TransportGooru

Friday, May 22, 2009 – ISSN 1529-1057

1) Poor Communication Between Airports and Public Heath Authorities Hampers Swine Flu Fight: Aviation Official

Link to story from the Montreal Gazette:

http://www.canada.com/health/Poor+communication+hampers+swine+fight+Aviation+official/1613638/story.html

Link to news release from the International Civil Aviation Organization:

http://www.icao.int/icao/en/nr/2009/pio200906_e.pdf

2) Florida State Aircraft Flight Logs Go Online

Link to story in the Tallahassee Democrat:

http://floridacapitalnews.com/article/20090522/CAPITOLNEWS/905220330&theme

Link to site:

http://dms.myflorida.com/business_operations/specialized_services/aircraft_operations/state_aircraft_flight_information

CAMERAS

3) Port of Everett Rethinks Using Cameras to Catch Golf-Ball Bomber

Privacy concerns of homeowners lead to decision to develop formal policy on use of cameras.

Link to story in the Herald:

http://www.heraldnet.com/article/20090522/NEWS01/705229900

MARITIME

4) BC Ferries Settlement Will be Made Public

Link to Canwest News Service story:

http://www.canada.com/Sunk+ferry+settlement+will+made+public/1619558/story.html

5) Inquest Hears Boats on Sydney Harbor are Often Poorly Lit

Link to Australian Broadcasting Corp. story:

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/05/20/2575825.htm

RAILROADS

6) Training Begins for ERTMS In-Cab Rail Signaling

Link to story in Transport Briefing:

http://www.transportbriefing.co.uk/news/story?id=5932

ROADWAYS

7) Confused at Interstate Split? Tennessee DOT Marking the Way

Link to story in the Chattanooga Times Free Press:

http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2009/may/22/tennessee-confused-interstate-split-tdot-marking-w/?local

TRANSIT

8) New York MTA Eyes ‘E-Zier’ Pass for Riders

Next generation fare card would use contactless device.

Link to story in the New York Post:

http://www.nypost.com/seven/05222009/news/regionalnews/mta_eyes_e_zier_pass_for_riders_170462.htm

9) Bus Stops of the Future: Are They Realistic?

Link to story in Fast Company:

http://www.fastcompany.com/blog/ariel-schwartz/sustainability/mits-bus-stop-future-0

Link to further information from MIT:

http://senseable.mit.edu/eyestop/

VEHICLES

10) ‘Black Box’ Idea Travels to Cars

New device will let parents monitor teens’ driving.

Link to story in The News-Times:

http://www.newstimes.com/ci_12424612  

Upcoming Events

Webinar: Lessons Learned from Wireless Video Monitoring for Dynamic Traffic Light Synchronization as part of Operation GreenLight in Lenexa – June 9

http://metrovideomonitor.com/events/schedule/event_overview/p/eventId_7/id_19

Friday Bonus

Thank goodness they weren’t occupied!

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worldnews/article-1176715/Pilots-miracle-escape-plane-crash-lands—pile-Portaloos.html

Today in Transportation History

1969 **40^th anniversary** – The lunar module, Snoopy, came within eight nautical miles of the Moon’s surface as part of a dress rehearsal for a landing in July.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/may/22/newsid_3034000/3034569.stm

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

The Transportation Communications Newsletter is published electronically Monday through Friday. 

To subscribe send an e-mail to:  TCNL-subscribe@googlegroups.com

To unsubscribe send an e-mail to:  TCNL-unsubscribe@googlegroups.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.   

© 2009 Bernie Wagenblast

(Source:  The Infrastructurist & Asia Times)

The Chinese are at it again.  The Asian juggernaut is rolling ahead with its investment in beefing its modern infrastructure – this time with a massive investment in railways.   With the dedication and determination that has become a hallmark of all things Chinese, be it sports or the development, the country has proved time and again that it is among the best in the world.  Dithering and doing things half-way are not among the national character flaws that might be pinned on the Chinese.  And, perhaps, they’re already at it with this plan to build the world’s largest high-speed rail network. 

China’s rail links totaled 76,600km by end of 2006. But most of them were built at least 30 years ago and some even date back to the early 20th century.   The economic boom of the past two decades has generated soaring demand for rail transportation. In 2006, China’s rail network handled 25% of the world’s cargo and passenger travel, although the country’s railway network only accounts for 6% of the world’s total by mileage. 

In 2006, China’s railway network carried 662.2 billion passenger-kilometers – 2.7 times that of Japan – while it carried 2.87 billion tons of freight, a billion tons more than in the US, and 4.8 times that in India.  To cope with the skyrocketing demand for rail transport, the Chinese government has kept expanding its plans for rail construction. As of March 31, China has committed $259 billion to building its high-speed rail network project, and plans to spend nearly a half trillion dollars more in the next three years, boosting the total investment to $730 billion by 2012.

Of the Chinese investment, at least $1 billion is going to the German conglomerate Seimens for the purchase 100 high speed train sets. They will be, on average, 16 cars–or 1300 feet–in length, capable of carrying 1000 passengers, and capable of traveling 218 mph. Moreover, they will be running on tracks designed to accommodate that speed. Unlike, say, the Acela.  Ultimately, the Chinese government plans to buy 1000 high speed trains to run on a track network of around 25,000 miles. 

