The Research and Innovative Technology Administration (RITA) is looking for an IT Specialist (Network Services). RITA coordinates the U.S. Department of Transportation’s (DOT) research programs and is charged with advancing rigorous analysis and the deployment of cross-cutting technologies to improve our Nation’s transportation system.  This position is located at the Volpe National Transportation Systems Center (Volpe Center), an innovative fee-for service organization which is part of the U.S. Department of Transportation (U.S. DOT’s) Research and Innovative Technology Administration in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The Volpe Center is an internationally recognized Federal center of transportation and logistics with a world-class, multidisciplinary technical team with expertise across all modes of transportation.

We have an exciting opportunity for a talented IT Specialist (Network Services) to serve as key member of the Safety Data, Collection, and Distribution Division. In this exciting role the ideal candidate must have demonstrated experience in providing technical support for technology systems by planning, designing, and managing network environments within or related to a transportation field.

This announcement is open to the general public and under merit promotion for current or former federal employees and people eligible under special hiring authorities. Please note that merit promotion announcements are the vehicle through which Federal employees generally apply for Federal positions.

The general public announcement can be found via the link below:

http://jobview.usajobs.gov/IT Specialist_PUBLIC

The merit promotion announcement can be found via the link below:

http://jobview.usajobs.gov/IT Specialist_MERIT PROMOTION

Please direct any questions to Tara Smallidge, Volpe Human Resources, at 617-494-2450.

Tuesday, August 25, 2010 – ISSN 1529-1057

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Countdown to IBTTA’s 78th Annual Meeting & Exhibition — September 12-15th in San Diego, CA – Register Today!

Join your colleagues in San Diego, September 12-15, 2010, for IBTTA’s 78th Annual Meeting & Exhibition, the year’s most highly-anticipated learning and networking event — attracting more than 700 toll industry experts and decision makers from across the globe. Under the theme, Sustainable Transportation, the technical program offers tracks focused on innovation, policy, the economy, and the California tolling experience. Hosted by the California Toll Operators Committee (CTOC), this event features interactive seminars, influential speakers, technical tours and special events, informative exhibits and more! Register and make your hotel reservations today! Visit IBTTA’s website for details.

AVIATION

1) FAA Set to Plumb Mid-Air Incidents

Agency plans to bring air traffic controllers and pilots together to share information.

Link to article in The Wall Street Journal:

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704340504575447883834823838.html

2) Jetliner Crash Shows Dangers of Using Tainted USB Sticks

Link to article in USA Today:

http://content.usatoday.com/communities/technologylive/post/2010/08/infected-usb-thumb-drive-implicated-in-deadly-2008-spanair-jetliner-crash/1

Link to original article in El Pais:

http://www.elpais.com/articulo/espana/ordenador/Spanair/anotaba/fallos/aviones/tenia/virus/elpepuesp/20100820elpepinac_11/Tes (in Spanish)

3) Fact Check: Malware Did Not Bring Down a Passenger Jet

Link to blog on ZDNet:

http://www.zdnet.com/blog/bott/fact-check-malware-did-not-bring-down-a-passenger-jet/2354

CAMERAS

4) University of Maryland License Plate Scanning System Could Aid Police

Link to article on College Park Patch:

http://collegepark.patch.com/articles/university-of-maryland-license-plate-scanning-system-could-aid-police

ELECTRONIC TOLLING

5) Utah’s Electronic Payment System Goes Live on I-15

Link to article in the Deseret News:

http://www.deseretnews.com/article/700059605/Utahs-electronic-payment-system-goes-live-on-I-15.html

6) California Bill Would Protect Privacy of FasTrak Users

Link to AP article:

http://www.montereyherald.com/state/ci_15871881

PEDESTRIANS

7) Mobile Handset Used for Pedestrian Collision Avoidance

Link to article in EE Times Europe:

http://eetimes.eu/en/mobile-handset-used-for-pedestrian-collision-avoidance.html?cmp_id=7&news_id=222903300

RAILROADS

8) Positive Train Control Implementation Signals Challenges Ahead

Link to article in Metro:

http://www.metro-magazine.com/Article/Story/2010/08/Positive-Train-Control-Implementation-Signals-Challenges-Ahead.aspx

