Google’s Street View trike heads for Stonehenge

Google and VisitBritain have announced the winners of the online poll in which the British public voted for the first tourist attractions to be photographed by the Street View Trike. The survey, devised with tourist information service, VisitBritain, asked the public to submit locations in five categories: castles, coastal paths, natural wonders, historic buildings and monuments & sports stadiums. After receiving more than 10,000 location suggestions, more than 35,000 votes were cast for the sixteen finalists.

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More at Telematics Update

http://social.telematicsupdate.com/content/google%E2%80%99s-street-view-trike-heads-stonehenge

TriMet's open source heaven: The 5 best transit-rider apps

With its riders increasingly using mobile devices and the web to navigate the bus and MAX system, TriMet today opened an online "app center" offering links to more than two dozen transit applications. TriMet's says its open-source philosophy to make schedule and route data available to all third-party developers has made it a leader among the nation's public transit systems.

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More at OregonLive
http://blog.oregonlive.com/commuting/2009/07/open_source_heaven_the_5_best.html

HRTPO Fully Certified as the Region’s Transportation Planning Organization for Federal Transportation Funds

The Hampton Roads Transportation Planning Organization (HRTPO) was fully certified by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) as the region’s transportation planning organization. The HRTPO was informed of the full certification at its July 15, 2009 meeting. The certification is in effect for four years. The notice of full certification culminates an extensive 14-month reform process that addressed the corrective actions that were required following the organization’s 2007 Federal Quadrennial Review.

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More at Smart Region

http://smartregion.org/2009/07/hrtpo-fully-certified-as-the-regions-transportation-planning-organization-for-federal-transportation-funds/

Blind can take wheel with vehicle designed by university engineering design team

A student team in the Virginia Tech College of Engineering is providing the blind with an opportunity many never thought possible: The opportunity to drive. A retrofitted four-wheel dirt buggy developed by the Blind Driver Challenge team from Virginia Tech’s Robotics and Mechanisms Laboratory uses laser range finders, an instant voice command interface and a host of other innovative, cutting-edge technology to guide blind drivers as they steer, brake, and accelerate. Although in the early testing stage, the National Federation of the Blind -- which spurred the project -- considers the vehicle a major breakthrough for independent living of the visually impaired.

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More at Virginia Tech News

http://www.vtnews.vt.edu/story.php?relyear=2009&itemno=542

Business leaders say no to light-rail referendum

Top business leaders have come out against the city holding a referendum on a light-rail project, arguing it's a decision the City Council should make. "It's a complex subject, but it's not above your pay grade," Jim Flinchum, board president of the Virginia Beach division of the Hampton Roads Chamber of Commerce, told the City Council last week. "This is your job."

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More at PilotOnline.Com

http://hamptonroads.com/2009/07/business-leaders-say-no-lightrail-referendum

Join the ITS Social Network!!

More at ITS World
http://itsworld.ning.com/

Kaine requests privatization of stops

Democratic Gov. Timothy M. Kaine has officially asked Congress for permission to privatize Virginia's interstate highway rest stops in an effort to keep them open. But the request from Kaine himself came only after hours of back and forth between state and federal officials.

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More at NVDaily

http://www.nvdaily.com/news/2009/07/kaine-requests-privatization-of-stops.html

Macquarie Infrastructure Investment's Numbers for Dulles Greenway

MIG has today released its June quarter 2009, and its full year revenue and traffic statistics for each of the portfolio toll roads (data excludes APRR due to listing requirements in France). Whilst the protracted slow down in global economic activity has continued to weigh on traffic volumes, in particular heavy vehicles, there are signs of a stabilisation. This stabilisation, together with changes to tolling structures implemented during the past six to nine months has delivered positive revenue growth on every road in MIG's portfolio during the quarter.

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More at the Sydney Morning Herlad

http://newsstore.smh.com.au/apps/previewDocument.ac?docID=GCA00969370MIG

Maine To Test Pay Per Mile Highway Tax

Wanted: 250 Maine drivers willing to let a stranger put a black box under their dashboard. The reward: $895 and the opportunity to speak their minds about the highway tax experiment to a researcher.