A little context here: The US–a country with a per capita GDP about 16 times that of China–has set rail as a national priority and has committed… $13 billion. Or, about 2 percent as much in China. This, of course, is in a place where it costs a hell of a lot more to get anything done.   In the U.S., President Obama’s decision to make high-speed passenger rail service a centerpiece of his transportation agenda is funded in part through the recently passed $787 billion stimulus plan including a total of $8 billion for improvements in the U.S. rail system. The Obama plan also proposes a separate five-year, $5 billion investment in high-speed rail as part of the administration’s suggested fiscal year 2010 budget (FY10 budget outline) to make a down payment on constructing enhanced rail network.

Thursday, May 21, 2009 – ISSN 1529-1057

Join the International Bridge, Tunnel and Turnpike Association in Denver, CO to learn about best practices from around the world in Incident Management and Emergency Response. Sessions will explore the most effective tools and communication methods available to promote toll facility safety and security, maintain operations in the face of disruption, and effectively communicate with customers during all phases of an incident – from prevention to recovery. Other topics include crisis management during special events, Post Traumatic Distress Disorder and psychological impacts to employees, the role of engineering and maintenance in prevention and safety, and business continuity during disasters. Visit IBTTA’s website to view the preliminary agenda and register today! 

AVIATION

1) Virgin America Completes Installing Wi-Fi on Fleet

Link to Dow Jones story:

http://money.cnn.com/news/newsfeeds/articles/djf500/200905200936DOWJONESDJONLINE000643_FORTUNE5.htm

CAMERAS

2) Louisiana House Committee All but Kills Plan to Regulate Red Light Cameras

Link to story in The Times-Picayune:

http://www.nola.com/politics/index.ssf/2009/05/committee_all_but_kills_plan_t.html

GPS / NAVIGATION

3) US Air Force Waves Off Warnings About GPS Accuracy

Link to story in The Washington Post:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/05/21/AR2009052103127.html

4) Microsoft: ‘We Touch Every Piece’ of Auto Business

Link to ZDNet column:  

http://blogs.zdnet.com/gadgetreviews/?p=4375

5) Calling the Real Race in GNSS

Link to story in GPS World:

http://sidt.gpsworld.com/gpssidt/Latest+News/Calling-the-Real-Race-in-GNSS/ArticleStandard/Article/detail/599294?contextCategoryId=33831

RAILROADS

6) The Interstate Rail Defense Network

Would a name change increase public support for high-speed rail proposal? 

Link to The No. 13 Line blog:

http://www.pbs.org/wnet/blueprintamerica/blogs/13line/the-no-13-line-the-interstate-rail-defense-network/635/

7) Freight Rail Security: Actions Have Been Taken to Enhance Security, but Federal Strategy Can Be Strengthened and Security Efforts Better Monitored

Link to US Government Accountability Office report:

http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d09243.pdf

ROADWAYS

8) Virginia DOT to DC Department of Transportation: You Need to Communicate Better

Link to story on WTOP Radio:

http://www.wtop.com/?nid=25&sid=1680248

SAFETY / SECURITY

9) Nebraska State Patrol Scanning Plates for Info About Drivers

Link to AP story:

http://www.omaha.com/index.php?u_page=2798&u_sid=10638791

SPACE

10) A New Frontier: Astronaut Using Twitter in Space

Link to story in USA Today:

http://www.usatoday.com/tech/science/space/2009-05-20-astronaut-twitter_N.htm

TELEMATICS

11) Telematics and GPS Go in the Right Direction

Navigation assistance gets more user-friendly with help of technology.

Link to story on MSNBC:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/30526005/ns/technology_and_science-tech_and_gadgets/

TRANSIT

12) Transit Travels to Cyberspace to Reach Riders

Link to story in Metro Magazine:

http://www.metro-magazine.com/Article/Story/2009/05/Transit-Travels-to-Cyberspace-to-Reach-Riders.aspx

TRAVELER INFORMATION / TRANSPORTATION MANAGEMENT

13) Waze: The Traffic of the Crowds

Link to CNET News story:

http://news.cnet.com/8301-17939_109-10246268-2.html

News Releases

1) Delaware Welcome Center Travel Plaza Web Site Launched

2) TRW’s Capacitive Touch Sensing – Interior Control at Your Fingertips

Upcoming Events

American Association of Airport Executives Annual Conference and Exposition – June 14-17 – Philadelphia

http://www.aaae.org/meetings/annual2009/

Today in Transportation History

1894 **115^th anniversary** – The Manchester Ship Canal was officially opened by Queen Victoria.

http://www.shipcanal.co.uk/manchester-ship-canal/

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

The Transportation Communications Newsletter is published electronically Monday through Friday. 

To subscribe send an e-mail to:  TCNL-subscribe@googlegroups.com

To unsubscribe send an e-mail to:  TCNL-unsubscribe@googlegroups.com

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

Questions, comments about the TCN?  Please write the editor, Bernie Wagenblast ati95berniew@aol.com.   