TELEMATICS

9) Traffic Data Quality Will Determine Telematics Winners

Link to blog from Strategy Analytics:

http://blogs.strategyanalytics.com/auto/?p=140

TRANSIT

10) Technology Helps Paratransit Services Go Lean

Link to article in Metro:

http://www.metro-magazine.com/resources/Images/MET08-Paratransit.pdf

TRAVELER INFORMATION / TRANSPORTATION MANAGEMENT

11) Massachusetts State Police Seek Solution to Air Show Traffic Nightmare

Link to article in The Republican:

http://www.masslive.com/springfield/republican/index.ssf?/base/news-30/1282635940111310.xml&coll=1

VEHICLES

12) Prius Gets Sound Option to Protect Pedestrians

Link to AP article:

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/Prius-gets-sound-option-to-apf-2437554670.html?x=0&.v=2

13) Report: Car Infotainment Systems to Put Consumers in Driver’s Seat

Link to article in USA Today:

http://content.usatoday.com/communities/technologylive/post/2010/08/report-a-new-fourth-generation-of-car-infotainment-systems-will-put-consumers-in-the-drivers-seat/1

14) HD Radio Shouldn’t be this Hard

The chief engineer of WOR Radio recounts his difficulty in getting an HD Radio for his new Ford Escape.

Link to article in Radioworld:

http://www.radioworld.com/article/104712

News Releases

1) Jacobs Helps Washington State DOT Achieve Smarter Highways

2) Trucking Coalition, ATA’s Technology and Maintenance Council to Facilitate IntelliDrive Workshop for Commercial Vehicles

3) QNX and Freescale Team Up to Accelerate Design Cycles for Automotive Infotainment

4) Sensys Networks Awarded 6^th Patent for Wireless Vehicular Sensor Network

Upcoming Events

Rail-Volution Conference – October 18-21 – Portland, Oregon

http://www.railvolution.com/

Today in Transportation History

1910 **100^th anniversary** The schooner, Catherine M. Monohan, sank off the North Carolina coast.

http://www.nc-wreckdiving.com/WRECKS/MONOHAN/MONOHAN.HTML

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

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

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

© 2010 Bernie Wagenblast  www.bwcommunications.net

Monday, August 23, 2010 – ISSN 1529-1057

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AVIATION

1) Rebranding of Combined United and Continental Presents Communication Challenges

Link to article in the Chicago Tribune:

http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/feed/ct-biz-0822-united-choices–new-20100822,0,2640921.story

2) Technology Improves US Airways’ Customer Service

Link to article in the Phoenix Business Journal:

http://phoenix.bizjournals.com/phoenix/stories/2010/08/23/story1.html?b=1282536000%5E3829171

3) Photographer Combined His Love of Cameras and Aircraft

Link to article in the San Jose Mercury News:

http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_15797787?IADID=Search-www.mercurynews.com-www.mercurynews.com

BICYCLES

4) His Maps of Pittsburgh Give Tips for Everyday Bicyclists

Link to article in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette:

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10235/1082029-140.stm

CARTOGRAPHY

5) Google Street View Cars Back Too Soon, Says French Watchdog

Link to article in Computerworld:

http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9181462/Google_Street_View_cars_back_too_soon_says_French_watchdog

GPS / NAVIGATION

6) Indoor Positioning and Navigation – The Next LBS Frontier?

Link to article in Directions Magazine:

http://www.directionsmag.com/articles/indoor-positioning-and-navigation-the-next-lbs-frontier/129925

MARITIME

7) Canaveral Port Authority Weighs Options for Advertising Space

Link to article in Florida Today:

http://www.floridatoday.com/article/20100823/BUSINESS/8230304/1006/NEWS01/Port+weighs+options+for+advertising+space

OTHER

8) imaGinyze Augments Your Driving Experience with Augmented Reality iPhone App

Link to article on Gizmag:

http://www.gizmag.com/imaginyze-augments-your-driving-experience-with-ar-iphone-app/16051/

Link to further information and screen shots:

http://car.watch.impress.co.jp/docs/series/car_app/20100817_387504.html (in Japanese)

9) iPhone Apps; Top Gear for Motorists

Link to article in The Daily Mail:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/home/moslive/article-1304128/iPhone-apps-Top-gear-motorists.html

PARKING

10) Los Angeles Program Aims to Make Parking Easier

Link to article in the Los Angeles Times:

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-express-park-20100822,0,4725469.story

RAILROADS

11) Signaling the Future of the UK Railways

Thames Valley Signalling Centre will control trains on a portion of the rail network using new technologies.

