TransportGooru

Ensuring Work Zone Safety and Mobility:

NTOC Interview with the Maryland State Highway Administration

http://www.ntoctalks.com/articles/workzonesafety.php

Category > Now Available: May 6, 2009 (NTOC)

Each year, approximately 1,000 fatalities and 43,000 serious injuries occur in the United States as a result of vehicle accidents in work zones. NTOC Talks interviewed Jawad Paracha, Assistant Division Chief of the Traffic Development and Support Division, and Michael Paylor, Team Leader of the Traffic Policy and Management Team, from the Maryland State Highway Administration (MD-SHA) Office of Traffic and Safety to discuss the state’s work zone safety and mobility efforts.

To read the article about the office’s development of a Work Zone Safety and Mobility Policy, click on the link above. To listen to the audio recording of the NTOC Talks interview, visit:

http://www.ntoctalks.com/recordings/default.php

Talking Operations Webinar: Work Zone Performance Measurement

https://www.nhi.fhwa.dot.gov/resources/webconference/web_conf_learner_reg.aspx?webConfID=17055

Category > Opportunity: May 6, 2009 (NTOC)

This free NTOC Webinar will address the rationale for work zone performance monitoring and discuss some specific measures, data, and methods that can be used to monitor work zone performance. Speakers will share examples and lessons learned from a pilot test of performance monitoring at five work zones and from several years of experience collecting and analyzing data at a State DOT. Presentations will include: Work Zone Performance Monitoring and the Safety and Mobility Rule (Tracy Scriba, FHWA); Results of Work Zone Performance Measures Pilot Test (Jerry Ullman, Texas Transportation Institute); and Collection and Use of Work Zone Performance Measurement Data in Ohio (Dave Holstein, Ohio Department of Transportation).

The Webinar will take place May 28 from 1:00 PM – 2:30 PM Eastern Time. To register, click on the link above.

Work Zone White Paper Now Available

http://www.its.dot.gov/press/2009/road_construction_tech.htm

Category > Now Available: May 6, 2009 (U.S. DOT)

The U.S. Department of Transportation prepared a white paper titled, “Coordinating, Planning, and Managing the Effects of Roadway Construction with Technology,” to inform public agencies about the use of intelligent transportation systems (ITS) to manage construction work zones. This is a particularly relevant topic given the large number of construction projects that are expected from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) funds. The paper contains information about examples of ITS applications and their benefits in work zones. A number of resources are also referenced. The white paper provides information and does not reflect a U.S. DOT policy position.

 FHWA Exploratory Advanced Research Program: Broad Agency Announcement

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

Category > Opportunity: May 6, 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.

 FHWA Office of Operations Publishing Congestion Pricing Primer Series

http://ops.fhwa.dot.gov/

Category > Opportunity: May 6, 2009 (FHWA)

The FHWA Office of Operations has begun posting online a Congestion Pricing Primer Series. This series is part of FHWA’s outreach efforts to introduce the various aspects of congestion pricing to decision-makers and transportation professionals in the United States. The primers are intended to lay out the underlying rationale for congestion pricing and some of the technical issues associated with its implementation in a manner that is accessible to non-specialists in the field. Primers that provide a basic overview of congestion pricing, and the technology to enable congestion pricing, have been posted, with additional volumes to follow soon.

ITS Strategic Planning Workshop: June 4, 2009

http://www.itsa.org/ITS_Strategic_Planning.html

Category > Opportunity: May 6, 2009 (ITS JPO)

The ITS Joint Program Office and its modal partners are hosting a workshop at the ITS America Annual Meeting at the Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center in National Harbor, Maryland, to engage stakeholders in their strategic planning effort. The meeting will be held on June 4, 2009, from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

The goal of the workshop is to elicit discussion on the vision and direction for ITS research for the next five years and beyond. Specifically, the Department seeks input and insights into a proposed set of goals and objectives for the ITS Program. Additionally, the Department is interested in exploring new opportunities for research and development, technology transfer, and evaluation of next generation ITS technologies.

The workshop is designed to present the results-to-date of the strategic planning effort and to invite discussion from the public. Participants will be offered the opportunity for question and answer exchanges as well as engaged in break-out sessions. Feedback will be captured and incorporated into the ITS strategic planning effort.

