Monday, July 19, 2010 – ISSN 1529-1057

1) Glitch of New Hijack Warning System Leads to Israeli Fighter Intercept of Ethiopian Airlines Flight

Link to article in Haaretz:

http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/news/air-force-fighter-jets-intercept-ethiopian-airlines-flight-in-hijack-scare-1.302696

CAMERAS

2) New South Wales Mobile Speed Cameras Send ‘Security’ Info Back to Base

Link to article in TechWorld:

http://www.techworld.com.au/article/353601/mobile_speed_cameras_send_security_info_back_base

3) Speed Cameras: Good or Bad?

Link to story and audio report on American Public Media’s Marketplace:

http://marketplace.publicradio.org/display/web/2010/07/16/pm-speed-cameras-good-or-bad/

ELECTRONIC TOLLING

4) North Texas Tollway Authority Acknowledges Camera Problems, Vows to Boost Billing

Link to article in The Dallas Morning News:

http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/localnews/stories/DN-nttabilling_19met.ART0.State.Edition2.295a0d9.html

GPS / NAVIGATION

5) GPS Warns of Red Light Cameras, but Database Isn’t Reliable

Link to McClatchy Newspapers review:

http://www.heraldnet.com/article/20100718/BIZ/707189971/1005

MARITIME

6) Inside the World’s Most Advanced Submarine

Link to CNET News blog:

http://news.cnet.com/8301-13772_3-20010868-52.html

7) COMSAR Initiates Global Maritime Distress and Safety System (GMDSS) Review

Link to article in IMO News:

http://www.imo.org/includes/blastDataOnly.asp/data_id%3D28953/IMO_News_No2_10_LOW.pdf (page 15)

PARKING

8) Pay-by-Phone Parking Tested in DC

Link to article in The Washington Post:

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/local-breaking-news/dc/pay-by-phone-parking-tested-in.html

PUBLIC INFORMATION / EDUCATION

9) Toyota Educates Customers as Floor Mat Alert Ignored

Link to Bloomberg article:

http://www.businessweek.com/news/2010-07-16/toyota-educates-customers-as-floor-mat-alert-ignored.html

10) Montana Develops App for Driver’s Exam Practice

Link to AP article:

http://billingsgazette.com/news/state-and-regional/montana/article_eb78e516-90ec-11df-982c-001cc4c002e0.html

11) Failure to Bash

Former road industry publication editor recounts his experience dealing with FHWA PR staff.

Link to commentary in Better Roads:

http://www.betterroads.com/kirk-landers-16/

RAILROADS

12) Eurostar Launches First TV Spot in Three Years

Link to article and video on Brand Republic News:

http://www.brandrepublic.com/news/1016852/eurostar-launches-first-tv-spot-three-years/

ROADWAYS

13) Fixed Electronic Road Signs in New Zealand Will Not be Used to Warn Drivers About Ice

New Zealand Transport Agency says mobile warning signs are sufficient.

Link to article in The Nelson Mail:

http://www.stuff.co.nz/nelson-mail/news/3932761/Clash-over-Rai-ice-warnings

SAFETY / SECURITY

14) US Public Safety Officials to Kick Off Lobbying Blitz for Spectrum

Link to article on Nextgov:

http://www.nextgov.com/nextgov/ng_20100716_2547.php

15) US Customs to Promote Registered Traveler Program

Link to article in USA Today:

http://www.usatoday.com/travel/flights/2010-07-19-airportcheckin19_ST_N.htm

16) West Virginia Amber Alert Gets New Look

New logo designed to catch drivers’ attention on highway signs.

Link to story on WSAZ-TV:

http://www.wsaz.com/news/headlines/98750174.html

17) Mobile Mapping While Driving: Is It Risky?

Link to CNN story:

http://edition.cnn.com/2010/TECH/mobile/07/19/mapping.while.driving/#fbid=mO40HJ3Mn2C

18) Distracted Driving Solution Hits Market After 17 Years in Making

Link to article in Wireless Week:

http://www.wirelessweek.com/News/2010/07/Mobile-Content-Distracted-Driving-Solution-Hits-Market-Mobile-Applications/

TELEMATICS

19) Cross Country Provides Drivers Critical Info

Link to article in Highlands Today:

http://www2.highlandstoday.com/content/2010/jul/18/la-cross-country-provides-drivers-critical-info/news/

TRANSIT

20) DC Metro Seeks to Ease Congestion on Busy Bus Routes, Saving Time and Millions

Transit agency uses GPS data to identify slow zones for buses.