Link to article in the Oxford Mail:

http://www.oxfordmail.co.uk/news/8344440.Signalling_the_future_of_the_railways/

ROADWAYS

12) Sponsor-a-Highway Signs Amount to Free Advertising on Philadelphia Roads While Program is Suspended

Link to article in The Philadelphia Inquirer:

http://www.philly.com/inquirer/local/20100823_Sponsor-A-Highway_signs_amount_to_free_advertising_on_Philadelphia_roads_while_program_is_suspended.html

TRANSIT

13) Improve Driver Training, Rider Info: Toronto Transit Commission Report

Link to article in the Toronto Star:

http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/article/851197–improve-driver-training-rider-info-ttc-report?bn=1

Link to report:

http://ttcpanel.ca/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/report.pdf

14) Modify DC Metro Next Train Displays to Improve Communication

Link to commentary on Greater Greater Washington:

http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post.cgi?id=6841

TRAVELER INFORMATION / TRANSPORTATION MANAGEMENT

15) Nagpur, India Traffic Department Gets Net Savvy

Link to article in The Times of India:

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/nagpur/Traffic-department-gets-net-savvy/articleshow/6390164.cms

16) Boston T Specific Apps a Real Time Saver

Link to article in the Boston Herald:

http://news.bostonherald.com/news/regional/view/20100823t_specific_apps_a_real-time_saver/

VEHICLES

17) Boulder, Colorado to Use Car Colors to Discourage Driving

Link to story in the Daily Camera:

http://www.dailycamera.com/ci_15851771?IADID=Search-www.dailycamera.com-www.dailycamera.com

18) Tesco to Introduce Speed Monitoring to Compare Van Speeds with Actual Speed Limits

Link to article in article in Fleet News:

http://www.fleetnews.co.uk/news/2010/8/23/tesco-to-map-van-speed-to-road-limit/37552/

News Releases

1) Clear Channel Partners with Geodelic to Launch the Ultimate Mobile Guide for Smart Air Travelers

2) Distracted Driving Takes Center Stage in Drive Safely Work Week

3) CITE’s 2010 Fall Blended Course Offerings

4) 2010 Power IT Down Day Challenges Government to Save More Kilowatt Hours, Decrease Carbon Footprint

Bernie’s Notes

I like to welcome my first grandchild … James Harrison Luedecker.  He was born Friday evening, August 20 at 7:12 (conveniently waiting until Friday’s TCN was sent) and checked in at 8 lbs. 2 oz.  The baby, and the proud mom and dad, Kirsten and Russell, are all doing well.

Upcoming Events

Webinar: The Significance of Search Engines in the Auto Industry: How Search Engines Have Radically Changed the Way Consumers Shop for Cars – August 24

https://event.on24.com/eventRegistration/EventLobbyServlet?target=registration.jsp&eventid=232848&sessionid=1&key=9865A22D30B9685C55760943B51A06CB

Today in Transportation History

2000 **10^th anniversary** Gulf Air Flight 072 crashed in the Persian Gulf while attempting to land in Bahrain.  All 143 people onboard died.

http://www.bea.aero/docspa/2000/a40-ek000823a/htm/a40-ek000823a.html

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

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

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

© 2010 Bernie Wagenblast  www.bwcommunications.net

(Source: CNN)

You thought you had a bad time on the road? Wait till you see this one and start thanking all the gods that are out there.  Here are some snippets about this epic, mother of all traffic jams that ever happened on Earth.

The gridlock, which started August 14, involves thousands of trucks between the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region and the Chinese capital of Beijing.

The back-up stretches over 62 miles on the Beijing-Tibet Expressway. What’s worse, officials are saying that the jam could continue for up to a month (Sept. 13, the projected completion project for some of the projects causing this delay).

Reason cited: “Insufficient traffic capacity on the National Expressway 110 caused by maintenance construction since August 19 is the major cause of the congestion,” a Beijing Traffic Management Bureau spokesman told the Beijing-based Global Times.

Other undesired outcomes borne from this mess: Bored drivers playing cards to pass time, and enterprising local vendors doling out instant noodles for as much as 4-times the actual cost.

If this is not interesting enough, China continues to add 10-million vehicles to its already exploding traffic on the roads.  It will be interesting to see how the Chinese manage their economic wealth while battling the traffic mess around their mega cities.

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