Using this input, the Department expects to be able to develop a research agenda that reflects the critical role of advanced technologies in achieving transformative change in the areas of safety, mobility, environmental stewardship, and deployment policy; and to develop a Strategic Plan that reflects the current and future needs of the ITS industry.

There is a limited number of space, all participants must register prior to event. You can register at http://www.itsa.org/ITS_Strategic_Planning.html. There are also a limited number of grants for state and local agency public sector travel; these are available on a first come first serve basis, limited to one representative per agency. If interested and for more information please contact Chris Lane at clane@itsa.org or 202-721-4225.

 Glossary of Regional Transportation Systems Management and Operations Terms

http://www.trb.org/news/blurb_detail.asp?id=10302&utm_medium=etmail&utm_source=Transportation%20Research%20Board&utm_campaign=TRB+E-Newsletter+-+04-28-2009&utm_content=Customer&utm_term

Category > Now Available: May 6, 2009 (TRB)

 Now available from the Transportation Research Board, the Transportation Research Circular E-C133: Glossary of Regional Transportation Systems Management and Operations Terms is designed to provide clear definitions of terms as they are typically used in the context of regional transportation systems management and operations. To access the document, click on the link above.

 Presentations Now Available: ITE 2009 Technical Conference and Exhibit

http://www.ite.org/meetcon/2009TC/default.asp

Category > Now Available: May 6, 2009 (ITE)

 The Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE) 2009 Technical Conference and Exhibit, Transportation Operations in Action, took place March 22-25, 2009 in Phoenix, AZ, USA. Presentations from the technical sessions are now available online at http://www.ite.org/meetcon/2009TC/default.asp.

Presentations Now Available: Planned and Unplanned Events

http://www.ite.org/meetcon/2009TransOps/default.asp

Category > Now Available: May 6, 2009 (ITE)

 The 2009 National Conference on Transportation Operations for Planned and Unplanned Events specifically addressed nonrecurring congestion and its associated safety impacts as part of a Traffic Incident Management-Planned Special Events-Emergency Transportation Operations continuum. Presentations from the sessions are now available online at http://www.ite.org/meetcon/2009TransOps/default.asp.

Bottom Line Report Projects Price to Reduce Congestion, Improve Safety

Category > Breaking News: May 6, 2009 (AASHTO)

http://bottomline.transportation.org

 According to the Bottom Line Report, released by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) and the American Public Transportation Association, governments at all levels will need to more than double their spending on highways and bridges by 2015 to keep up with increased traffic; freight congestion; the demands of aging highways and bridges; and the growth of the nation’s population. Transit spending would need to quadruple to serve increased ridership. In exchange, smoother roads, less time lost to congestion, expanded transit service and substantial savings in vehicle owner costs are the benefits Americans can expect.

In addition, the report finds that another $13 billion would be needed annually for areas such as environmental mitigation, highway operations, safety programs and security. Using modeling techniques to project the impacts of highway improvement projects, the Bottom Line Report indicates that roads will be markedly smoother, speed levels will increase by about 5 percent and hours of delay will decline by 16.5 percent, meaning drivers will save about 12 hours per year they would otherwise spend sitting in traffic. User costs would drop by about $27 per 1,000 miles driven, for a savings of more than $400 per car each year.

The Bottom Line Report can be accessed on the AASHTO Web site at http://bottomline.transportation.org.

Traffic Signal Timing Ranked Among 20 Transportation Priorities for Stimulus Funding

http://stimulus.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/20-projects-report-compressed.pdf

Category > Breaking News: May 6, 2009 (NTOC)

Smart Growth America’s report, Spending the Stimulus, lists 20 ways that state officials can spend the federal funding on ready-to-go projects that will address long-neglected transportation priorities while providing speedy and robust job creation and economic recovery. The report, which references ITE as a resource, lists improving traffic signal operations and implementing congestion management programs as part of the proposed investments.

Smart Growth America partnered with state and local groups across the country to release the report showing the many ways the money can be used in each state to address their citizens’ transportation priorities. The report is available at http://stimulus.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/20-projects-report-compressed.pdf.

