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 U.S. Transportation Secretary LaHood, IBM Chairman Palmisano Keynote Closing Session You'll want to hear U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood and IBM Chairman and CEO Samuel J. Palmisano as they discuss their visions for our nation's transportation future during the closing session on Wednesday, which will be moderated by Dr. C. Michael Walton, Ernest H. Cockrell Centennial Chair in Engineering at The University of Texas at Austin. Participants will also preview the 17th ITS World Congress in Busan, South Korea and the 18th ITS World Congress in Orlando, Fla. in October 2011.
50+ Sessions Address Key Transportation Challenges, Technology Solutions More than 50 executive, policy and technical sessions will bring together public sector, private industry, academic, research and policy leaders to address issues such as distracted driving; congestion reduction; traffic and freight management; new Bus Rapid Transit technologies; ITS, job creation and economic competitiveness; technology's role in livability, sustainability and the environment; rural safety; commercial vehicle operations; collision avoidance systems; incident and emergency response; financing and technology; road pricing; eco-driving and emissions reduction strategies; ITS and performance measurement; IntelliDrive; transportation security; real-time traffic and traveler information; mobility management; and many other topics. Don't Miss the High-Tech Demos, Exhibits & Houston Highlight Tours Throughout the week participants will have the opportunity to visit the Expo Hall, tour high-tech transportation projects, and participate in technology demos including an 18-wheel truck rollover response and SAFE Clear incident management program (complete with police helicopter, fire and rescue and live video), a Bus Rapid Transit demo featuring a "lane assist" guidance system developed by the University of Minnesota's Intelligent Vehicles Lab, and a smart parking demo. Other highlights will include tours of Houston TranStar, one of the most advanced transportation and emergency management centers in the U.S., as well as the Port of Houston, METRO HOV System and Rail Operations Center, and Harris County Toll Authority. Register online and save time. Click for hotel reservations. Exhibit space and sponsorship opportunities are still available. 
Smart Solution Spotlight: PrePass ITS America Share    
The ITS America Smart Solution Spotlight celebrates creative uses of Intelligent Transportation Systems to create a safe, clean, efficient and sustainable transportation system. The latest honor goes to PrePass, an ITS technology that weighs, identifies and prescreens trucks while they are driving at highway speeds toward inspection stations. By significantly reducing the time commercial trucks sit idling at weigh stations, PrePass has saved more than 150 million gallons of fuel, 31 million hours of time, and $2.3 billion in operational costs. In addition, more than 335,000 metric tons of tailpipe emissions have been eliminated. The project was created by the Heavy Vehicle Electronic License Plate, Inc (HELP) in 1995 and has proven to be so successful it is now used at more than 280 sites in 29 states. More ITS America Board of Directors announces new appointees and candidates for re-election ITS America Share
ITS America is pleased to announce three new appointees to the Board of Directors, a distinguished group of industry leaders who have the responsibility of establishing the strategic direction of the organization. The Board appointed Dr. Nady Boules, Director of General Motors' Electrical & Controls Integration lab, to complete the term of Sheryl Wilkerson who resigned from the Board last year. The Board also appointed Linda Watson, Executive Director of Lynx Transit Systems, and Erik Goldman, President and Chief Executive Officer of Hughes Telematics, to fill strategic gaps on the Board pursuant to Section 4.5 of the Bylaws. A number of sitting Board members were re-nominated to the Board and must be approved by the membership: Abbas Mohaddes, President, Iteris; Kirk Steudle, Director, Michigan Department of Transportation; Connie Sorrell, Chief of System Operations, Virginia Department of Transportation; Ken Philmus, Senior Vice President and Managing Director, Transportation Systems and Services, ACS; and David Sparks, Executive Vice President, TransCore. Finally, presented to the membership for election are: Tom Sorel, Commissioner, Minnesota Department of Transportation; and Bryan Mistele, President and Chief Executive Officer, INRIX. If you have been designated as the primary contact for your organization with ITS America membership, you should have received an e-mail linking to an online voting system. Ballots were also sent by mail. Voting must be complete by April 16, 2010.
