals focused in the areas of communications and marketing, human resources, finance, administration, management and advocacy. Click here for registration, hotel and travel information and to view the preliminary agenda. www.IBTTA.org

AVIATION

1) A Plan to Send Flight Data Somewhere Off the Plane

Link to article in The New York Times:

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/04/business/04air.html

CAMERAS

2) Federal Judge Tosses Suit Again Washington State Red-Light Camera Tickets

Link to article in The Daily News:

http://www.tdn.com/news/state-and-regional/article_c8809e0e-27ca-11df-9793-001cc4c03286.html

OTHER

3) By Request (Please Make It Stop!): Oregon DMV Pulling Plug on Muzak in Several Offices

Link to article in The Oregonian:

http://www.oregonlive.com/news/index.ssf/2010/03/by_request_please_make_it_stop.html

4) ERTICO’s immobility Newsletter Online

Link to newsletter:

http://tools.emailgarage.com/Pub/1n5_DgAAAAA~/ViewEmail.ashx

ROADWAYS

5) Michigan Lawmakers to Discuss Move to Halt Digital Billboards

Link to article in the Detroit Free Press:

http://www.freep.com/article/20100304/NEWS06/3040385/1001/rss01

6) Wyoming DOT, Landowners Spar Over Information

Link to article in the Casper Star-Tribune:

http://www.trib.com/news/local/article_5f4854e7-6fee-5a26-b720-3df020cbc5e2.html

SAFETY / SECURITY

7) US Police Partner with License Plate Readers

Link to article in USA Today:

http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2010-03-03-license-plate-cameras_N.htm

TELEMATICS

8) GM Says OnStar Off to a Strong Start in China

Link to article on just-auto:

http://www.just-auto.com/article.aspx?id=103422&lk=dm

TRANSIT

9) A Lollipop on the Subway

Boston subway driver makes an extra effort to be friendly.

Link to article in The Christian Science Monitor:

http://www.csmonitor.com/Money/new-economy/2010/0304/A-lollipop-on-the-subway

VEHICLES

10) Toyota Secretive on ‘Black Box’ Data

Link to AP article:

http://www.northjersey.com/news/030410_Toyota_secretive_on_black_box_data.html

News Releases

1) Florida Next Generation Advanced Traveler Information System Recognized

2) Apollo Video Technology Launches iPhone App for Transit Managers and First Responders – Provides Instant Access to Live Video Feeds

3) Pioneer in Vehicle Telematics, ATX’s Steve Millstein, to Retire

4) Iteris Awarded $1.1 Million Contract for Maintenance and Operations for Inland Empire’s 511 Traveler Information System

Upcoming Events

Ports 2010 – April 25-28 – Jacksonville, Florida

http://content.asce.org/conferences/ports2010/

Today in Transportation History

1960 **50^th anniversary** – The French freight La Coubre exploded in Havana Harbor.

http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,871556,00.html

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

The Transportation Communications Newsletter is published electronically Monday through Friday.

To subscribe or unsubscribe, please visit:

http://groups.google.com/group/tcnl/subscribe

If you have any difficulties please contact me at i95berniew@aol.com.

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

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

© 2010 Bernie Wagenblast  www.bwcommunications.net

Wednesday, March 3, 2010 – ISSN 1529-1057

IRF’s Third Latin America Regional Congress, September 20-23, 2010 in Bogotá, Colombia, will provide road industry leaders with opportunities to share in-country experiences as well as promote the transfer of knowledge and technology throughout the region and the rest of the world. Papers must be submitted no later than March 26, 2010.  The congress will include speakers on road safety, pavements, ITS, financing and tunneling and will also include an exhibition.  For more information including topics, key dates, guidelines, and to submit your paper online, visit http://www.irfnews.org/llamado-a-presentar-trabajos/

AVIATION

1) FAA Not Amused as Kid Gives Directions to Pilots in Kennedy Airport’s Control Tower

Link to article in the Daily News:

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/2010/03/03/2010-03-03_now_landing_your_plane__a_schoolboy.html

Link to FAA statement:

http://www.faa.gov/news/press_releases/news_story.cfm?newsId=11212

CAMERAS

2) No Statewide Repeal of Red-Light Cameras in Illinois

Link to article in the Daily Herald:

http://www.dailyherald.com/story/?id=363178&src=109

CARPOOLS

3) Social Networking and Phone Apps Enable Smarter Carpooling

Link to article on In Telematics Today:

http://intelematicstoday.com/2010/03/02/social-networking-and-phone-apps-enable-smarter-carpooling/

ELECTRONIC TOLLING

4) Massachusetts Turnpike Electronic Toll Testing Approved

Link to story on WHDH-TV:

http://www1.whdh.com/news/articles/local/BO136917/

MARITIME

5) Phantom Ledge Not so Far-Feteched

Grounding of fireboat in Maine harbor shows charts are not always accurate.

Link to article in the Portland Press Herald:

http://www.pressherald.com/news/Phantom-ledge-not-so-far-fetched-.html

A Crack in the Electronic Armor

Link to article in Points East:

http://www.pointseast.com/template.shtml?id=EkyuypAZEEKorYwewf&style=story

6) Washington State DOT Testing Real-Time Ferry Tracker

Link to story and video on KING-TV:

http://www.king5.com/news/New-Ferry-Watch-System-86172792.html

OTHER

7) The Secret Language of Signs

They’re the most useful thing you pay no attention to. Start paying attention.