The Old Streetlamp of the Past Gets Updated for a Green Future

(Link to article by Rebecca Smith, Wall Street Journal)

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124035903357241327.html

Category > Breaking News: May 6, 2009 (NTOC)

Streetlights were the first big users of electricity. Now, they are being re-engineered to improve efficiency, but at a cost that today’s municipalities might have a tough time covering. San Jose, CA, USA, in the heart of Silicon Valley, is testing a concept called “adaptive lighting,” in which streets can be made brighter, darker or even illuminated with flashing strobes upon command.

By summer, the city will have installed 125 streetlamps using LED technology, in one of the biggest urban tests of the science so far in the United States. The city hopes to cut down on energy use, and, hopefully, lower its utility costs, by tapping LED lighting’s greater flexibility. The test in San Jose coincides with a broad push by federal and state agencies to modernize the nation’s lighting infrastructure.

Unlike regular streetlamps, LED lights can be programmed to respond to specific commands. For example, a city could dim the lighting on commercial strips after business hours, or turn up the lights after bars close, says Jim Helmer, director of San Jose’s transportation department. Streets around Little League baseball diamonds could be made brighter as people walk to their cars, and then turned down afterward.

San Jose expects to spend $150,000 to $200,000 on a pilot project in its Hillview North neighborhood, and it is seeking an additional $2 million in federal stimulus funds to enlarge the test. The LED streetlights being tested in San Jose could save anywhere from 10 to 60 percent on energy use, depending on their brightness. The white LEDs will have a range of between one and 82 watts and will replace 55-watt, yellowish sodium-vapor lamps.

Detroit’s New Traffic Management System Up and Running

(Link to article in Traffic Technology Today)

http://www.traffictechnologytoday.com/news.php?NewsID=11585

Category > Breaking News: May 6, 2009 (NTOC)

Detroit’s new $3.6 million Traffic Management Center has been opened by Mayor Ken Cockrel. The center will be part of the city’s ITS system and will be operated under the jurisdiction of the Department of Public Works Traffic Engineering Division. Information from traffic signal-mounted cameras is transported via a wireless communications network to the center, where street conditions are monitored on six separate large screen monitors to provide a 3×1.5m videowall. The wall can also be configured to display up to 12 separate camera feeds from the city.

Phase I of the new traffic management system is now complete and includes the conversion of 30 selected traffic signals in the downtown area. Phase II is currently under way and involves the installation of ITS hardware at 29 traffic signals along East Jefferson from Rivard to Alter. Phase III will see the installation of ITS hardware at 65 traffic signals in the Wayne State University, Cultural Center and Detroit Medial Center areas. Phase III is expected to be completed during 2010. Future expansion of the system will include installing additional units on other major streets throughout the city.

Notice of Intent to Adopt ITE ITS Standard NTCIP 1103 v02

http://www.ite.org/standards/NTCIP_1103v02_RS.pdf

Category > Opportunity: May 6, 2009 (ITE)

The final draft version of the Recommended Standard of NTCIP 1103 v02, Transportation Management Protocols Version 02, has been approved by the National Transportation Communications for ITS Protocol (NTCIP) Joint Committee of ITE, AASHTO and the National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA). ITE intends to adopt this standard assuming no final appeals are received. When adopted, this standard will be jointly published by ITE, NEMA and AASHTO.

ITE intends to move to the next step of approval for this standard by seeking approval from the ITE International Board of Direction as of June 8, 2009, unless an appeal is received. The final draft version of the standard and the standards development report are available at http://www.ite.org/standards/NTCIP_1103v02_RS.pdf

If no appeals are filed, the ITE International Board of Direction will ballot the standard and it will be available for purchase from ITE.        

For information on filing an appeal, visit http://www.ite.org/standards/NOI%20-%20NTCIP%201103%20v02%20RS.DOC.

Upcoming ITE Webinars

Category > Opportunity: May 6, 2009 (ITE)

The following Webinars will be offered by ITE:

Access Management at Intersections Part I

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

Background: This web seminar will provide an overview of the principles of access management techniques as principally related to intersections. Participants will be introduced to the concepts of intersection physical and functional area and how to calculate and draw a schematic “windows of opportunity” for various access management intersection configurations along an arterial highway.