© 2009 Bernie Wagenblast

(Source: Autobloggreen & Detroit Free Press)

It seems that calls from House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-MD) and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) to fast track the Cash-For-Clunkers bill through the legislative process may have fallen on deaf ears. According to the Detroit Free Press, the somewhat controversial bill will be tacked on the much broader Climate Change bill that’s currently being drafted by the House Energy and Commerce Committee.

 Ohio Rep. Betty Sutton’s amendment made it onto the American Clean Energy and Security Act, the legislation being marked up this week by the House Energy and Commerce Committee. Approved by a vote of 50-4, the amendment provides a voucher of up to $4,500 for trading in an old, lower mile-per-gallon vehicle to purchase a new one.

The measure wouldn’t favor domestic vehicles over those made by companies based overseas but it has incentives for trucks and sport-utility vehicles which could be of particular help to American automakers. President Barack Obama and key House Democrats agreed on the provisions contained in the amendment at a recent White House meeting.

U.S. Rep. John Dingell, a Dearborn Democrat and staunch advocate of domestic automakers, said the cash-for-clunkers amendment, if passed, “will result in meaningful reductions in vehicle fleet carbon emissions and fuel consumption, all while providing much-needed stimulus for our ailing automakers.”

(Source: Autoblog & GAO)

Big government’s inefficiency comes in a variety of flavors, and this one could hit your dashboards as early as next year. According to a report from the Government Accountability Office (GAO), the U.S.’ Global Positioning System (GPS) could begin to experience black-outs and general failures next year due to the delays, mismanagement and underinvestment by the U.S. Air force. 

The report’s summary offers the following: The Global Positioning System (GPS), which provides position, navigation, and timing data to users worldwide, has become essential to U.S. national security and a key tool in an expanding array of public service and commercial applications at home and abroad. The United States provides GPS data free of charge. The Air Force, which is responsible for GPS acquisition, is in the process of modernizing GPS. In light of the importance of GPS, the modernization effort, and international efforts to develop new systems, GAO was asked to undertake a broad review of GPS. Specifically, GAO assessed progress in (1) acquiring GPS satellites, (2) acquiring the ground control and user equipment necessary to leverage GPS satellite capabilities, and evaluated (3) coordination among federal agencies and other organizations to ensure GPS missions can be accomplished. To carry out this assessment, GAO’s efforts included reviewing and analyzing program documentation, conducting its own analysis of Air Force satellite data, and interviewing key officials.

It is uncertain whether the Air Force will be able to acquire new satellites in time to maintain current GPS service without interruption. If not, some military operations and some civilian users could be adversely affected. (1) In recent years, the Air Force has struggled to successfully build GPS satellites within cost and schedule goals; it encountered significant technical problems that still threaten its delivery schedule; and it struggled with a different contractor. As a result, the current IIF satellite program has overrun its original cost estimate by about $870 million and the launch of its first satellite has been delayed to November 2009–almost 3 years late. (2) Further, while the Air Force is structuring the new GPS IIIA program to prevent mistakes made on the IIF program, the Air Force is aiming to deploy the next generation of GPS satellites 3 years faster than the IIF satellites. GAO’s analysis found that this schedule is optimistic, given the program’s late start, past trends in space acquisitions, and challenges facing the new contractor. Of particular concern is leadership for GPS acquisition, as GAO and other studies have found the lack of a single point of authority for space programs and frequent turnover in program managers have hampered requirements setting, funding stability, and resource allocation. (3) If the Air Force does not meet its schedule goals for development of GPS IIIA satellites, there will be an increased likelihood that in 2010, as old satellites begin to fail, the overall GPS constellation will fall below the number of satellites required to provide the level of GPS service that the U.S. government commits to. Such a gap in capability could have wide-ranging impacts on all GPS users, though there are measures the Air Force and others can take to plan for and minimize these impacts. In addition to risks facing the acquisition of new GPS satellites, the Air Force has not been fully successful in synchronizing the acquisition and development of the next generation of GPS satellites with the ground control and user equipment, thereby delaying the ability of military users to fully utilize new GPS satellite capabilities. Diffuse leadership has been a contributing factor, given that there is no single authority responsible for synchronizing all procurements and fielding related to GPS, and funding has been diverted from ground programs to pay for problems in the space segment. DOD and others involved in ensuring GPS can serve communities beyond the military have taken prudent steps to manage requirements and coordinate among the many organizations involved with GPS. However, GAO identified challenges in the areas of ensuring civilian requirements can be met and ensuring GPS compatibility with other new, potentially competing global space-based positioning, navigation, and timing systems.

Click here to download the report.  For those who like to read without leaving the page, here is the read-only version of the PDF.

Wednesday, May 20, 2009 – ISSN 1529-1057

Did you know that TIC is not just for traffic? For example, did you know that some customers uses TIC for radio program associated data (PAD) such as song title, artist photo, and schedules, for broadcasting over FM radio data service (RDS) and digital audio broadcast (DAB)? And there’s much more.

With the new TIC architecture, you can let your imagination flow, so why not let us know your ideas, requirements, and even your problems, at ITS America.  TIC is a commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) platform solution proven in over 100 projects operating worldwide, and can be deployed faster, more affordably, and with less risk than build-your-own solutions.