Link to article in Slate:

http://www.slate.com/id/2245644/

8) The ERTICO February Interview

A discussion with MEPs Zita Gurmai and Dieter-Lebrecht Koch about ITS and urban mobility.

Link to interview from ERTICO:

http://www.ertico.com/en/news/ertico_newsroom/the_ertico_february_interview.htm

RAILROADS

9) Railroad Experts Focus on Efficiency

Conference at technology center highlights new techniques to inspect cars and monitor rail conditions.

Link to article in The Pueblo Chieftain:

http://www.chieftain.com/articles/2010/03/03/news/local/doc4b8dec3924108874518667.txt

10) Skype on a Train

Will reliable Wi-Fi connections lure road warriors onto trains?

Link to article in The Globe and Mail:

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/travel/skype-on-a-train/article1487226/

ROADWAYS

11) Replacement of Metric Signs Along Arizona’s I-19 Indefinitely Postponed

Link to article in the Arizona Daily Star:

http://www.azstarnet.com/news/local/article_d7dec8f6-26f5-11df-b567-001cc4c03286.html

SAFETY / SECURITY

12) Texting-and-Driving Bill Dies in Arizona Senate

Link to article in The Arizona Republic:

http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/local/articles/2010/03/03/20100303politics-textingbill0303.html

13) Emergency Communications: Establishment of the Emergency Communications Preparedness Center and Related Interagency Coordination Challenges

Link to US Government Accountability Office report:

http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d10463r.pdf

TELEMATICS

14) Telematics: The Game Changer for the Insurance Industry

Link to article in Insurance & Technology:

http://www.insurancetech.com/blog/archives/2010/03/telematics_the.html

TRANSIT

15) Lost in Penn Station

Why are the signs at the nation’s busiest train hub so confusing?

Link to article in Slate:

http://www.slate.com/id/2246104/

TRAVELER INFORMATION / TRANSPORTATION MANAGEMENT

16) March Issue of Florida DOT’s SunGuide Disseminator Online

Link to newsletter:

http://www.dot.state.fl.us/trafficoperations/Newsletters/2010/2010-003-Mar.pdf

VEHICLES

17) Control Your Car with Your Smartphone

Link to article in Popular Science:

http://www.popsci.com/cars/article/2010-02/remote-control-cars

News Releases

1) Apollo Video Technology Launches iPhone App for Transit Managers and First Responders – Provides Instant Access to Live Video Feeds

2) Federal Signal Acquires VESystems

3) High Time for Real-Time Solutions with Mobility Integrators, Says Frost & Sullivan

Upcoming Events

APWA North American Snow Conference – April 18-21 – Omaha, Nebraska

http://sites.apwa.net/snow/2010/home.aspx

Today in Transportation History

1915 **95^th anniversary** – The National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA), a forerunner of NASA, was created.

http://www.centennialofflight.gov/essay/Evolution_of_Technology/NACA/Tech1.htm

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

The Transportation Communications Newsletter is published electronically Monday through Friday.

To subscribe or unsubscribe, please visit:

http://groups.google.com/group/tcnl/subscribe

If you have any difficulties please contact me at i95berniew@aol.com.

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

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

© 2010 Bernie Wagenblast  www.bwcommunications.net

Prepared by the Office of Planning, Environment and Realty, Federal Highway Administration

Recent Events

Two New Reports on Climate Change Science are published. The Climate Change Science Compendium 2009 and The Copenhagen Diagnosis, 2009: Updating the World on the Latest Climate Science present research results released since the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Fourth Assessment Report was published in 2007 (the Fifth Assessment Report is due in 2013).  The reports present scientific findings, interpretations, ideas, and conclusions from about 400 major scientific contributions released through peer-reviewed literature or from research institutions.  They present findings from the International Polar Year, a collaborative, international effort researching the Polar Regions; data made possible due to new technologies; and evidence of unexpected rates of change in the extent of Arctic sea ice, ocean acidification, and species loss.

TRB Revamps its Climate Change Website.  The redesigned website provides an easy way to find all of TRB’s climate-change-related TRB E-Newsletter items, meetings sponsored or cosponsored by TRB, TRB standing committees and task forces, TRB research projects, TRB policy studies and reports, papers from TRB’s journal, the Transportation Research Record, and products from other arms of the National Academies, such as the National Research Council.  In addition, the site links to climate-change-related items in two of TRB’s databases: Research in Progress and Research Needs Statements.