Federal Communications Commission releases national broadband plan ITS America Share
The Federal Communications Commission released the National Broadband Plan, calling the lack of broadband capacity "the great infrastructure challenge of the early 21st century." According to the FCC, while the number of Americans with broadband at home has increased significantly, there are still about 100 million Americans without access to broadband capacity. As a result, Congress directed the FCC to develop a plan that provides recommendations for eliminating barriers, and creating policies and incentives towards the universal availability of broadband technology. A section of the plan is devoted to "smart transportation," which focuses on broadband and related ITS technologies that will help make the transportation system safer, cleaner, and more efficient. Solutions such as vehicle-to-vehicle communication, traffic signal optimization, and toll technology all contribute to the need for increased broadband capability. At the same time, there must be a commitment to use the technologies responsibly and minimize adverse effects such as distracted driving. You can read the full plan here. The section devoted to transportation starts on page 258. Countdown to the 17th ITS World Congress in Busan, Korea ITS Korea Share
The 17th ITS World Congress, which will take place at the Busan Exhibition & Convention Center from October 25-29, will center on the theme, 'Ubiquitous Society with ITS.' In Busan, Korea's second-largest city, you will be able to experience the latest, cutting-edge ITS technologies and find solutions to the future vision of ITS. Find out more!
New position open in FHWA Operations Research and Development U.S. Department of Transportation Share
This position serves as the Team Leader of the Transportation Management and Operations Team (currently named the "Travel Management Team") in the Office of Operations Research and Development. It is open to the public. Apply here. Telvent appoints Patrick McGowan as president Telvent Share
Telvent, the IT company for a sustainable and secure world, announced today that Patrick McGowan, vice president of business development for Telvent Transportation North America, has been promoted to president of the Telvent North American Transportation Organization. In his new role, McGowan is responsible for creating and consolidating the necessary structure of Telvent transportation solutions, including Intelligent Transportation Systems, tolling and transit, to achieve significant growth and ensure Telvent's presence as a market leader. More
Gadgets in emergency vehicles seen as peril The New York Times Share
They are the most wired vehicles on the road, with dashboard computers, sophisticated radios, navigation systems and cell phones. While such gadgets are widely seen as distractions to be avoided behind the wheel, there are hundreds of thousands of drivers — police officers and paramedics — who are required to use them, sometimes at high speeds, while weaving through traffic, sirens blaring. More Navigation data: Maryland first in GPS use The Washington Post Share
Information collected by one of the largest navigation services provider says Maryland ranks first in the nation for GPS navigation usage. The state uses the technology twice as much as the national average. More Traffic fatalities for 2009 reach record low U.S. Department of Transportation Share
The U.S. Department of Transportation announced that the number of overall traffic fatalities reported at the end of 2009 reached the lowest level since 1954, declining for the 15th consecutive quarter. According to early projections, the fatality rate, which takes into account the number of miles traveled, reached the lowest level ever recorded. More Chicago Transit Authority gets $1.5 million federal grant for electrified vehicle stalls Chicago Sun-Times Share
A $1.5 million federal grant for the construction of electrified vehicle stalls that will reduce greenhouse gas emissions and unnecessary fuel consumption has been awarded to the Chicago Transit Authority. The funding, from the U.S. Dept. of Transportation was announced by Sen. Dick Durbin's office. More A world without signs Slate Share
In the summer of 2008, a satellite navigation specialist named Colin Beatty fired up a 27-slide Power Point presentation titled "Could personal navigation systems herald the demise of much fixed signage?" Perhaps out of deference to his audience — Beatty was presenting to the Sign Design Society, Britain's leading association for environmental graphic design—the tone was somewhat measured. Note Beatty's use of could and much. But Beatty, who founded his satnav consultancy CBil 23 years ago, had bad news for the sign world: He believes the advent of geolocational technology will eventually kill the sign. More Google Maps finally adds bike routes WIRED Share
At long last, Google Maps has routes specifically for bikes. With the click of a mouse, the new feature allows you to plot the best, and flattest, ride from Point A to Point B. Several cities, including New York, Minneapolis, San Francisco and Portland, Oregon, have bike-specific mapping sites. But Google is rolling it out in 150 cities nationwide and announcing it at the 10th Annual Bike Summit in Washington, D.C. More 2009 safest year ever for nation's freight railroads Powder Bulk Solids Share
The Association of American Railroads has announced that 2009 was the safest year in freight railroad history, with preliminary year-end data indicating the train accident rate, employee casualty rate, and grade crossing incident rates were all at record low levels last year. More Cameras keep an eye on traffic at 68 junctions The Indian Express Share
Now, it will be harder to get away with traffic violations. Under the Intelligent Transportation System that is soon to be implemented across the city, the Pune Municipal Corporation, in India, in a tie-up with a private agency has set up surveillance cameras and sensors at 68 traffic junctions in the city. More Florida license plates may become profitable ad space Bloomberg via BusinessWeek Share
Mike Fasano, chairman of the Senate Transportation and Economic Development Appropriations Committee, said that he's asked his staff to develop a piece of legislation that would let corporations put their logos on Florida license plates for a price. More |
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