See TIC at GEWI booth #329 at ITS America or contact jim.oneill@gewi.com to discuss your requirements.

AVIATION

1) Airline Mechanics Who Can’t Read English

Link to story and video on WFAA-TV:

http://www.wfaa.com/sharedcontent/dws/wfaa/latestnews/stories/wfaa090515-_lj_harris.7a4a7d4.html

2) FAA to Hold First-Ever International Runway Safety Summit

Link to story on AviationNews:

http://www.aviationnews.net/?do=headline&news_ID=167477

CAMERAS

3) Illinois Lawmakers Reject Speed Cams in School, Hospital Zones

Link to story in the Daily Herald:

http://www.dailyherald.com/story/?id=294790&src=109

CARTOGRAPHY

4) Google Threatened with Sanctions Over Photo Mapping Service in Germany

Link to story in The New York Times:

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/20/technology/companies/20google.html?_r=1&partner=rss&emc=rss

OTHER

5) Ohio Democrats Restrict Open Internet Auctions for Construction Projects

Link to story in The Plain Dealer:

http://blog.cleveland.com/metro/2009/05/open_internet_auctions_for_ohi.html

ROADWAYS

6) States Roll Out Plans for ‘Smarter’ Roads

Link to story on Stateline:

http://www.stateline.org/live/details/story?contentId=401357

7) Span of Control

A new generation of ‘smart’ bridges use electronic sensors to warn of impending danger.

Link to story in The Economist:

http://www.economist.com/science/tm/displaystory.cfm?story_id=13687092

SAFETY / SECURITY

8) Officials Draft Changes to Bush-Era Mandate on ID Cards

Link to story from CongressDaily:

http://www.govexec.com/story_page.cfm?articleid=42759&dcn=e_hsw

9) New Database Created with Thousands of Emergency Shelters Nationwide

Link to story in the Los Angeles Times:

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-hurricane20-2009may20,0,4925727.story

TELEMATICS

10) Vehicle Telematics Concept Benefits Responders, Victims

Link to story in Occupational Health & Safety:

http://ohsonline.com/articles/2009/05/20/vehicle-telematics-concept.aspx

TRANSIT

11) Popular Smart Card Can be Hacked, Researchers Show

Link to story in Government Technology:

http://www.govtech.com/gt/articles/689811

12) Campaign Urges Commuters to Send Postcards in Support of Public Transport

Link to story in The New Zealand Herald:

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10573411

TRAVELER INFORMATION / TRANSPORTATION MANAGEMENT

13) With Holiday Ahead, Massachusetts Turnpike Announces Traffic Info Upgrade

Link to story in The Boston Globe:

http://www.boston.com/news/local/breaking_news/2009/05/with_holiday_ah.html

Link to Mass Turnpike traffic cameras:  http://www.masspike.com/travel/cameras.html

14) Praise Washington State DOT for Alerting Drivers to Bridge Closure

Link to commentary in the Issaquah Press:

http://www.issaquahpress.com/2009/05/19/off-the-press-21/

News Releases

1) Waze Announces Driver-Generated Live Map Platform; Launches Private Alpha for Mobile Application

2) BART Unveils New Web Site to Keep Riders, Public Informed on Labor Negotiations

3) Live Video from Florida Traffic Cameras to Gain Wider Audience with TrafficLand

4) OnStar Creates Injury Severity Prediction to Improve Automatic Crash Response

5) Tennessee DOT Now Using Twitter to Provide Information About Delays on Roadways

Upcoming Events

ACI-NA Public Safety & Security Fall Conference – August 24-27 – Arlington, Virginia

http://www.aci-na.org/conferences/detail?eventId=149

Today in Transportation History

1939 **70^th anniversary** – Regular trans-Atlantic air service began with a Pan American flight from Port Washington, New York to Europe.

http://www.airliner.net/pan-am-clipper-flying-boat/transatlantic-airline-service/

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

The Transportation Communications Newsletter is published electronically Monday through Friday. 

To subscribe send an e-mail to:  TCNL-subscribe@googlegroups.com

To unsubscribe send an e-mail to:  TCNL-unsubscribe@googlegroups.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.   

© 2009 Bernie Wagenblast

(Source: National Transportation Operations Coalition)

A coalition of transportation and technology leaders – including state and local officials, industry and academic leaders and prominent stakeholder organizations – is calling on Congress to focus federal funding in the surface transportation authorization bill on the deployment of smart technologies and innovative solutions in order to create a performance-driven, intermodal transportation system that is safer, cleaner, more efficient and more financially sustainable for communities, businesses and the traveling public.

America’s transportation system is facing significant challenges that must be addressed in the next surface transportation authorization bill, from financing our transportation system and reducing traffic fatalities to combating congestion and CO2 emissions. Solving these challenges will require transportation agencies and private sector partners to use all of the tools at their disposal, including intelligent transportation systems (ITS), related technologies, and multimodal operational strategies that can help prevent accidents before they happen, reduce traffic congestion and freight bottlenecks, provide more effective incident and emergency response, reduce energy use and emissions, and enable innovative 21st century financing options.