The Psychology of Climate Change Communication: A Guide for Scientists, Journalists, Educators, Political Aides, and the Interested Public is published. Columbia University’s Center for Research on Environmental Decisions developed the guide, which covers:

• Knowing your audience; using mental models
• Getting your audience’s attention
• Translating scientific data into concrete experience
• The overuse of emotional appeals
• Addressing scientific and climate uncertainties
• Tapping into social identities and affiliations
• Encouraging group participation
• Making behavior change easier

2009 National Household Travel Survey (NHTS) data is published.  The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) has been collecting national data on travel behavior of the American public for 40 years.  The NHTS dataset allows analysis of daily travel by all modes, all times of day, and for all purposes, including characteristics of the people traveling, their household, and their vehicles. The 2009 NHTS has data on the travel of 150,000 households – 1 million trips.  The report includes data from new or updated questions on hybrid/alternative-fuel vehicle use, alternate mode use, flexibility in work arrival time, telecommuting, mobility and disabilities, travel to school, internet deliveries to households, interstate use and tolling.  The NHTS website is a good source of information to help you with your program, planning, and policy work.  The site includes policy briefs on topics such as “The ‘Carbon Footprint’ of Daily Travel,” “Travel to School: The Distance Factor,” and “Working at Home—The Quiet Revolution.” For more information, contact FHWA’s Office of Policy and Information.

State and Local News

Local Governments Plan for Development of Land Vulnerable to Rising Sea Level. It is almost impossible to plan for sea level rise unless one knows whether a parcel of land will be given up to the sea, elevated with the rising sea, or protected – with a dike, for example. Through a multi-year $2 million study, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency worked with local land use planners in 131 jurisdictions along the Atlantic coast from Massachusetts to Florida to map which areas are likely to be protected from rising sea level based on available planning data and existing government policies.  The Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission in Philadelphia, the Coastal Regional Commission of Georgia, and four Florida regional planning commissions created sea level rise planning maps that divide coastal land into four categories: developed (shore protection almost certain), intermediate (shore protection likely), undeveloped (shore protection unlikely), and conservation (no shore protection), to help start the dialogue for communities interested in deciding what they should do.  An article in the scientific journal Environmental Research Letters summarizes the study.  State-specific summaries and GIS data are also available.

Analysis of Macroeconomic Effects of Michigan’s Climate Action Plan is Released. The analysis indicates that implementation of Michigan’s Plan would expand the state’s economy and cut household energy prices. The Plan recommends 54 multi-sector climate policy strategies.  Transportation-related strategies include Anti-Idling Technologies and Practices, Vehicle Purchase Incentives such as rebates, Mode Shift from Truck to Rail, Renewable Fuel Standard (biofuels goals), Transit, and Smart Growth/Land Use.  The analysis indicates that anti-idling technologies and practices will result in greater GHG emission reductions between 2009 and 2025 than transit or smart growth/land use strategies.

California Air Resources Board (CARB) Approves Climate Change Proposed Scoping Plan: A framework for change. The plan outlines strategies to reduce the State’s GHG emissions to 1990 levels by 2020.  It includes several measures related to transportation (see Emissions Reduction Measures, Regional Transportation-Related GHG Targets, pp. 47-51) and notes that the state has allocated resources for MPOs to initiate or augment comprehensive scenario planning, or Blueprint, efforts that engage a broad set of stakeholders at the local level on the impacts of land use and transportation choices (see the following article).  The plan notes co-benefits of reducing GHGs, such as air-quality-related public health benefits and local economic benefits.

California Releases Final 2009 Climate Adaptation Strategy. Multiple state agencies were involved in developing this multi-sector strategy to guide California in adapting to climate change impacts.  The strategy summarizes the science on climate change impacts in seven sectors, including Transportation and Energy Infrastructure, and provides recommendations on how to manage against those threats.  The strategy is in response to Gov. Schwarzenegger’s Executive Order S-13-08 requiring state agencies to identify how they can respond to rising temperatures, changing precipitation patterns, sea level rise, and extreme natural events.  The state’s adaptation strategy will be updated as new data become available.

A Guide to Transportation Decisionmaking is published. The FHWA and the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) created the guide to help the public understand how transportation decisions are made at the local, State, and national levels, and to encourage them to contribute their ideas. It updates the process through SAFETEA-LU and replaces the older A Citizen’s Guide to Transportation Decisionmaking.  To receive a hard copy, contact Brenda Kragh at Brenda.Kragh@dot.gov.

Announcements

AASHTO/FHWA/FTA Announce Webinars on Climate Change

With assistance from FHWA and FTA, the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) are sponsoring a series of six webinars on climate change, February-June 2010. The webinars are designed for state DOTs–CEOs; chief engineers; and planning, communications, environment, engineering, and government affairs staff–and anyone else who is interested in the topics (e.g., MPOs or other local and regional agencies).

The webinar recording and slides from the first webinar, Climate Change 101:  An Overview of Climate Change for State DOTs, are posted on AASHTO’s Center for Environmental Excellence webpage, under the Products and Programs tab on the left hand column. This link will take you directly to where the information from Climate 101 and future webinars will be posted: http://environment.transportation.org/center/products_programs/.  The topics, dates, and times for the next two webinars are:

GHG Targets, Methodologies, and Legislation – Wednesday, March 10, 2:00-3:30 Eastern.  Issues in setting GHG reduction targets for transportation, methodologies for estimating transportation GHG, and prospects for climate change legislation affecting transportation.  Lead Presenters:  Bill Malley, Perkins Coie, LLP (Targets and Legislation), Steve Lawe, Resource Systems Group (Methodologies), and Brian Gregor, Oregon DOT (ORDOT’s “GreenSTEP,” a promising new GHG methodology that ORDOT is developing for estimating statewide GHG emissions from transportation).  To register, visit: https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/938268586.