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More at PuppetGov

http://blog.puppetgov.com/2009/07/16/maine-to-test-pay-per-mile-highway-tax/

Organic Traffic Lights

Researchers in Germany believe organic computing has the potential to solve the problems of urban traffic systems, which rely on sensors and controllers. Using an organic approach, Holger Prothmann of the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology and colleagues have developed a decentralized traffic control system.

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More at The Web Scene

http://www.cpccci.com/blog/2009/07/02/organic-traffic-lights/

Survey Invites ITS America Members to Evaluate Service, Benefits

There is much more to be done, but to get there, we need you! ITS America members are our most important resource. Your participation in ITS America activities, many of which are accessible to you at no extra cost beyond your membership dues, makes a big difference in the quality of dialogue, the value of the product, and the effectiveness of the interaction with other ITS stakeholders.

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More at ITS America

http://www.itsa.org/press_release_content/c71_a2946/News_and_Events/Press_Releases.html

Plans for rapid bus network gain momentum

Buses traveling faster than traffic, with their own lanes, the ability to change traffic signals so they don't have to slow down and a set of dedicated stops to shuttle people around quickly. That is the vision leaders at the region's Transportation Planning Board approved Wednesday.

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More at WTOP

http://www.wtop.com/?nid=30&sid=1718443

Kaine Asks Virginians to Telework August 3

Gov. Timothy M. Kaine joined Telework!VA and Telework Exchange Wednesday in encouraging individuals and organizations to pledge to telework from home or a remote location on Telework Day: August 3.

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More at WHSV

http://www.whsv.com/news/headlines/50866002.html

TPB Approves Bike-Sharing TIGER Grant Request

The Washington, D.C. region's Transportation Planning Board today approved a $10M grant request for a regional bike-sharing program as part of a package of transit projects to improve mobility in the region.

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More at TPB:

http://www.commuterpageblog.com/2009/07/the-tiger-roars-in-washington.html

How new technologies will ease our traffic woes

Take heart, there is a range of solutions on the horizon. A new generation of monitoring and data-gathering technologies could radically change the way we plan and drive our journeys. They should deliver more accurate information on traffic densities to help us avoid jams, as well as real-time advice on journey times and fuel consumption based on the way we accelerate and brake.

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More at The New Scientist

http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg20327176.400-how-new-technologies-will-ease-our-traffic-woes.html

Arlington to ask Virginia for control of Columbia Pike

The Arlington County Board has decided to ask the Virginia Department of Transportation for control of a 3.5 mile stretch of Columbia Pike. The board said Tuesday that the move would expedite the county's plans for a streetcar along Columbia Pike.

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More at The Washington Business Journal

http://www.bizjournals.com/washington/stories/2009/07/13/daily41.html

TRB’s National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP) Synthesis 399: Real-Time Traveler Information Systems

Download report from TRB at:
http://onlinepubs.trb.org/onlinepubs/nchrp/nchrp_syn_399.pdf

Transit system to ease I-270 traffic delayed

Drivers on I-270 would welcome any improvement to their congested commute. But a planned transit system, designed to help ease traffic, is now facing big delays.

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More at WTOP

http://www.wtop.com/?nid=30&sid=1716742

OpenStreetMap: the free map data revolution?

Created in 2004 with the idea to build a free, worldwide digital map, OSM is now over 130,000 participants (they were 100,000 in March) with an accelerating growth.

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More at GPS Business News

http://www.gpsbusinessnews.com/OpenStreetMap-the-free-map-data-revolution_a1637.html

DOT to Issue Request for Proposal for Michigan IntelliDriveSM Test Bed Operation and Maintenance.

U.S. Department of Transportation is seeking a contractor to operate and maintain the Michigan IntelliDriveSM Test Bed Environment.

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More at RITA

http://www.rita.dot.gov/press_room/press_releases/dot102_09/html/dot102_09.html

Virginia bridge deploys Fluidmesh wireless video surveillance system

Fluidmesh Networks, together with integration company Acme Technical Group, has announced that it has completed a project to provide video surveillance on the Vietnam Memorial Bridge in Richmond, Virginia. Transurban Group, which runs the tolls and maintenance for the bridge, sought to install a video surveillance system to monitor road conditions.

