Transportation Communications Newsletter

Thursday, September 4, 2008 -- ISSN 1529-1057

Register Now for IBTTA's 76^th Annual Meeting and Exhibition – Early Bird Discount Extended to September 5^th 

Registration is now open for IBTTA’s 76^th Annual Meeting & Exhibition, Connecting, People, Places & Ideas, September 20-24, 2008, in Baltimore, Maryland. Join IBTTA for the most significant gathering of toll industry professionals and business partners in the world. Register by September 5^th and receive a $100 discount off your registration fee. More than 1,000 delegates from 25 countries on six continents will converge on Baltimore's Waterfront to examine best practices and critical innovations in toll industry finance, marketing, technology, customer service, environmental stewardship, operations, maintenance, and related issues. This meeting is hosted by the Maryland Transportation Authority. Registration cut-off for this meeting is September 5, 2008. For more information, visit IBTTA's website and register online today! www.IBTTA.org.

AVIATION

1) US Federal Judge: Airports, Airlines Subject to Americans with Disabilities Rules

Link to story in The Detroit News:

http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2008809030438

2) Hong Kong Bans Pirate Radio as ‘Air Traffic Risk’

Link to Reuters story:

http://africa.reuters.com/odd/news/usnHKG173933.html

BUSES

3) Live Updates Planned for Toronto Bus Shelters

Link to story in The Globe and Mail:

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/LAC.20080903.NEXTBUS3/TPStory/TPNational/Ontario/

4) On These Commuter Buses, Passengers Hold All Calls, or Else

Link to story in The New York Times:

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/04/nyregion/04cellphone.html?_r=1&ref=nyregion&oref=slogin

ELECTRONIC TOLLING

5) Truckers Nabbed at New York Bridge for License Plate Shenanigans

One driver hooked up a spring-activated hinge to his cigarette lighter to hide his plate.

Link to story in the Staten Island Advance:

http://www.silive.com/news/advance/index.ssf?/base/news/1220527810232090.xml&coll=1

OTHER

6) Bid to Build World’s First Intelligent City

Link to story on SiliconRepublic:

http://www.siliconrepublic.com/news/article/11362/randd/bid-to-build-worlds-first-intelligent-city

7) High-Tech Toys are Nice, but Fix Our Roads

Editorial says Michigan DOT’s priority should be highway maintenance, not ITS.

Link to editorial in the Times Herald:

http://www.thetimesherald.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080904/OPINION01/809040316/1014/OPINION  

PUBLIC INFORMATION / EDUCATION

8) As Motorcycle Deaths Rise, Delaware Seeks to Raise Awareness

Link to story in The News Journal:

http://www.delawareonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080904/NEWS/80904050

SAFETY / SECURITY

9) The Push to Talk

Standards, emerging technologies get emergency crews closer to unified communications, but a lot of static remains.

Link to story in Government Computer News:

http://www.gcn.com/print/27_22/47049-1.html

10) Various Issues Led to the Termination of the United States-Canada Shared Border Management Pilot Program

Link to US Government Accountability Office report:

http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d081038r.pdf

TRAVELER INFORMATION / TRANSPORTATION MANAGEMENT

11) Big Brother on the Road: Cruise Control

Dubai Roads and Transport Authority monitors traffic from secret control center.

Link to story in Xpress:

http://www.xpress4me.com/news/uae/dubai/20009474.html

VEHICLES

12) Electronic License Plates for All Motor Vehicles in Spain

Link to story in Euro Weekly News:

http://www.euroweeklynews.com/news/10660.html

13) Clark County, Nevada School Board Considers Using School Trucks as Rolling Billboards

Link to story in the Las Vegas Sun:

http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2008/sep/03/school-board-considers/

News Releases

1) Safer Skies for the Flying Public: New Air Traffic Control System Model Will Track Variables Without Human Input

2) Arizona DOT Taps 'Superhighway' for Updates, Information

Upcoming Events

FHWA Regional Maintenance Decision Support System (MDSS) Showcase - September 17 - Boise, Idaho

http://www.ops.fhwa.dot.gov/weather/mitigating_impacts/mdss/showcase/index.htm

Today in Transportation History

1923 **85^th anniversary** - The USS Shenandoah, the first US rigid airship, took its maiden flight.

http://www.history.navy.mil/photos/ac-usn22/z-types/zr1-v.htm

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© 2008 Bernie Wagenblast