Climate Change Adaptation for Transportation – Wednesday, March 31, 2:00-3:30 Eastern.  The latest research and risk-based frameworks for adapting surface transportation infrastructure and networks to climate change.  Lead Presenters:  Mike Meyer, Georgia Tech/Parsons Brinckerhoff, and a state DOT executive (TBD) who has been working on transportation adaptation to climate change. To register, visit:https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/865949283.

FYI

What’s the hubbub about public opinion polls on climate change all about, and why should we care?

Considering the views of the public and of other transportation stakeholders is an integral part of our Federal-aid highway program.  Recent polls have shown a sharp decline in the percentage of Americans who say there is solid evidence that global temperatures are rising (57% in October 2009 vs. 71% in April 2008 according to the Pew Research Center or who see global warming as a very serious problem (35% in October 2009 vs. 44% in April 2008).  Yale University and George Mason University (GMU) polling results indicate that “public concern about global warming, and public trust in a range of information sources, has dropped sharply over the past year” (see Climate Change in the American Mind: Americans’ global warming beliefs and attitudes in January 2010).

However, the relationship between public concern about or belief in climate change doesn’t seem to be reflected in whether or not they think action should be taken to reduce GHG emissions.  In the Pew survey, 50% favored setting limits and making companies pay for their “carbon” emissions even if this may lead to higher energy prices, while only 35% said they thought climate change was a very serious problem.

To get a clearer assessment of public opinion about climate change, it’s valuable to consider trends over the long term.  The longest running public opinion poll on the environment is the Gallup Environment poll, which has been conducted nationwide for more than 20 years.  Over that time public concern about the greenhouse effect/global warming has stayed fairly consistent, with 63% in 1988 who worried a great deal or a fair amount and, in 2009, 60% who worried a great deal or a fair amount.  When asked if they favored imposing mandatory controls on CO₂ emissions and other GHGs, in the 2003, 2006, and 2007 polls 75-79% of Americans said yes.  Even in the 2009 poll 70% said yes.  Similar to the recent Pew survey, 8-16% more Americans favored controlling GHG emissions than the percentage who worried a great deal or a fair amount about global warming. For the first time in the Gallup poll’s history, however, in 2009 the public favored economic growth vs. environmental protection by 51% to 42% (Gallup attributed this to the recession).  The Yale/GMU January 2010 poll showed this sentiment had rebounded to 63% favoring protecting the environment, even if it reduces economic growth, vs. 37% who favored economic growth, even if it leads to environmental problems (see Q244 in Climate Change in the American Mind: Public Support for Climate & Energy Policies in January 2010). More information will be posted on FHWA’s climate change website after Gallup’s March 2010 poll results are released.

Next month: We hear that EPA is about to officially release the MOVES model.  What is it and can it help transportation agencies to develop their GHG emissions’ baselines and inventories?

Errata: Based on input about our November/December newsletter, we have updated two of the articles.  The lead article on COP-15 now includes detail on DOT’s participation in Copenhagen.  Based on feedback from EPA, we have updated the FYI piece on cap-and-trade.

If you have any suggestions for inclusion in future issues of Transportation and Climate Change News, or if someone forwarded this newsletter to you and you’d like to receive it directly, please send your suggestions or request to Kathy Daniel at Kathy.Daniel@dot.gov.

FHWA HQ Contacts in the Office of Planning, Environment and Realty

Office of Natural and Human Environment, Sustainable Transport & Climate Change Team

• Rob Ritter, Team Leader, Robert.Ritter@dot.gov
• Dave Carlson, David.Carlson@dot.gov
• Kathy Daniel, Kathy.Daniel@dot.gov
• John Davies, JohnG.Davies@dot.gov
• Connie Hill Galloway, Connie.Hill@dot.gov
• Robert Kafalenos, Robert.Kafalenos@dot.gov
• Becky Lupes, Rebecca.Lupes@dot.gov
• Diane Turchetta, Diane.Turchetta@dot.gov

Office of Planning

Robin Smith, Robin.Smith@dot.gov

Office of Project Development and Environmental Review
Shari Schaftlein, Shari.Schaftlein@dot.gov

www.fhwa.dot.gov/hep/climate/

FHWA Highways and Climate Change website : www.climate.dot.gov/

Related articles by Zemanta

• Warmest Winter On Record? (huffingtonpost.com)
• Panel on Climate Faces Challenges (online.wsj.com)
• The IPCC needs to change and switch to shorter, more targeted reports (guardian.co.uk)
• IPCC’s Himalayan Glacier ‘Mistake’ No Accident (usnews.com)

Tuesday, March 2, 2010 – ISSN 1529-1057

The toll industry is evolving at an astonishing rate. Driven by financial realities, political change, and technological innovations the industry is facing a wide range of challenges and opportunities and is being forced to respond to them at lightning speed. Join the International Bridge, Tunnel and Turnpike Association, April 18-20, 2010 in Austin, TX and keep your organization current on the latest industry trends toEnhance Mobility Through Innovation. Main topics will include: communications, winning with the news media, finance trends, reauthorization update, successful project implementation and more. This meeting is ideal for toll industry professionals focused in the areas of communications and marketing, human resources, finance, administration, management and advocacy. Click here for registration, hotel and travel information and to view the preliminary agenda. www.IBTTA.org

