Bernie’s Transportation Communications Newsletter (TCN) – December 17, 2010
Friday, December 17, 2010 – ISSN 1529-1057
AVIATION
1) Loopholes in ‘Do Not Board’ List Let Infected Travelers Fly
Link to article in USA Today:
http://www.usatoday.com/travel/flights/2010-12-17-rw_donotboard16_ST_N.htm
2) Improving Pilot Visibility
Link to article in The Wall Street Journal via SmartBrief:
http://www.smartbrief.com/wsj.jsp?id=11990914
OTHER
3) High-Tech School Bus Teaches Students on the Road
Link to article in Government Technology:
http://www.govtech.com/education/School-Bus-Teaches-Students-Road.html
4) Talking Traffic with the Chief
The former head of the New York City Police Department’s Traffic Division talks about managing traffic in the city.
Link to interview in Reclaim:
https://www.transalt.org/newsroom/magazine/2010/Fall/5
5) Austria Discusses Sustainable Transport and Traffic at ITS Austria Conference
Link to article from ERTICO:
http://www.ertico.com/austria-discusses-sustainable-transport-and-traffic-at-its-austria-conference/
6) Who Will Own the Smarter Cities of the Future?
Link to blog on Grist:
http://www.grist.org/article/2010-12-17-who-will-own-the-smarter-cities-of-the-future
7) i-Mobility Newsletter – December 2010 Issue Online
Link to newsletter:
ROADWAYS
8) Florida DOT Hope New Signs Point to Traffic-Free Future
Link to story and video on WPTV-TV
9) Snow Removal Tools Gear Up in Cities
Link to article in Government Technology:
http://www.govtech.com/transportation/Cities-Use-Technology-With-Snow-Removal.html
10) Driving to Florida? Here’s a Handy Guide
Along Interstate 75 offers detailed information from Detroit to Florida.
Link to article in the Toronto Star:
http://www.wheels.ca/article/792882
Link to book’s Web site: http://www.i75online.com/
TELEMATICS
11) Telematics Turns the Corner
Link to article in Construction Equipment:
http://www.constructionequipment.com/article/telematics-turns-corner
12) Ford and GM’s Heavyweight Battle
Link to blog on CNET:
http://reviews.cnet.com/8301-13746_7-20025492-48.html
13) Incident-ly Improving Traffic in Seattle
Link to blog on Green Growth Cascadia:
http://www.greengrowthcc.com/2010/12/17/incident-ly-improving-traffic-in-seattle/
TRANSIT
14) Amtrak, MARC Faulted in ‘Hell Train’ Report
Investigation details operational, communications lapses.
Link to article in The Baltimore Sun:
http://www.baltimoresun.com/features/commuting/bs-md-marc-report-20101216,0,7565569,full.story
Link to report from the Maryland Transit Administration:
http://mta.maryland.gov/train_538_incident_final_report.pdf
15) Clipper: Big Brother’s Best Friend?
Link to article on Mission Local:
http://missionlocal.org/2010/12/clipper-big-brothers-best-friend/
TRAVELER INFORMATION / TRANSPORTATION MANAGEMENT
16) New York Thruway Further Tweaks Storm Policy
Link to article in The Buffalo News:
http://www.buffalonews.com/city/article286011.ece
17) Essex County, England Bosses Agree £4 Million Bus Info Scheme
Link to article in the Chelmsford Weekly News:
18) Virginia DOT Operations Center Keeps Eye on Roads
Link to story and video on WVIR-TV:
http://www.nbc29.com/Global/story.asp?S=13687660
19) Hot or Not: Sexy Traffic on KILT Radio Not so Sexy
Link to blog in the Houston Press:
http://blogs.houstonpress.com/hairballs/2010/12/hot_or_not_sexy_traffic_on_610.php
Link to Sexy Traffic on KILT, including sample traffic report:
http://kilt.cbslocal.com/category/sexy-traffic/
VEHICLES
20) Big Brotheresque App Kills Your Automotive Anonymity
Link to article in Wired:
http://www.wired.com/autopia/2010/12/new-app-marks-the-end-of-automotive-anonymity/
News Releases
1) US DOT Proposes Rule to Ban Hand-Held Cell Phone Use for Commercial Truck and Bus Drivers
2) IBM and Telvent to Create Smarter Traffic Solutions for Smaller Cities
3) Cambridge Systematics Adds Expertise in Safety
4) Manitoba to Use Standardized Terms to Describe Winter-Driving Conditions
5) Chevy Turns to Ham Radio Geek for Antenna Solution
8) Airbus Signs MOU with Chinese Authorities on Cooperation in Air Traffic Management
**Bernie’s Notes**
Many of you are kind enough to pass along story suggestions for the TCN. The story ideas are always appreciated. Sometimes, even if it’s a good story, I don’t use it in the TCN. I want to briefly explain how I pick the stories I use. First, the key is that the story has to relate to both transportation and communications. If one of these two elements is missing I probably won’t run the article. However, in addition to the TCN, there are eight other transportation-related newsletters I edit. If I don’t use the story in the TCN, there’s a good chance it will be used in one or more of my other newsletters.
Upcoming Events
United Motorcoach Association Motorcoach Expo – January 19-23 – Tampa, Florida
http://www.motorcoachexpo.com/
Friday Bonus
Apparently London’s King’s Cross station isn’t the only place you can board the Hogwarts Express.
Today in Transportation History
1960 **50th anniversary** A US Air Force Convair C-131D crashed shortly after takeoff in Munich. The plane crashed into a streetcar. There were twenty fatalities on the plane and thirty-two deaths on the ground.
http://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=19601217-0
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