[TCN] Friday, December 17, 2010

 

Transportation Communications Newsletter

 

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:

http://tools.emailgarage.com/Pub/_55sGQAAAAA~/IPLtTS13P0OoOFZkCpWuBA~~/62fy2vBpxUun6nx5Gl0I6g~~/ViewEmail.ashx

 

ROADWAYS

8) Florida DOT Hope New Signs Point to Traffic-Free Future

Link to story and video on WPTV-TV

http://www.wptv.com/dpp/news/region_c_palm_beach_county/west_palm_beach/fdot-hopes-new-signs-point-to-traffic-free-future

 

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:

http://www.chelmsfordweeklynews.co.uk/news/county_news/8742881.County_bosses_agree___4m_bus_info_scheme/

 

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

6) European Commission Adopts New Rules for Linking National Electronic Registers of Road Transport Undertakings

7) IBM to Collaborate with Leading Singapore Institutions Using Analytics to Improve the Quality of Water, Transportation and Energy Services in a City

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.

http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/2010/11/22/2010-11-22_mta_offering_service_to_hogwarts_sign_for_magical_harry_potter_train_line_appear.html

 

 

Today in Transportation History    

1960 **50^th 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

 

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

The Transportation Communications Newsletter is published electronically Monday through Friday. 

To subscribe (for free) or unsubscribe, please contact me at bernie@bwcommunications.net.

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

Become a TCN fan on Facebook!

 

Questions, comments about the TCN?  Please write the editor, Bernie Wagenblast at bernie@bwcommunications.net.      

© 2010 Bernie Wagenblast  www.bwcommunications.net