AVIATION

1) Deaf and Hard of Hearing Ask for Captioning on Airline In-flight Entertainment

Link to article on eTurboNews:

http://www.eturbonews.com/14605/deaf-and-hard-hearing-ask-captioning-airline-inflight-entertainm

2) Routine Monitoring of Cockpit Talk

Differing views in USA Today:

http://blogs.usatoday.com/oped/2010/03/editorial-our-view-on-air-safety-debate-use-recordings-to-check-on-pilots-cockpit-chatter-.html (in favor)

http://blogs.usatoday.com/oped/2010/03/opposing-view-monitoring-undercuts-safety–proposals-could-suppress-pilot-communication-in-the-cockpit–by-john-prater–mon.html (against)

OTHER

3) Toyota Turns to Twitter to Repair Its Image

Link to article on Seeking Alpha:

http://seekingalpha.com/article/191544-toyota-turns-to-twitter-to-repair-its-image

SAFETY / SECURITY

4) On Patrol and Almost Undercover

‘Ghost’ police car helps officers enforce cell phone laws.

Link to article in The New York Times:

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/28/nyregion/28ghost.html

TRANSIT

5) Testing Local Public Transport Systems in Major European Cities

What was missing most was information.

Link to report from EuroTest:

http://eurotestmobility.com/images/filelib/Summary%20of%20results_Public%20Transport%202009-2010_2513.pdf

6) Oregon’s TriMet Adds Five New Transit Titles to App Center

Link to column in The Oregonian:

http://blog.oregonlive.com/commuting/2010/03/trimet_adds_five_new_transit_t.html

7) And, Cut! Money Woes Delay a TV Reality Show on New York City Subway Workers

Link to article in The New York Times:

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/02/nyregion/02reality.html

VEHICLES

8) Toyota to Provide Black Box Readers to Regulators

Link to AP article:

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5jj7w_xiI8grfFvw23vVp4IHLpysgD9E6NK0O1

9) Frost & Sullivan Special Report: Vehicle Audio

Link to article in Aftermarket Business:

http://aftermarketbusiness.search-autoparts.com/aftermarketbusiness/Distribution/Frost-amp-Sullivan-Special-Report-Audio/ArticleStandard/Article/detail/658873

10) Ready for the ‘Connected Car?’

Link to article in Connected Planet:

http://connectedplanetonline.com/residential_services/news/ready-for-connected-car-0302/

News Releases

1) US Court Rules Against Long-Term Protection of Flight Data in BARR Program

2) Scenic America Petition Seeks Moratorium on Digital Billboards

3) Dubai Roads & Transport Authority Provides Access to Bus Stop Information Through Google Earth

4) Iteris’ SafetyDirect, with PeopleNet’s Wireless Connectivity, Named One of Heavy Duty Trucking’s Top 20 Products for 2009

Upcoming Events

2010 AutoTronics Taipei – April 12-15 – Taipei, Taiwan

http://www.autotronics.com.tw/

Today in Transportation History

1910 **100^th anniversary** – The first US military flight was made by Lt. Benjamin Foulois in Texas.

http://www.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123192681

Bernie’s Notes

Want a preview of the TCN?  Each weekday I post a look ahead to that day’s edition on Twitter.  You can follow me athttp://twitter.com/brwagenblast.

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

The Transportation Communications Newsletter is published electronically Monday through Friday.

To subscribe or unsubscribe, please visit:

http://groups.google.com/group/tcnl/subscribe

If you have any difficulties please contact me at i95berniew@aol.com.

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

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

© 2010 Bernie Wagenblast  www.bwcommunications.net

Image courtesy: via McClatchy

Here is a bullet point version of the evolving mess created in the U.S. Senate, courtesy of Kentucky’s nomination for Hall of Political Shame: Sen. Jim Bunning.

Let’s start with a mini profile of the Senator himself:

• A former Major League pitcher – Bunning pitched in the Major Leagues for 17 seasons, most notably with the Detroit Tigers and the Philadelphia Phillies. When he retired, he had the second-highest total of career strikeouts in Major League history;
• In 2004, he barely won election in Kentucky in a campaign highlighted by blunders such as describing opponent Daniel Mongiardo as looking “like one of Saddam Hussein’s sons” and being “limp-wristed.”
• In 2006, TIME called him one of America’s five worst senators, calling out the former MLB pitcher for showing “little interest in policy unless it involves baseball.”

Now a mini profile of the problem, courtesy of The Economist:

• Last July Jim Bunning, realized he was too wildly unpopular in the state of Kentucky to win re-election to the Senate, so he decided to retire.
• On his way out, he figured he’d make sure people had something to remember him by. Last Friday, Mr Bunning extended a one-man procedural gambit that has blocked approval of an emergency extension of unemployment benefits, making it nearly certain that Americans who are out of work will stop receiving their payments on Sunday.
• Mr Bunning insists that funding measures (presumably, given his political leanings, spending cuts) be found to pay for the unemployment benefits. He is not being supported by the Republican leadership.