Date: Tuesday, May 19, 2009

Time: 3:00 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. Eastern

Intended Audience: Traffic engineers, transportation engineers and consultants

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

Intended Audience: Traffic engineers, transportation engineers and consultants

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

Intended Audience: Transportation Planners, Traffic/Transportation Engineers, Consultants and prospective TSOS exam takers

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

Intended Audience: Transportation Planners, Traffic/Transportation Engineers, Consultants and prospective PTOE exam takers

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

Intended Audience: Transportation Planners, Traffic/Transportation Engineers, Consultants and prospective TOPS exam takers

 2010 TRB 89th Annual Meeting and Transportation Research Record: Calls for Papers TRB 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. [More]

Fiscal Year 2010 Freight and Hazardous Materials Problem Statements Sought – Candidate Statements Due July 31, 2009 Candidate Statements Due July 31, 2009 TRB’s National Cooperative Freight Research Program (NCFRP) and Hazardous Materials Cooperative Research Program (HMCRP) have issued a request for problem statements identifying research needed for NCFRP’s and HMCRP’s FY 2010 programs.  Research problem statements, which will form the basis for selection of the next round of research projects by the respective programs, are due by July 31, 2009.  The NCFRP and HMCRP are applied, contract research programs with objectives of developing information that will be used to improve the efficiency, reliability, safety, and security of the nation’s freight transportation system.  Anyone may submit a research problem statement and the process is easy. So, if you have any potential research topics, TRB would welcome your submission. New projects will be selected in the fall of 2009. [More]

Fiscal Year 2010 Transit Cooperative Research Program Legal Studies Topics Recommendations Due by July 1, 2009 The Transit Cooperative Research Program (TCRP) is soliciting ideas on candidate topics for the FY 2010 Legal Studies Program. The TCRP Legal Studies Program reports on legal issues associated with transit and intermodal law. Each document is intended to provide transit attorneys with authoritative, well-researched, specific information that is limited in scope. The studies focus on legal issues and problems having national significance to the transit industry. [More]

NCHRP FY 2010 Projects: Oversight Panel Nominee Solicitation Nominations Due May 29, 2009  TRB’s National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP) is soliciting nominees to serve on oversight panels for new projects being established under the NCHRP’s FY 2010 program. Nominees should have expertise directly relevant to the proposed project topic. To help identify nominees who are members of historically underrepresented groups, TRB encourages the nomination of women and members of minority groups.  Panels for the new projects are scheduled to meet beginning in late July through September. Panel members are prohibited from submitting or participating in preparation of proposals on projects under their jurisdiction, and they serve without compensation but are paid travel and subsistence expenses. [More]

TRB Webinar: Animal-Vehicle Collisions May 12, 2009  TRB will conduct a web briefing or “Webinar” on Tuesday, May 12, 2009, from 2:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. EDT that will examine efforts to design and implement mitigation techniques to prevent animal-vehicle collisions.  Participants must register at least 24 hours in advance of the start of the Webinar, space is limited, and there is a fee for non-TRB Sponsor employees. [More]

Truck Tolling-Understanding Industry Tradeoffs When Using or Avoiding Toll Facilities Proposals Due June 25, 2009 TRB’s National Cooperative Freight Research Program (NCFRP) and National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP) have issued a request for proposals to identify the value that goods movement businesses seek from the transportation roadway network and their willingness to pay tolls for that value. [More]

Recent Publications

Updated Test and Design Methods for Thermoplastic Drainage Pipe TRB’s National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP) Report 631: Updated Test and Design Methods for Thermoplastic Drainage Pipe explores a recommended load and resistance factor design (LRFD) specification for thermoplastic pipe used in culverts and drainage systems for highway structures. [More] [Buy it now]

 Literature Review for Providing Access to Public Transportation Stations TRB’s Transit Cooperative Research Program (TCRP) Web-Only Document 44: Literature Review for Providing Access to Public Transportation Stations describes the results of the literature review associated with a project that is examining various alternatives for providing access to and from stations of new and mature high-capacity public transportation systems, including heavy rail, light rail, commuter rail, and bus rapid transit. [More]