“As a result of successful research initiatives and private sector innovation, technologies are here today which can help increase safety, reduce congestion and emissions, boost competitiveness, improve system performance, and create more livable and sustainable communities,” the coalition wrote today to House transportation leaders. “While a continued and strengthened research role is still needed, it is critical that state and local agencies and private sector partners make better use of technology to modernize today’s infrastructure and optimize existing capacity, while building smart and efficient roads, bridges, transit systems, and multimodal transportation options for tomorrow’s transportation users.” 

————————————————————————————————————————————————–

FHWA Launches New Climate Change Website

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

Category > Now Available: May 20, 2009 (FHWA) 

The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) has created a new Web site to provide information on FHWA research, publications and resources related to climate change science, policies and actions. Check out the new site at http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/hep/climate.

 Save the Date for the National Rural Transportation Conference

http://www.RuralTransportation.org/pages/page.asp?page_id=59355

Category > Opportunity: May 20, 2009 (NADO)

Plan now to attend the 2009 National Rural Transportation Peer Learning Conference, to be held October 28-30, 2009 in Savannah, Georgia.  This year’s conference will feature mobile workshops, peer training and networking opportunities specifically designed for rural and small metropolitan regions. 

Training sessions will cover such policy and technical issues as transportation and economic development, land use, climate change, relationships with state departments of transportation and other planning partners, planning for regional transit and coordinated human services transportation, GIS and technology applications, safety planning, freight and intermodal transportation, finance and other topics. 

National Association of Development Organizations (NADO) member organizations are encouraged to submit abstracts of presentations online until May 30, 2009 at http://www.zoomerang.com/Survey/?p=WEB228TVR2RJRU. 

This year’s conference will also include special networking and learning events held jointly with the Association of Metropolitan Planning Organizations (AMPO) Annual Conference. This will provide an opportunity to share practices with transportation professionals from medium and large metropolitan regions as well as rural and small metropolitan regions.

For more information, contact NADO Program Manager Carrie Kissel at ckissel@nado.org or 202-624-8829.  For more details on the conference, visit http://www.RuralTransportation.org/pages/page.asp?page_id=59355.

 NADO and AMPO to Offer Climate Change Webinar

http://www.ruraltransportation.org/pages/page.asp?page_id=69578

Category > Opportunity: May 20, 2009 (AMPO)

Save the date for the upcoming Webinar entitled “Climate Change Is Heating Up: The Latest Information and Resources for Transportation Planning Agencies in Rural, Small- and Medium-sized Regions,” which will take place on Thursday, May 21, 2:00-3:30 p.m.  This Webinar will be offered free of charge, and AICP Certification Maintenance credits may be offered to attendees.

The Webinar will feature presentations by Cindy Burbank, National Planning and Environment Practice Leader for PB Americas, and Harrison Rue, Principal for ICF International. Burbank and Rue will provide an overview of climate change information and its relationship to transportation planning, discuss potential regulatory and legislative issues, economic impacts and prospects for addressing climate change, opportunities to adapt to and mitigate climate change and provide additional resources.

For more information and to register, visit http://www.ruraltransportation.org/pages/page.asp?page_id=69578.

This Webinar is supported in part by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) under Agreement No. DTFH61-06-H-00029. Any opinions, findings and conclusions or recommendations in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the view of FHWA.

 T3 Webinar: Next Generation 9-1-1 (NG 9-1-1) Summit for Large Cities 

http://www.pcb.its.dot.gov/t3/s090521_nxtgen.asp

Category > Opportunity: May 20, 2009 (JPO)

This Talking Technology and Transportation (T3) Webinar will take place on May 21, 2009, from 10:30-11:30 a.m. ET. This Webinar will provide a briefing on the status of the NG 9-1-1 Initiative and other development efforts and describe the transition to the National E-911 Implementation Coordination Office that is currently underway.

T3 Webinars are sponsored by the ITS Professional Capacity Building Program at the U.S. Department of Transportation’s ITS Joint Program Office. For more information and to register, click on the link above.

T3 Webinar: Minneapolis I-35 Bridge Collapse – A Major Emergency Incident

http://www.pcb.its.dot.gov/t3/s090603_tsagi35.asp

Category > Opportunity: May 20, 2009 (JPO)

This T3 Webinar will take place on  June 3, 2009, from 2:00-5:30 p.m. ET. Within a workshop setting, Transportation Safety Advancement Group members and other public safety professionals review actual public safety related events or incidents for the purpose of identifying management strategies and technology-based applications and corresponding successes, failures and lessons-learned. This Webinar will review the 2007 I-35 (MN) Bridge Collapse.

Case Studies Workshop presenters walk the audience through the tragic events of the day, focusing on 9-1-1 operations, Police, Fire and EMS response, as well as the Emergency Operations Center (EOC) activation and management. Presenters will share lessons learned and highlight the performance of the Minneapolis 911 Center, of local emergency responders and of operations strategies and technologies at the time of and responding to the incident.

T3 Webinars are sponsored by the ITS Professional Capacity Building Program at the U.S. Department of Transportation’s ITS Joint Program Office. For more information and to register, click on the link above.