Now let’s proceed to read what the newspapers around the country have to say about Mr. Bunning’s theatrics and the ripple effects of his actions:

McClatchy:  The Department of Transportation furloughed nearly 2,000 employees without pay Monday as the government began to feel the impact of Republican Sen. Jim Bunning’s one-man blockage of legislation that would keep a host of federal programs operating. Bunning’s “hold” also affects jobless benefits for thousands of unemployed workers, rural television customers, doctors receiving Medicare payments and others. Bunning wants the $10 billion price of extending the programs offset by reductions in spending elsewhere in the budget to not drive up the deficit.

From Washington Post:  “I am keenly disappointed that political games are putting a stop to important construction projects around the country,” Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said in a statement late Sunday night. “This means that construction workers will be sent home from job sites because federal inspectors must be furloughed.”

Another Washington Post article:  He doesn’t seem too happy about the extra attention. When ABC News tried to get him to comment on the block, he ignored them, yelling, “Excuse me! This is a senators-only elevator!” and “I’ve got to go to the floor!” According to the network producer Z. Byron Wolf, before the camera crew started filming Bunning gave them the middle finger.

A NY Times blog says: “As the fight drew to a close, Mr. Bunning complained he had been ambushed by the Democrats and was forced to miss the Kentucky-South Carolina basketball game. He said Democrats caused their own problems by dropping the program extensions from an earlier bipartisan jobs measure.”

British Newspaper The Telegraph Says:  Is this America’s worst politician?….  It takes quite some doing to be rude, angry, non-communicative and elitist all in a mere 26 seconds. But Senator Jim Bunning of Kentucky, who is not seeking re-election and has been all but abandoned by his Republican colleagues, manages it in this vintage clip from ABC News.

The Wall Street Journal Says: Many Republican leaders, cognizant of the political peril surrounding Mr. Bunning’s action, quietly distanced themselves. But others, including Arizona’s Jon Kyl, the Senate’s second-ranking Republican, supported Mr. Bunning’s right to raise the cost issue. “Every time we pass one of these bills, we are adding to the deficit, and we are not creating jobs,” Mr. Kyl said. “And it’s a legitimate point for Republicans to make.”

Click here to read all the related stories about this obscure Senator from Kentucky here.

Related articles by Zemanta

• Shutting Down the Government (mydd.com)
• Senate Impasse Puts Federal Employees out of Work (abcnews.go.com)
• 2,000 transportation workers idled over impasse (seattletimes.nwsource.com)
• Transportation May Furlough 2000 Over Bunning’s ‘Hold’ (dailykos.com)
• Kentucky Senator Jim Bunning Reacts Angrily When Asked Why He’s Blocking The Jobs Bill (alan.com)
• Senate impasse puts federal employees out of work (msnbc.msn.com)
• Tick Tock: Medicare Payment Cuts for Docs Due to Start Monday (blogs.wsj.com)
• Senate impasse puts federal employees out of work (seattletimes.nwsource.com)
• Today is ‘Thank Jim Bunning Day’ (washingtonmonthly.com)
• Jim Bunning Impasse Puts Federal Employess Out Of Work (huffingtonpost.com)
• Bunning Has Successfully Blocked Extension of Unemployment Benefits, COBRA Funding, and Highway Money (themoderatevoice.com)
• Bill Scher: Sen. Jim Bunning Literally Gives The Finger To America. Here’s How We Can Fight Back. (huffingtonpost.com)
• Sen. Jim Bunning Offers Middle Finger to Reporter (cbsnews.com)
• House Votes To Extend COBRA Benefits For A Month, Bunning Stalls Senate Action (medicalnewstoday.com)
• Sen. Bunning’s filibuster forces furlough for federal employees working on construction projects (americablog.com)
• Sen. Kyl: Extended unemployment benefits to pass (seattletimes.nwsource.com)
• Sen. Kyl: Extended Unemployment Benefits to Pass (abcnews.go.com)

Monday, March 1, 2010 – ISSN 1529-1057

• Peter Appel, Administrator of USDOT’s Research and Innovative Technology Administration (RITA), moderates the May 4 USDOT plenary session of Presidential appointees and executives on how ITS can help improve job creation and economic growth, create a more integrated, performance-based transportation system and provide Americans safe, affordable and environmentally sustainable transportation choices.
• Share your successes and be recognized by your peers at the Best of ITS and Outstanding ITS Chapter Awards presentations on May 3 in the Exhibit Hall theater.  The deadline for entries has been extended to Monday, March 8.
• Exhibit space is still available.  Be a sponsor!

ELECTRONIC TOLLING

1) All-Electronic Tolling Debated in Maine

Link to article in the Portsmouth Herald:

http://www.seacoastonline.com/articles/20100228-NEWS-2280335

GPS / NAVIGATION

2) Raytheon Lands $886 Million GPS Contract

The project aims to improve the accuracy, reliability, and security of data from GPS satellites.