 Cooperative Research Programs Security Research Status Report TRB’s Cooperative Research Program produces a table summarizing more than 80 security and emergency preparedness projects representing over $11 million in the contract research programs for state departments of transportation and the public transportation industry.  Updated monthly. [More]

Transportation Security: A Summary of Transportation Research Board Activities – A slideshow summary of the Transportation Research Board’s pre- and post-September 11, 2001, transportation security activities is updated monthly.  [More]

Analysis and Recommendations for Developing Integrated Airport Information Systems – TRB’s Airport Cooperative Research Program (ACRP) Web-Only Document 1: Analysis and Recommendations for Developing Integrated Airport Information Systems is a summary of the efforts associated with the development of ACRP Report 13: Integrating Airport Information Systems . 

Integrating Airport Information Systems TRB’s Airport Cooperative Research Program (ACRP) Report 13: Integrating Airport Information Systems is designed to help airport mangers and information technology professionals address issues associated with integrating airport information systems.  A summary of the efforts associated with the development of ACRP Report 13 was published online as ACRP Web-Only Document 1: Analysis and Recommendations for Developing Integrated Airport Information Systems. [More]  [Buy it now]

Tuesday, May 5, 2009 – ISSN 1529-1057

1) Looking for a Wi-Fi Hotspot? Try 10,000 Feet Up

Link to story on CNN:

http://www.cnn.com/2009/TRAVEL/business.travel/05/04/airplane.wifi/index.html

2) Airlines Boost Self-Service with Mobile Check-in

Link to story and audio report on NPR’s All Things Considered:

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=103781402

OTHER

3) Bush-Era Secrecy Still Hiding Government Data

Information removed includes FAA enforcement actions and pipeline mapping data.

Link to ABC News story:

http://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/story?id=7496067&page=1

4) Latest Edition of Transport Business Online

Link to magazine:

http://edition.pagesuite-professional.co.uk/Launch.aspx?referral=mypagesuite&refresh=J0r72B1i1qH3&PBID=8a22ef1c-9187-4d60-a8da-96ecddd9260a&skip

ROADWAYS

5) Honk if You’re Going to Report This on the Internet

Web sites where you can complain about bad parkers, slow mergers, and that jerk who cut you off.

Link to story in Slate:

http://www.slate.com/id/2217429/?gt1=38002

TELEMATICS

6) 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/

TRAVELER INFORMATION / TRANSPORTATION MANAGEMENT

7) Radio Road-Travel News is a Valuable Service in UK

Link to story on PublicTechnology:

http://www.publictechnology.net/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=19887

8) Traffic Lights Covered Up by Ealing Council to Test Congestion ‘Cure’

Link to story in The Times:

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/politics/article6207518.ece

News Releases

1) Best Western First Hotel Chain to Offer New GPS and Online Mapping Service for North America/Caribbean

2) Traffic Sign Recognition Offers Additional Driver Safety

Upcoming Events

2009 Incident Management, Safety and Security – July 19-21 – Denver

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

Today in Transportation History

1494 **515^th anniversary** – Christopher Columbus landed on Jamaica and claimed it for Spain.

http://www.columbusnavigation.com/v2.shtml

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

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

 Rumormill: Vauxhall going after city car market with Trixx EV?…GM‘s European arm put a toe in the water of the rapidly expanding city car market with its Opel Trixx concept. A few years later, though, GM‘s Carl-Peter Forster indicated that the automaker would not be entering that microcar market after all. Fast forward another couple of years and (surprise!) it looks as if GM may be once again reversing tha…

 REPORT: Penske lines up as potential Saturn suitor…GM, SaturnThe typical relationship between automakers and dealerships, of course, is for the dealers to sell the cars that the automaker produces. But with General Motors shedding like a dog in springtime, it’s the dealers who have been looking to buy the brands themselves. Following interest expressed by German dealers to acquire Opel and a gro…

…Chrysler and GM EuropeFiat’s alliance with Chrysler is only the beginning, as the Italian automaker makes a bid at acquiring General Motors’ European operations, including Opel, Vauxhall and Saab. Other news of import Chrysler begins “New Car Company” ad campaign in newspapers 2010 Chevy E…

GM hopes to sell Saturn by the end of 2009

(Source: Detroit Free Press & Image: Jalopnik)

WASHINGTON – The Obama administration and U.S. House members have reached a compromise over a “cash for clunkers” bill that would offer as many as one million vehicle buyers a voucher for up to $4,500 each to spur car and truck sales.