Link to article in The Washington Post:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/07/17/AR2010071702507.html

21) KSRTC to Introduce ITS for Mysore Public Transport

Link to Sify article:

http://sify.com/finance/ksrtc-to-try-its-hand-at-intelligent-transport-system-news-news-khtc4lcabii.html

22) Shield for Metro Near Chennai Airport to Prevent Interference with Radar Signals

Link to article in The Times of India:

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chennai/Shield-for-metro-near-airport-to-prevent-interference-with-radar-signals/articleshow/6185330.cms

TRAVELER INFORMATION / TRANSPORTATION MANAGEMENT

23) Wisconsin Company has Eye on Traffic so You Can Avoid Jams Ahead

Link to article in the Wisconsin State Journal:

http://host.madison.com/wsj/business/article_da73d316-9137-11df-9ed0-001cc4c002e0.html

Number of BlueTOAD Devices in Wisconsin is Growing

http://host.madison.com/article_5f634c7a-9136-11df-a1d1-001cc4c002e0.html

24) Driven to Distraction by Twits’ Signs

Motorists groups say message signs advertising traffic information on Twitter are a safety risk.

Link to article in The Scotsman:

http://news.scotsman.com/news/Driven-to-distraction-by-twits39.6426027.jp

25) Idaho 511 Expands to Include Bus Schedules

Link to video report on KBOI-TV:

http://apps.itd.idaho.gov/Apps/MediaManagerViewer/NewsClipping/Video.aspx?Id=1193

26) Clearwater, Florida Earns Patent for Device to Control Traffic Remotely

Link to article in the St. Petersburg Times:

http://www.tampabay.com/news/localgovernment/clearwater-earns-patent-for-device-to-control-traffic-remotely/1109425

27) ViaMichelin Launches Free iPhone Traffic App

Link to article in Tyres & Accessories:

http://www.tyrepress.com/News/business_area/e-Commerce/20034.html

VEHICLES

28) Subaru Outback to Double as Wi-Fi Hot Spot

Link to CNET blog:

http://reviews.cnet.com/8301-13746_7-20010774-48.html

News Releases

1) TrafficLand Adding Caltrans Los Angeles and Orange County Traffic Cameras to Its National Network

2) Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority to Implement More Technology-Based Improvements

3) California’s MTC Invites Bay Area Residents to Shape Strategy for Expanding Public Involvement

Upcoming Events

2010 ITS Tri-Chapter Information Exchange Summit – August 18-19 – Gettysburg, Pennsylvania

http://www.itspennsylvania.com/Portals/0/2010%20ITS%20Tri-Chapter%20Information%20Exchange%20Summit%20Registration%20Forms.pdf

Today in Transportation History

1985 **25^th anniversary** US Vice President George H.W. Bush announced that Christa McAuliffe would become the first teacher, and the first private citizen, in fly in space.

http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/index.php?pid=38909

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© 2010 Bernie Wagenblast  www.bwcommunications.net

(Source: USA Today)

Air travelers stand to be the beneficiaries of “ridiculously low” airfares as fare wars break out among U.S. airlines desperate to fill seats amid sagging demand. Even those hoping to travel during the peak-period summer months stand to benefit, according to the Los Angeles Times. The paper writes that “fares for summer trips are often among the highest of the year and start rising in the spring, but not this year. With business travel plummeting, airlines are pulling back and offering some of the lowest-priced plane tickets in recent memory.”

(Source: USA TODAY)

The number of people riding buses and trains hit a 52-year high in 2008 as skyrocketing gas prices and a faltering economy pushed riders toward less expensive travel. 

 Public transit ridership last year increased 4% to 10.7 billion rides, according to a report released Monday by the American Public Transportation Association.

PUBLIC TRANSIT: Usage rises from 2007

The outlook is gloomy, though. Ridership growth in the fourth quarter slowed as more commuters lost their jobs and budget shortfalls pushed transit systems to reduce service or raise fares.

The number of rides from October through December increased 2% to 2.7 billion compared with the same period a year earlier.

Unemployment reached a 25-year high of 8% in February, the government reported Friday.

The more it rises, the more ridership will shrink, says William Millar, the association’s president.

Click here to read the entire article.

(Source: USA Today)

But the oil industry is quietly sowing the seeds for a sharp run-up in gas prices once demand recovers.

Oil companies are slashing new investment and production far more sharply than analysts projected just a couple of months ago, a strategy analysts say could lead to shortages and higher gas prices when consumption rebounds. And, analysts say, a standoff between the oil giants and their suppliers over the cost of rigs, labor and other expenses could prolong the investment slowdown.

“The turnaround will probably come faster than people expect, and the supply won’t be there,” says Joseph Stanislaw, an adviser to Deloitte’s energy practice.

Oil companies are shaving exploration and production spending 18% this year, including a 40% drop in the U.S., according to new estimates by analyst James Crandall of Barclays Capital. In December, the firm said budgets would fall 12%, 26% in the U.S. Drilling in the U.S. is down 39% from its September peak.