Link to article in InformationWeek:

http://www.informationweek.com/news/government/security/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=223100860

OTHER

3) Open Wi-Fi ‘Outlawed’ in UK Digital Economy Bill

Link to ZDNet UK article:

http://news.zdnet.co.uk/communications/0,1000000085,40057470,00.htm

4) The Wired Repo Man – He’s Not ‘As Seen on TV’

Link to article in The New York Times:

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/28/automobiles/28REPO.html

ROADWAYS

5) Iowa Newspaper Maps and Tracks Potholes

Link to article in The Des Moines Register:

http://data.desmoinesregister.com/dmr/des-moines-potholes-map/

SAFETY / SECURITY

6) Updated Tsunami Warning System in Action

Link to story on MSNBC:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/35619051/

7) Growing Number of Drivers Check Facebook, Twitter While Driving

Link to article on ITProPortal:

http://www.itproportal.com/portal/news/article/2010/2/27/growing-number-drivers-check-facebook-twitter-while-driving/

TRANSIT

8) Toronto Transit Commission Chief Admits He Misjudged Rider Anger

Link to article in the Toronto Star:

http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/ttc/article/772371–ttc-chief-admits-he-misjudged-rider-anger

9) Golden Gate Transit Bus and Ferry Riders are Being Reminded to be Courteous to Fellow Passengers

Link to article in the Marin Independent Journal:

http://www.marinij.com/marinnews/ci_14490186

10) Prepaid Cards and the Transit Industry

Link to article in Smart Card Talk:

http://www.smartcardalliance.org/pages/newsletter-201002-feature

VEHICLES

11) Philippine Automobile Group Ask Supreme Court to Halt Use of RFID

Link to article in the Business Mirror:

http://businessmirror.com.ph/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=22462

WEATHER

12) Snowpocalypse to Snowicane: Hype Reigns in Winter

National Weather Service meteorologists critical of terminology used for Northeast storm.

Link to AP article:

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5jSJz0TVyhe6DZSJ_pUbbuWvsGswgD9E4N6381

13) Scientists Develop More Accurate Snow Forecasts

Link to article in USA Today:

http://content.usatoday.com/communities/sciencefair/post/2010/02/snow-forecasting-made-easy/1

News Releases

1) Amtrak Launches Wi-Fi Service

2) ATX Joins Pilot Project to Promote Cross-Border eCall Solutions

3) Official UK Highways Agency Traffic News is Top of the Downloads

Upcoming Events

Organization Management Workshop – Enhancing Mobility Through Innovation – April 18-20 – Austin, Texas

http://www.ibtta.org/contentnoleftnav.cfm?ItemNumber=4469&token=40690

Today in Transportation History

1910 **100^th anniversary** – The worst avalanche in US history occurred in Washington State when snow buried two Great Northern Railway trains and killed 96 people.

http://home1.gte.net/mvmmvm/index.html

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

The Transportation Communications Newsletter is published electronically Monday through Friday.

To subscribe or unsubscribe, please visit:

http://groups.google.com/group/tcnl/subscribe

If you have any difficulties please contact me at i95berniew@aol.com.

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

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

© 2010 Bernie Wagenblast  www.bwcommunications.net

“Connecting Communities through Smart Transportation Solutions”

ITS America cordially invites you to actively participate in the national conference that will bring you a fresh look at emerging projects, products, technologies and services that are making America strong by helping to solve the Nation’s transportation challenges.

The annual meeting of America’s leading intelligent transportation systems (ITS) industry association brings you speakers, sessions, demonstrations and technical tours that will show you how technology innovations are connecting communities and transforming transportation, while fostering job creation and economic growth.

Tour Houston’s innovative ITS-enabled Houston TranStar, a national leader in freeway incident management, and the Security System of the Port of Houston, ranked second in the US in total tonnage.

Begin the ITS America Annual Meeting on Monday morning, May 3, with a Texas State Senate hearing focusing on transportation and security.  Immediately following, the Opening Plenary addresses the Texas transportation experience, featuring leading Texas state and local officials.

Tuesday’s US Department of Transportation (USDOT) Plenary brings together Presidential appointees and executives to focus on how ITS can help improve job creation and economic growth, create a more integrated, performance-based transportation system and provide Americans with safe, affordable and environmentally sustainable transportation choices.

Monday and Tuesday afternoons you’ll want to witness the striking demonstration of the emergency response to an overturned 18-wheeler.  And headlining the Closing Plenary on Wednesday are IBM Chairman, President and CEO Sam Palmisano and USDOT Secretary Ray LaHood.  From their unique perspectives, both confirmed speakers will share their vision for a smarter 21st Century transportation network founded on technological innovation.

Topic-specific briefings in the exhibition hall followed by guided tours to those topic-specific exhibits, opportunities to build your business development network at our exposition and networking events,

earning “professional development hours” and taking advantage of co-located meetings and workshops of organizations such as NASCO, AASHTO and USDOT make the ITS America Annual Meeting this year’s must-attend conference!  Be sure to register and make your hotel reservations now.

See you in May!

Date: Wednesday, March 3, 2010

Time: 4:00 – 5:30 PM

Venue : 2167 Rayburn House Office Building, Washington, D.C.

Event Host: The Intelligent Transportation Society of America (ITS America)

From highways and transit systems to passenger vehicles and freight transportation, intelligent transportation systems (ITS) are beginning to transform our nation’s transportation network and provide significant benefits to our communities, businesses and other transportation users.  ITS technologies are already being used in many parts of the U.S. to reduce traffic crashes, congestion, operating costs, and carbon emissions while helping to improve transportation efficiency and spur job growth.  But as a recent report by the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation highlights, the U.S. is falling behind leading Asian and European nations in deploying ITS technologies (see recent Wired News coverage here and here).