(Source: NY Times)

WASHINGTON — Ray LaHood, the secretary of transportation, is not one to toot his own horn over how much he knows about planes, trains and automobile bailouts. On the contrary.

“I don’t think they picked me because they thought I’d be that great a transportation person,” Mr. LaHood says with refreshing indifference as to how this admission might play if, say, he were ever to bungle a bridge collapse.

Yes, transportation is Mr. LaHood’s day job, a post that a few days ago required him to attend a groundbreaking ceremony for a highway in New Hampshire, speak to a group about the dangers of tailgating trucks and discuss “bird strikes” on CNN.

But one of the astonishing things about Mr. LaHood, 63, is how limited his transportation résumé is, how little excitement he exudes on the subject (other than abouthigh-speed rail) and how little he seems to care who knows it. So why exactly did President Obama pick this former seven-term Republican congressman from Illinois to oversee everything that moves?

Mr. LaHood posits a theory. “They picked me because of the bipartisan thing,” he explained, “and the Congressional thing, and the friendship thing.”

The “bipartisan thing” and the “Congressional thing” are self-evident: Mr. LaHood is a Republican with close ties to Capitol Hill. One White House insider described Mr. LaHood as “a master of odd jobs,” whose knowledge of Washington allows him to take on assignments as varied as lobbying lawmakers on the budget and helping political novices in the cabinet navigate Beltway social rituals (“cocktail situations,” as Energy Secretary Steven Chu calls them).

In the White House, Mr. Chu describes Mr. LaHood, a former junior high school social studies teacher, as a source of “fatherly advice” for Washington newcomers like himself.

One “cocktail situation” occurred recently at the annual Gridiron Club dinner. Mr. LaHood was seated at the head table near Mr. Chu, and between Arne Duncan andTimothy F. Geithner, the education and Treasury secretaries. The men asked Mr. LaHood if they could flee the dinner before the interminable speechifying ended. No, Mr. LaHood counseled.

“I said, ‘Look, you’re window dressing,’ ” Mr. LaHood said. “ ‘You’re more of a prop. But it’s part of what we have to do.’ ” Mr. Chu and Mr. Duncan heeded the advice; Mr. Geithner did not.

(Source: Logos Blog)

Click here to see events in your area

Bellingham, WA – Equipment purchases at Logos Bible Software typically include laptops, servers, and networking gear. So company president Bob Pritchett was surprised to see an IT department purchase request that included everything necessary to set up a bicycle repair shop.

“It was a great idea. Many of our employees bike to work, and others go for rides during the day. Having a fully-equipped bike shop on site is a great way to encourage healthy habits that are good for the environment, too,” said Pritchett.

With more than 170 employees, Logos has a number of serious cyclists who work on their own bikes. Their willingness to help co-workers with everything from simple repairs to getting a long-unused bike back into shape is encouraging more employees to trade four wheels for two.

“Since installing the bike shop, I’ve been super motivated to ride to work,” said Jim Straatman, Logos’ IT manager.  “Also, my bike is running exceptionally smooth now that I have a place to work on it.”

Bellingham is a cyclist’s paradise, surrounded by bike lanes, mountain trails, and cliff-side drives. Logos’ on-site lockers and showers made it easy for employees to add their commute to their list of regular rides. The new bike shop and a bike-friendly downtown location provide a great motivation for those who haven’t ridden since childhood to get rolling again.

Logos Bible Software’s bike shop consists of an 8-foot workbench, a bike stand, and a peg board full of tools. The total investment was around $1,500, and occupies less than 100 square feet.
“In the space of a single office, and for less than it would cost to cater lunch for the company, we’ve been able to make a healthy investment that our employees really appreciate,” said Pritchett. “By making it easier to fix little things like a flat tire or squealing brakes, we’re getting more of us up from our desks and out of our cars.”