Public and Private Sector Leaders Call for Deployment of Intelligent Systems and Technologies

http://www.itsa.org/itsa/files/pdf/ITSAmericaAuthorizationProposal-FINAL.pdf

Category > Breaking News: May 20, 2009 (ITS America)

 A coalition of transportation and technology leaders – including state and local officials, industry and academic leaders and prominent stakeholder organizations – is calling on Congress to focus federal funding in the surface transportation authorization bill on the deployment of smart technologies and innovative solutions in order to create a performance-driven, intermodal transportation system that is safer, cleaner, more efficient and more financially sustainable for communities, businesses and the traveling public.

“As a result of successful research initiatives and private sector innovation, technologies are here today which can help increase safety, reduce congestion and emissions, boost competitiveness, improve system performance, and create more livable and sustainable communities,” the coalition wrote today to House transportation leaders. “While a continued and strengthened research role is still needed, it is critical that state and local agencies and private sector partners make better use of technology to modernize today’s infrastructure and optimize existing capacity, while building smart and efficient roads, bridges, transit systems, and multimodal transportation options for tomorrow’s transportation users.” 

ITS America’s complete authorization recommendations are available here: http://www.itsa.org/itsa/files/pdf/ITSAmericaAuthorizationProposal-FINAL.pdf.

Rough Roads Costing Motorists Hundreds More Per Year

http://news.transportation.org/press_release.aspx?Action=ViewNews&NewsID=231

Category > Now Available: May 20, 2009 (AASHTO)

Driving on rough roads costs the average American motorist approximately $400 a year in extra vehicle operating costs. Drivers living in urban areas with populations over 250,000 are paying upwards of $750 more annually because of accelerated vehicle deterioration, increased maintenance, additional fuel consumption, and tire wear caused by poor road conditions.

Rough Roads Ahead: Fix Them Now or Pay for It Later, a report released by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) and TRIP, reports that one-third of the nation’s major highways, including Interstates, freeways, and major roads, are in poor or mediocre condition. Roads in urban areas, which carry 66 percent of the traffic, are in much worse shape.

The full report is available at http://roughroads.transportation.org, along with charts, photographs, and examples from states working to improve their highway systems. Rough Roads is part of Are We There Yet? We Can Be!, AASHTO’s effort to build awareness and support for the nation’s transportation system.

 Secretary LaHood: TIGER Discretionary Grants Will Target Major-Impact Transportation Projects, Job Creation

http://www.dot.gov/affairs/2009/dot6909.htm

Category > Breaking News: May 20, 2009 (U.S. DOT)

 U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood announced the availability of $1.5 billion in TIGER (Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery) Discretionary Grants for capital investment in surface transportation projects. Grants will be awarded on a competitive basis to projects that have a significant impact on the nation, a region or metropolitan area and can create jobs and benefit economically distressed areas.

“TIGER discretionary funding will open up the door to many new innovative and cutting-edge transportation projects,” said Secretary LaHood. “This is exciting news and I believe that these projects will promote greater mobility, a cleaner environment and more livable communities.”

The grants can range from $20 million up to $300 million to support high impact transportation projects. Secretary LaHood can waive the minimum grant requirement for beneficial projects in smaller cities, regions or states. The U.S. Department of Transportation will require rigorous economic justifications for projects over $100 million. To ensure responsible spending, the department will require all fund recipients to report on their activities on a routine basis.

Applications for TIGER discretionary grants must be submitted by September 15, 2009, from state and local governments, including U.S. territories, tribal governments, transit agencies, port authorities and others. Comments on the criteria must be received by June 1, 2009. The Federal Register notice can be accessed by clicking here: http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2009/pdf/E9-11542.pdf.

2010 TRB 89th Annual Meeting and Transportation Research Record: Calls for Papers

http://www.trb.org/news/blurb_detail.asp?id=10343

Category > Opportunity: May 20, 2009 (TRB)

Transportation Research Board standing committees have issued more than 40 calls for papers for the TRB 89th Annual Meeting, January 10-14, 2010, in Washington, D.C, and the Transportation Research Record: Journal of the Transportation Research Board (TRR). While papers addressing any relevant aspect of transportation research will be considered, some committees are soliciting papers in specific subject areas to help potential authors identify topics for their papers. Committees will be producing calls for papers through June, so authors should visit this site periodically.

The calls for papers can be sorted by major subject area, title, or sponsoring committee. Solicited and unsolicited papers for presentation and/or publication as part of the 89th TRB Annual Meeting and the TRR must be submitted directly to TRB via the online paper submission Web site by August 1, 2009. The paper submission Web site will open in June. By late October, TRB communicates the results of the initial review to the corresponding author indicated on the paper submission form.

Register Now for IBTTA’s Upcoming Meeting – Incident Management, Safety and Security, July 19-21, 2009, Denver, CO

http://www.ibtta.org/Events/eventdetail.cfm?ItemNumber=3857

Category > Opportunity: May 20, 2009 (IBTTA)

Join the International Bridge, Tunnel and Turnpike Association (IBTTA) in Denver, CO to learn about best practices from around the world in Incident Management and Emergency Response. Sessions will explore the most effective tools and communication methods available to promote toll facility safety and security; maintain operations in the face of disruption; and effectively communicate with customers during all phases of an incident, from prevention to recovery. Other topics include crisis management during special events, Post Traumatic Distress Disorder and psychological impacts to employees, the role of engineering and maintenance in prevention and safety, and business continuity during disasters. Visit the link above to view the preliminary agenda and register today!