As Congress and the Administration work to spur economic growth and address critical transportation and environmental challenges, this is an opportunity to engage with leading transportation, transit, automotive, and economic policy experts in a discussion about how information and communications technologies are modernizing our nation’s infrastructure, and what steps can be taken to advance the deployment of current and next generation ITS technologies to create a smarter, safer, cleaner, and more efficient transportation system.  Please join ITS Caucus co-chair Russ Carnahan (D-MO) and our distinguished panelists for a discussion about the future of ITS in America, including how smart technologies can benefit your community and how policymakers can help the U.S. reclaim its role as an innovation leader.  Please RSVP to Charlie Tennyson at ITS America at ctennyson@itsa.org or 202-721-4207.

Note:  ITS America is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit association that represents several hundred member organizations including public sector agencies, private industry leaders, and academic institutions working to advance the research, development, and deployment of technologies that improve transportation safety, mobility, economic competitiveness, and the environment.  Register here to attend ITS America’s 2010 Annual Meeting and Exposition, which will be held in Houston, Texas from May 3 – 5.  Featured speakers include U.S. Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood, IBM Chairman, President and CEO Sam Palmisano, and other public sector, private industry, and academic leaders from across the country.

Related articles by Zemanta

• Intelligent Transportation Society of America Announces Call for Entries for “2010 Best of ITS Awards” (prweb.com)

Friday, February 26, 2010 – ISSN 1529-1057

The toll industry is evolving at an astonishing rate. Driven by financial realities, political change, and technological innovations the industry is facing a wide range of challenges and opportunities and is being forced to respond to them at lightning speed. Join the International Bridge, Tunnel and Turnpike Association, April 18-20, 2010 in Austin, TX and keep your organization current on the latest industry trends toEnhance Mobility Through Innovation. Main topics will include: communications, winning with the news media, finance trends, reauthorization update, successful project implementation and more. This meeting is ideal for toll industry professionals focused in the areas of communications and marketing, human resources, finance, administration, management and advocacy. Click here for registration, hotel and travel information and to view the preliminary agenda. www.IBTTA.org

CARTOGRAPHY

1) EU Cautions Google Over Street View Photos

Link to CNET News article:

http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-10460355-93.html

2) Missouri DOT Archives Maps Online for Public Use

Link to article in the Joplin Independent:

http://www.joplinindependent.com/display_article.php/staff1267053914

ELECTRONIC TOLLING

3) NXP and IBM Announce Results of Dutch Road Pricing Trial

Link to article in Traffic Technology International:

http://www.traffictechnologytoday.com/news.php?NewsID=19894

GPS / NAVIGATION

4) Going Places

Nokia aims to make Ovi Maps a contextual platform at the center of a variety of mobile applications.

Link to article on telecoms:

http://www.telecoms.com/18399/going-places

MARITIME

5) Mobile Cameras Increase Surveillance at Los Angeles Port

Link to AP article:

http://www.mercurynews.com/breaking-news/ci_14472133

RAILROADS

6) IBM Helps Reinvent Russia’s Railroad

Link to article in IEEE Spectrum:

http://spectrum.ieee.org/computing/it/winner-ibm-helps-reinvent-russias-railroad/1

ROADWAYS

7) Smarter Snowplows

University of Minnesota researchers enhance automated sanding and salting system for plows.

Link to article on UMNews:

http://www.cts.umn.edu/Publications/ResearchENews/2010/02/index.html#smarter

SAFETY / SECURITY

8) FCC to Seek $18 Billion for Emergency Wireless Communications Network

Link to article on NextGov:

http://www.nextgov.com/nextgov/ng_20100225_4181.php

TRANSIT

9) Houston Metro Launches Probe Into Document Shredding

Link to article in the Houston Chronicle:

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/metropolitan/6883826.html

VEHICLES

10) Toyota Accused of Withholding Test and Design Data

Link to article in The New York Times:

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/27/business/27toyota.html

11) California DMV App Helps iPhone Users Avoid Long Lines

Link to article in Government Technology:

http://www.govtech.com/gt/articles/747323

12) Making the Connected Car a Reality

Link to article in Telematics Update:

http://social.telematicsupdate.com/industry-insight/making-connected-car-reality

News Releases

1) Blog Presents Tips on Designing and Developing Wireless M2M Applications

Upcoming Events

Taipei International Auto Parts & Accessories Show – April 12-15 – Taipei, Taiwan

http://www.taipeiampa.com.tw/index.shtml

Friday Bonus

While I have to give credit to this transit line for not letting a little water stop service, some of these pedestrians, as well as the drivers on the bridge above, might ask them to cut back the speed a bit.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UzGwUhIXLDk

Today in Transportation History

1870 **140^th anniversary** An experimental pneumatic subway line opened in New York City.

http://www.shohola.com/AlfredBeach/

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

The Transportation Communications Newsletter is published electronically Monday through Friday.

To subscribe or unsubscribe, please visit:

http://groups.google.com/group/tcnl/subscribe

If you have any difficulties please contact me at i95berniew@aol.com.

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

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

© 2010 Bernie Wagenblast  www.bwcommunications.net