Hopefully Logos will see a big response from employees next Friday, and lots of folks will bike in to work.  For added motivation, that Friday will also be the day of Logos’ annual Chili Cookoff.  I am sure folks can enjoy an extra helping of chili without any guilt, knowing that there is an option to bike away the extra pounds on the way home from work.

Note:  Way to go, Logos! I only hope that other companies around the country would follow/adopt such practices, which not only contribute to a healthly way of life for  the employees but they also add to our country’s efforts to cut pollution from automobiles.  TransportGooru appreciates Logos’ efforts to assist its biking populace!

(Source: American Public Transportation Association via More Riders)

Many transportation industry minds are wondering what is the tangible benefits from all this investment in transit? After spending nearly one billion dollars through their public transportation agencies, what do the taxpayers stand to reap?

 According to a new report by the American Public Transportation Association, 30,000 jobs (besides better public transportation).   That comes out to one new job for every $33,333 in spending. Not bad at all, as economic development projects go.   

The study report released on April 29th shows that investing in public transportation provides jobs to the American workers who may need them the most.  Job Impacts of Spending on Public Transportation: an Update shows that two-thirds (67 percent) of the jobs created by capital investment in the public transit industry replaces lost blue-collar jobs with “green jobs” in the public transit sector.  The Economic Development Research Group prepared the study for the American Public Transportation Association (APTA). 

Overall, the study shows an investment of one billion dollars in public transportation supports and creates 30,000 jobs in a variety of sectors.  Based on these projections, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA), which provides $8.4 billion for public transportation projects, will create approximately 252,000 jobs for Americans and help transit systems meet the steadily growing demand for public transit services.  APTA released the study at the U.S. House of Representatives Transportation and Infrastructure Committee hearing Recovery Act: 10-Week Progress Report for Transportation and Infrastructure Programs.

“The ultimate goal in any economic recovery plan should be to not create just any type of job, but rather to invest in and focus on areas particularly hit hard by the economic downturn,” said William W. Millar, APTA president.  “The investment in public transit not only produces green jobs but also provides for a more sustainable transportation system that will help reduce our dependence on foreign oil and lessen the transportation sector’s impact on the environment.”

The study reveals that two out of three (67 percent) of these new construction and manufacturing “green jobs” resulting from public transit capital investment typically fall in the category of Blue-Collar Semi-Skilled (59 percent) and Blue-Collar Skilled (8 percent).  These jobs include positions in manufacturing, service, repair worker, drivers, crew, ticket agents and construction. 

In addition, 33 percent of the new jobs as a result of public transit investment fall in the White-Collar Skilled (32 percent) or White Collar Semi-Skilled (1 percent) category.  These jobs include clerical, managerial and technical engineers.

Some of the key findings from this study are here:

• The rate for federal funding of public transportation reflects a specific mix of capital investment and preventive maintenance funding as allowable by law.  Under current federal law, an estimated 30,000 jobs are supported per billion dollars of spending.

• The national rate can vary from of 24,000 to 41,000 jobs per billion dollars of spending, depending on the spending mix.  The lower figure holds for spending on capital investments (vehicles and facilities), while the higher figure holds for spending on transit system operations. In reality, it is not logical to spend money on vehicles and not use them, nor is it logical to operate vehicles forever without any purchases of new equipment.  For these reasons, the average rate is a more meaningful number.

• Looking across the entire $47 billion spent on public transportation in the US each year, there is an average rate of approximately 36,000 jobs per billion dollars of public transportation spending (i.e., 36 jobs per million dollars of spending).  This figure is based on the national mix of public transportation spending as of 2007.  It includes a direct effect of spending in transportation related manufacturing, construction and operations as well as orders to suppliers or by re-spending of worker income on consumer purchases.

The rate of jobs supported per billion dollars of spending will continue to change every year, as prices change and technologies evolve. 

Click here to read the entire report in HTML & to download a copy of the report in PDF format.  For those who like to stay without leaving this window, here is a read-only copy of the PDF report.