ITS JPO Lesson of the Month

http://www.itslessons.its.dot.gov/its/benecost.nsf/WhatNewLessons?OpenForm&Seq=1&type=Lessons

Category > Now Available: May 20, 2009 (JPO)

 The ITS JPO Lesson of the Month for May 2009 is, “Use a common Concept of Operations for evacuation operations that clarifies stakeholder roles and defines coordination activities for all operational phases of the evacuation.” This lesson discusses the usefulness of a shared transportation operations plan in emergency evacuations with advance notice. To read the lesson, click on the link above.

Upcoming ITE Webinars

http://www.ite.org/education/clearinghouse/

Category > Opportunity: May 20, 2009 (ITE)

The Institute of Transportation Engineers is offering the following upcoming Webinars:

Access Management at Intersections Part II

http://www.ite.org/education/webinars_accesste.asp#ACCESS_PART_II

Background: Building from the “Access Management at Intersections Part I” web seminar, this web seminar will highlight major classifications of access management techniques at intersections, such as objective of separating conflicts, geometric access management and operational techniques.

Date: Tuesday, May 26, 2009

Time: 3:00 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. Eastern

Traffic Signal Operations Specialist® (TSOS) Refresher Courses

http://www.ite.org/education/webinars_tsos.asp#TSOSSuite

Background: The suite of courses includes five (5) learning modules on traffic signal control, signal design and installation, signal phasing and timing, signal system timing and operations and signal operations and safety review. See individual modules below for course details and learning objectives.

Dates: Thursdays, May 28- June 25, 2009 (Modules 1-5 )

Time: 3:00 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. Eastern

Professional Traffic Operations Engineer® (PTOE) Refresher Courses

http://www.ite.org/education/webinars_ptoe.asp#PTOE__SUITE

Background: The suite of courses includes five (5) learning modules on traffic engineering studies, traffic operations analysis, operational effects of geometric design, traffic safety and traffic control devices. See individual modules below for course details and learning objectives.

Dates: Tuesdays, June 2-30, 2009 (Modules 1-5)

Time: 12:00 p.m. – 1:30 p.m. Eastern

Traffic Operations Practitioner Specialist® (TOPS) Refresher Courses

http://www.ite.org/education/webinars_tops.asp#Suite%20REFRESHER

Background: The suite of courses includes six (6) learning modules on traffic operations studies, traffic devices, elements of design, traffic safety, incident management and transportation management. See individual modules below for course details and learning objectives.

Dates: Wednesday, August 19 – September 23, 2009 (Modules 1-6 )

Time: 12:00 p.m. – 1:30 p.m. Eastern

FHWA Exploratory Advanced Research Program: Broad Agency Announcement

http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/advancedresearch/index.cfm

Category > Opportunity: May 20, 2009 (FHWA)

 The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) Exploratory Advanced Research Program has posted its spring Broad Agency Announcement covering 12 topics in four focus areas: nanoscale research; concepts for integrated highway safety and systems operations; new technologies and advanced policies for energy and resource conservation systems; and macro, mega and national scale modeling systems. Proposals are due Wednesday, June 24, 2009. Please see http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/advancedresearch/index.cfm.

Tuesday, May 19, 2009 – ISSN 1529-1057

Join U.S. Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood, 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, 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 Hill Visitors Center.  For more information on the program and to register, visit http://www.itsa.org/amregistration.html.  

AVIATION

) Boeing’s Ambitions Crushed Its Wi-Fi Project, Paving Way for Small Competitor

Link to column in the Chicago Tribune:

http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/columnists/chi-tue-greising-aircell-boeing-may19,0,6380328.column

) Dallas/Fort Worth Airport Launches Mobile Phone Web Site

Link to story in The Dallas Morning News:

http://aviationblog.dallasnews.com/archives/2009/05/dfw-airport-launches-mobile-ph.html

CARTOGRAPHY

) Google Street View Trike Captures the Roads Less Driven

Link to story in Wired:

http://www.wired.com/autopia/2009/05/google-street-view-trike-captures-the-roads-less-driven/

OTHER

) Miserable Commute? It’s Time to Vent

Web site created by Transportation for America wants an improved transportation system.

Link to column in the Detroit Free Press:

http://www.freep.com/article/20090519/COL12/90519018

Link to My Commute Sucks:  http://www.mycommutesucks.org/

RAILROADS

) Web-Only Rail Discounts Condemned in UK

It is ‘unacceptable’ that low-cost rail fares are easily available only to those with Internet access, MPs say.

Link to BBC News story:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/8056021.stm

Link to report from the House of Commons Public Accounts Committee:

http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200809/cmselect/cmpubacc/191/191.pdf

SAFETY / SECURITY

) Airport Security Questioned

Privacy advocates: suspend ‘virtual strip search.’

