Bernie’s Transportation Communications Newsletter (TCN) – February 10, 2011

February 10, 2011 at 8:50 pm

Thursday, February 10, 2011 – ISSN 1529-1057


Build your skills and expand your knowledge thru CITE’s upcoming blended course offerings:

–  Introduction to Telecommunications Technology- February 18 through April 4, 2011- Telecommunications is the backbone of all ITS applications. It provides the means for sending data, voice, and video information between devices. This course is a primer on telecommunications for the ITS professional with little or no formal training in telecommunications. With so many ITS projects now requiring a telecommunications aspect, this course is a must for project managers. More information can be found here:http://goo.gl/ueHHr.

–  Advanced Telecommunications Technology- April 8 thru May 22, 2011 – The overall goal of this course is to provide a system-level understanding of the operation of modern broadband transportation communications networks. This course focuses on how to plan and implement telecommunications networks to support a major Intelligent Transportation System (ITS) infrastructure.  More information can be found here: http://goo.gl/upAQU.

All course materials are on-line but students have access to course instructors through three pre-scheduled conference calls. Cost is $250 each; $400 for two. Questions, please contact Denise Twisdale (301-403-4592) or Kathy Frankle (410-414-2925).

CAMERAS

1) Australia National Road Safety Council Calls for All Police Cars to be Fitted with Speed Cameras

Link to article in The Advertiser:

http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/a-camera-in-every-police-car/story-e6frea6u-1226004071394

ELECTRONIC TOLLING

2) California’s South Bay Expressway Adds Credit Card Machines at All Toll Points

Link to article on TOLLROADSnews:

http://www.tollroadsnews.com/node/5144

GPS / NAVIGATION

3) Australian Car Rental Company to Track Travelers with GPS Devices

Link to article on News.com.au:

http://www.news.com.au/travel/news/car-hire-company-using-gps-to-track-travellers/story-e6frfq80-1226003726165

4) New York City Ambulances Have GPS, but Only to Track Their Location; Must Use Paper Maps for Directions

Link to article in the Daily News:

http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/2011/02/10/2011-02-10_ambulances_have_gps_but_only_to_track_their_location_must_use_paper_maps_for_dir.html

OTHER

5) Judge Orders NJ Transit Not to Touch Billboard with Bare Bottom

Link to story and video on WCAU-TV:

http://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local-beat/Judge-to-NJ-Transit-Dont-Touch-Tush-Billboard-115746484.html

6) Overland Park, Kansas’ Snow Removal Web Site Too Popular

Link to story and video on WDAF-TV:

http://www.fox4kc.com/news/wdaf-overland-parks-snow-removal-website-too-popular-20110209,0,5593555.story

7) THack, Travel Industry’s First Official Hack Event, Held in London

Link to article on Tnooz:

http://www.tnooz.com/tag/thack/

Link to news release from Expedia.co.uk:

http://press.expedia.co.uk/node/76

8) ITS JPO Announces Bidders Conference for Three Major Projects, Including the Safety Pilot Model Deployment

Link to further information from US DOT:

http://www.its.dot.gov/press/2011/bidders_conf.htm

RAILROADS

9) Virtual Laboratory Predicts Train Vibrations

Link to article on ScienceDaily:

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/02/110209082638.htm

ROADWAYS

10) Smart Phone App to Detect Boston Pothole Problems

Link to story and video on WHDH-TV:

http://www1.whdh.com/news/articles/local/12003500731123/smartphone-app-to-detect-boston-pothole-problems/

11) Winter Takes Toll on Massachusetts’ Highway Signs

Link to article in The Boston Globe:

http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2011/02/10/winter_takes_toll_on_states_highway_signs/

12) Kazakhstan Parliament Ratifies European Agreements on Traffic Signs and Road Markings

Link to article on Kazakhstan Today:

http://www.kt.kz/?lang=eng&uin=1133435321&chapter=1153532632

13) We Know Where You’ve Been: Privacy, Congestion Tracking, and the Future

Link to article on Ars Technica:

http://arstechnica.com/gadgets/news/2011/02/we-know-where-youve-been-privacy-congestion-tracking-and-the-future.ars

SAFETY / SECURITY

14) Online Program Teaches Hawaiian Elementary Students Traffic Safety

Link to story on KGMB and KHNL-TV:

http://www.hawaiinewsnow.com/Global/story.asp?S=14002253

TELEMATICS

15) Sagemcom: ‘Telematics is a Disruptive Technology’

Link to interview in Telematics Update:

http://social.telematicsupdate.com/executive-viewpoint/sagemcom-%E2%80%9Ctelematics-disruptive-technology%E2%80%9D

TRANSIT

16) Wisconsin’s Valley Transit Launches Mobile Wi-Fi

Link to article in The Post-Crescent:

http://www.postcrescent.com/article/20110210/APC0101/102100575/Valley-Transit-launches-mobile-Wi-Fi

Link to news release from Valley Transit:

http://www.appleton.org/i/d/valley_transit/News%20Releases/11-02NR%20Valley%20Transit_Open%20Range%20Partnership.pdf

17) New WMATA Board Members Listening on Communication

Link to blog on Greater Greater Washington:

http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post/9204/new-wmata-board-members-listening-on-communication/

VEHICLES
18) US Government Touts Crash Recorders, but Privacy Advocates Sound Alarm

Link to story and video on Fox News:

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2011/02/09/government-touts-crash-recorders-privacy-advocates-sound-alarm/

19) BMW Vision ConnectedDrive Highlights New Design Ideas, Technology

Link to article in AutoWeek:

http://www.autoweek.com/article/20110210/GENEVA/110219993

20) The Cars of the Future are Almost Here

Link to article in The Atlantic:

http://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2011/02/the-cars-of-the-future-are-almost-here/70912/

News Releases

1) Falling Costs Push Pedestrian Detection to a $17 Billion Market and Mean Greater Safety

2) Oregon DOT Help Program, Ask ODOT, Passes Milestone

3) BSquare Expands and Extends Ford Telematics Competency Center

4) Wireless Innovation Forum Announces New ‘White Space’ Communications Initiatives

5) MapQuest Licenses Urban Mapping Enhanced Public Transportation Database

6) Toyota’s Free Safe Driving Program Educates Teens and Parents About Dangers of Distracted Driving

Upcoming Events

NICHES+ Final Conference – April 7 – London

http://www.niches-transport.org/

Today in Transportation History

1911 **100th anniversary** Mstislav Vsevolodovich Keldysh was born in Riga, Latvia.  He was a leading scientist for the Soviet space program.

http://www.keldysh.ru/MVKeldysh/en/keldysh_biogr.en.shtml

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