ITS Report™. The one-stop-shop for your ITS NEWS.
ITS REPORT Issue 7
Aug 1 - Aug 16, 2007
Dear Reader:
We hope you enjoy this most recent edition of ITS Report.
1) STATE TO KEEP AN EYE OUT FOR I-64 DRIVERS
"The [West Virginia] state Division of Highways is set to embark on a huge, multi-million-dollar technological upgrade to the interstate system. High-tech cameras, huge message boards and weather systems are all on tap for at least four major interstates by the end of the fiscal year."Charleston Daily Mail, Aug 2, 2007. Read more
2) TAXI DRIVERS' LAMENT
"New York City's taxi drivers are threatening to strike next month, angry over new rules requiring cabs to have a global positioning system installed beginning Oct. 1. The GPS is part of a package including a touch screen that lets passengers pay by credit card, see their location on a map and the path they've traveled, look up information and get news and weather information."The Wall Street Journal, Aug 6, 2007. Read more
3) SLOW DOWN, IT'S THE FAST LANE
"The Fast Lane isn't as fast as it used to be. On some weekdays, it's just plain slow. On heavy traffic days - which are the norm - backups in the Fast Lane electronic toll collection lanes in such places as the Weston tolls on the Massachusetts Turnpike can be excruciating for the transponder-equipped. About all they can do is stare with envy at near-empty cash lines. "Boston Now, Aug 7, 2007. Read more
4) WITH TECHNOLOGY, VEHICLES COULD COMMUNICATE
"The next breakthrough to make driving safer may come from cyberspace, not the vehicle itself. Most of the technologies deployed in the past by the auto industry have been changes inside the vehicle, from making the structure stronger to adding seat belts, air bags and - in certain high-end models - collision-warning systems. But for a new generation of drivers, safety could come through a national wireless network that would enable cars to communicate electronically with one another and with the roads they're driving on."Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Aug 7, 2007. Read more
5) HACKERS FAKE IN-CAR SYSTEMS DATA
"Satellite navigation systems in cars can be hijacked remotely with relative ease, allowing hackers to feed drivers bogus directions, two experts have told a major security conference."Australian IT, Aug 7, 2007. Read more
6) VIRGINIA DIALS UP IMPROVEMENTS TO TRAFFIC-INFORMATION SYSTEM
"Virginia's Department of Transportation has upgraded its phone system that allows motorists to call in and obtain information ranging from construction delays to public transportation schedules to road conditions."Examiner, Aug 8, 2007. Read more
7) SENSOR TECHNOLOGY COULD MAKE HIGHWAY BRIDGES SAFER
"Even as investigators continue to work to recover victims and pinpoint the cause of Wednesday's catastrophic collapse of the Interstate 35W bridge over the Mississippi River in Minneapolis, one topic getting more attention immediately is the availability of systems that can help highway officials better judge the health of the nation's bridges. Sensor technology to monitor the steel and concrete health of highway bridges already exists and is in use in many areas of the country, while new and improved monitoring systems continue to evolve in myriad research labs and universities."InterGovWorld, Aug 9, 2007. Read more
8) GPS + API'S = THE FUTURE OF MOBILE SOCIAL ACTIVITY
"People ask me every day, 'What's the hottest thing going on in emerging platforms right now?' While I'd love to talk about time travel theory and DeLoreans, I can't stop talking about location, location, location. In fact, I've been buzzing with location ideas for years. And ever since I left the Where 2.0 conference last May, location is on the top of my list with all our clients."The ClickZ Network, Aug 14, 2007. Read more
9) NORTH TEXAS TOLLWAYS TO GO DIGITAL
"The North Texas Tollway Authority is dumping its toll-collection booths by May 2010, impacting about 400 of the authority's employees. That means all tolling will be done electronically, either through toll tags or via addresses associated with license plates photographed by NTTA toll cameras."Dallas Business Journal, Aug 15, 2007. Read more
10) POLICE WORK TO EXPAND RED LIGHT CAMERA USE
"Frederick [Maryland] police say that after two years, their red light program remains a success and is ready to expand, possibly as soon as this fall. The program began in 2005 with cameras at three intersections, and has expanded to seven. In that time, Frederick police have issued more than 14,000 citations to drivers running red lights."Gazette.Net, Aug 16, 2007. Read more
11) TANN ADDS CHARLOTTE, NC REAL TIME CAMERAS TO ITS TRAVEL CONGESTION MAP
"The Travel Advisory News Network, TANN (http://traffic.tann.net), has added Charlotte to its growing traveler information network of world wide cities. TANN’s Charlotte Travel Congestion Map web page, http://traffic.tann.net/charlotte/, provides quick access to real time camera images of traffic conditions at key locations on the I-77 and I-85. Commuters who 'check the traffic' before a trip can avoid time consuming traffic delays and make informed decisions as to changing travel times and routes."Trans World News, Aug 16, 2007. Read more
Sincerely,
ITS Report