Link to story and video on KMGH-TV:

http://www.thedenverchannel.com/news/19499650/detail.html

Link to further information from the Electronic Privacy Information Center:

http://epic.org/privacy/airtravel/backscatter/

TRANSIT

) DC Metro ‘Flight Attendant’ Provides Safety Tips in Video

Link to story in Metro Magazine:

http://www.metro-magazine.com/News/Story/2009/05/D-C-Metro-flight-attendant-provides-safety-tips-in-video.aspx

Link to video: 

http://www.metro-magazine.com/MetroTV/?id=445BB529-D7A6-4A8E-99B5-DD5134199BB5&CategoryID=1017

) Feasibility Study on the Use of Personal GPS Devices in Paratransit

Link to report from the Federal Transit Administration:

http://www.fta.dot.gov/documents/TRANSPO_Feasibility_GPS_Paratransit_Final.pdf

News Releases

1) The European Payments Council and GlobalPlatform Sign MOU to Align Mobile Contactless Technology

Job Posting

 –  Transportation Specialist – Federal Highway Administration – Washington, DC

http://tinyurl.com/pmc8fm

Upcoming Events

The Great American Trucking Show – August 20-22 – Dallas

http://www.gatsonline.com/

Today in Transportation History

1934 **75^th anniversary** – Police and striking Teamsters battled in Minneapolis during a general strike as a truck was attempting to unload.

http://www.mnhs.org/library/tips/history_topics/81truckersstrike.html

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

The Transportation Communications Newsletter is published electronically Monday through Friday. 

To subscribe send an e-mail to:  TCNL-subscribe@googlegroups.com

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

Questions, comments about the TCN?  Please write the editor, Bernie Wagenblast ati95berniew@aol.com.   

© 2009 Bernie Wagenblast

(Source: TeslaMotors@Twitter)

Looks like the German automaker, Daimler AG (maker of Mercedes vehicles) strongly feels about the growth of electric vehicles in the market.  Early this morning TransportGooru received the hot alert from Tesla’s Tweet that Daimler has acquired 10% of the company.   Sweet Deal!!! It will be a great & mutually beneficial relationship for both parties as it not only provides the much needed financial capital for Tesla, it  also allows for collaborative development of technologies that will be deployed in the future platforms manufactured by either company. 

• German automaker acquires nearly 10 percent of one of the leading electric vehicle companies

• Automakers agreed to cooperate in battery systems, electric drive systems and vehicle projects

The press release on Tesla’s Website is here for you to read..

May 19, 2009 

STUTTGART, Germany, and SAN CARLOS, Calif.

– Daimler AG has acquired an equity stake of nearly 10 percent of Tesla Motors Inc. This investment deepens the relationship between the inventor of the automobile and the newest member of the global auto industry. Tesla is the only production automaker selling a highway capable electric vehicle in North America and Europe.

The two companies have already been working closely to integrate Tesla’s lithium-ion battery packs and charging electronics into the first 1,000 units of Daimler’s electric smart car. In order to benefit from each other’s know-how, the investment enables the partners to collaborate even more closely on the development of battery systems, electric drive systems and in individual vehicle projects.

“Our strategic partnership is an important step to accelerate the commercialization of electric drives globally,” said Dr. Thomas Weber, Member of the Board of Daimler AG, responsible for Group Research and Mercedes-Benz Cars Development. “As a young and dynamic company, Tesla stands for visionary power and pioneering spirit. Together with Daimler’s 120 years of experience in the automotive sector this collaboration is a unique combination of two companies’ strengths. This marks another important milestone in Daimler’s strategy for sustainable mobility.”

“Daimler has set the benchmark for engineering excellence and vehicle quality for more than a century. It is an honor and a powerful endorsement of our technology that Daimler would choose to invest in and partner with Tesla,” said Tesla Chairman, CEO and Product Architect Elon Musk. “Daimler is also on the leading edge in the field of sustainable mobility. Among others the lithium-ion pouch-cell battery developed by Daimler and especially designed for automotive applications is of interest to us. We are looking forward to a strategic cooperation in a number of areas including leveraging Daimler’s engineering, production and supply chain expertise. This will accelerate bringing our Tesla Model S to production and ensure that it is a superlative vehicle on all levels.”

Image Courtesy: Tesla Motors

Together on the road to electro-mobility

As part of the collaboration, Prof. Herbert Kohler, Vice President E-Drive and Future Mobility at Daimler AG, will take a seat on Tesla’s board of directors. 

This long-term partnership with Tesla complements Daimler’s multi-facetted strategy to advance the electrification of the automobile.

Daimler is also moving forward the industrialization of lithium-ion technology. In March, the company founded the Deutsche Accumotive GmbH, a joint venture with Evonik Industries AG. As a result, Daimler is the first vehicle manufacturer worldwide that develops, produces and markets batteries for automotive applications. This is based on a Daimler stockholding in Li-Tec, the German specialist for lithium-ion battery cells.

100 smart electric cars have already been undergoing large-scale trials in London since 2007. These electric vehicles are being tested in day-to-day assignments by fleet operators and private customers.

The Tesla Model S builds upon the success of the Tesla Roadster by leveraging its technology into the world’s first fully electric sedan. Based in Silicon Valley, Tesla unveiled the Model S in March and plans to produce it in California starting in late 2011.