Monday, May 4, 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) Colorado Airport May Get Cameras, Not New Tower

FAA committee expected to decide if Aspen airport can extend runway without new tower by using cutting-edge remote camera system.

Link to story in the Aspen Daily News:

http://www.aspendailynews.com/section/home/134390

2) Airlines Seek to Reassure Passengers in Outbreak

Link to story in The New York Times:

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/04/business/global/04iht-air.html?partner=rss&emc=rss&pagewanted=all

3) Air Force Flight Over Lower Manhattan Showed Bad Taste, Worse Communication

Link to column in The Star-Ledger:

http://www.nj.com/business/index.ssf/2009/05/communication_coach_flight_sho.html 

GPS / NAVIGATION

4) Navigon Leaves North American GPS Market

Link to CNET News story:

http://reviews.cnet.com/8301-13746_7-10232879-48.html

5) New GPS Satellite’s Problems Indicated

Link to story in GPS World:

http://sidt.gpsworld.com/gpssidt/Latest+News/New-GPS-Satellites-Problems-Indicated/ArticleStandard/Article/detail/596465?contextCategoryId=33831

6) Smarter GPS to Let Cell Phones Point the Way

Link to story in The New York Times:

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/03/automobiles/03DASHTOP.html?partner=rss&emc=rss&pagewanted=all

OTHER

7) With Twitter as Your Tour Guide, Hitting Los Angeles’ Hot Spots is a Breeze

Link to story in USA Today:

http://www.usatoday.com/travel/news/2009-04-30-twitter-tips_N.htm 

RAILROADS

8) Union Pacific Makes a Game of Risk

Link to story from CIO:

http://www.networkworld.com/news/2009/043009-union-pacific-makes-a-game.html

ROADWAYS

9) Massive 14th Street Bridge Project to Begin in Washington, DC

Residents are questioning why the District didn’t give more advanced notice.
Link to story and video on WJLA-TV:

http://www.news8.net/news/stories/0409/618465.html

10) San Francisco to Try ‘Smart’ Meters

Link to story in The Examiner:
http://www.sfexaminer.com/local/Muni-Port-team-up-to-try-smart-meters-44202792.html

TELEMATICS

11) Telematics Still an Option for Repair Shops to Consider

Link to story in Motor Age:

http://motorage.search-autoparts.com/motorage/Business+%26+Management+Solutions/Telematics-still-an-option-for-repair-shops-to-con/ArticleStandard/Article/detail/596366?contextCategoryId=2827

TRANSIT

12) Tampa Bay Area Regional Transportation Authority Lets Residents Comment on Transit Plan by Phone

Link to story in the St. Petersburg Times:

http://www.tampabay.com/opinion/editorials/article997254.ece

13) Advertising Company Delivers Ads Between Stop Announcements on Buses and Trains

Link to story in BtoB:

http://www.btobonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090504/HOLD/305049983/1155#seenit  (scroll down to third article)

14) Googling the Future

Google Transit changes the way riders find their routes and alters the way they think about public transportation.

Link to story in More Riders Magazine:

http://www.trilliumtransit.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/googling-the-future.pdf

TRAVELER INFORMATION / TRANSPORTATION MANAGEMENT

15) Minnesota Firm Keeps the Wheels Turning

Image Sensing Systems designs software and equipment that helps to deal with traffic trouble spots around the world.
Link to column in the Star Tribune:

http://www.startribune.com/business/44190017.html?elr=KArks:DCiU1OiP:DiiUiD3aPc:_Yyc:aUU

16) What Use are Traffic Reports?

What are the chances of getting a radio traffic report that is actually relevant to your current car journey?

Link to BBC News story:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/8029704.stm

Job Posting

 –  SHRP 2 Implementation Lead Program Manager – Federal Highway Administration – Washington, DC

http://tinyurl.com/cr3u8v

Upcoming Events

ITS Strategic Planning Workshop – National Harbor, Maryland – June 4

http://www.itsa.org/ITS_Strategic_Planning.html 

Today in Transportation History

1859 **150^th anniversary** – The Cornwall Railway opened in the UK.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cornwall_Railway

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

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