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More at Traffic Technology Today

http://www.traffictechnologytoday.com/news.php?NewsID=14122

Virginia Submits High-Speed Rail Pre-applications

Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine announced today that the state has submitted $2 billion in ARRA pre-applications focused on a high-speed rail project between Washington, D.C., and Petersburg, Va. Virginia has invested more than $197 million in the congested I-95 corridor to-date, said Kaine in a release, and recently executed an agreement with Amtrak to initiate a new Northeast Corridor train between Richmond and Washington, D.C.

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More at Government Technology

http://www.govtech.com/gt/articles/701021?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=GTEN_2009_7_10

ITS America Launches New Website

More at ITS America
http://www.itsa.org/

Virginia gets $1.5 million from feds for transportation

Two Virginia cities are getting about $1.5 million in federal stimulus funds for transit upgrades. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood announced Thursday that Danville and Williamsburg are getting the money.
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More at PilotOnline

http://hamptonroads.com/2009/07/virginia-gets-15-million-feds-transportation

Metro Operator Asleep at the Wheel?

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More at Fox5
http://www.myfoxdc.com/dpp/news/local/070809_metro_train_operator_caught_on_tape

Drivers asked to test alternative to fuel tax

Researchers are looking for 1,500 drivers in six cities, including Albuquerque, to test an on-board computer system that taxes motorists based on miles driven rather than fuel taxes paid at the pump. That mileage-based tax is being considered by the University of Iowa Public Policy Center in a $16.5 million study for the U.S. Department of Transportation to determine whether it's a viable option for paying for surface transportation, including roads and railroads, in the future.

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More at AP
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5jYNPi3-EttcOOLkKFxgDJbvNRaVAD99AGCC00

Construction Resumes on HOT Lanes

The Virginia Department of Transportation has resumed construction in the areas of the Capital Beltway High Occupancy Toll [HOT] Lanes project that had been halted June 22 due to environmental concerns.

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More at The Connection

http://www.connectionnewspapers.com/article.asp?article=330599&paper=81&cat=104

Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments wants $1.5B from feds for Metro

The Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments wants the federal government to deliver on its promise to give $1.5 billion to the struggling Metro system.

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More at Washington Business Journal

http://www.bizjournals.com/washington/stories/2009/07/06/daily55.html

Traffax Inc. Conducts July 4 Study of Vehicle and Pedestrian Traffic Flows with D.C. Dept. of Transportation

On July 4, 2009, the Washington, D.C. Department of Transportation (DDOT) and Traffax Inc. with the assistance of Transportation Perspectives Inc. collaborated in the demonstration and test of a breakthrough technology to measure vehicle and pedestrian traffic flows during special events and emergency evacuations. The technology, developed at the University of Maryland and commercialized by Traffax, is based on the use of Bluetooth wireless communications technology, found in consumer electronic devices such as cell phones, car radios and personal digital assistants (PDAs).

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More at Consumer Electronics

http://phones.consumerelectronicsnet.com/articles/viewarticle.jsp?id=793751

Macquarie Infrastructure Group tumbles on option risks

MACQUARIE Infrastructure Group is reviewing options to enhance value amid talk of radical changes for the toll road owner.

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More at The Australian Business

http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/business/story/0,28124,25750715-643,00.html

Transportation Apps: Are We There Yet?

There are sites devoted to regional public transportation route planning, sites devoted to rail transportation, and city-wide sites for light rail, bus and ferry planning. But if you're looking for something across cities, states or even countries, you're not likely to find it. Why is it that with GPS applications being so advanced, we're still such a long way from the benefits of seamless transportation? It's doubtful that riders really care which transportation authorities are responsible for their trip. As a user, I want to be able to type in my home address and get inexpensive door-to-door transportation options to any destination in the world.

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More at Read Write Web
http://www.readwriteweb.com/archives/transportation_apps_are_we_there_yet.php

You spend 62 hours a year stuck in traffic

Whether D.C.-area drivers want to wear it as a badge of honor, they have to deal with the second worst congestion in the nation - second only to the smog, clogged roads of Los Angeles. This year's Urban Mobility Report, considered to be the authority on congestion rankings, delivers the news.

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More at WTOP

http://www.wtop.com/?nid=30&sid=1712880

Bus service streamlines transportation to agencies

Called Community Action Transit, or CAT, the bus service was started Jan. 2 by the Washington County Community Action Council (CAC) to provide door-to-door transportation for participants in day programs for disabled adults at Horizon Goodwill, Star Community and Lycher, program coordinator Jacqueline Crabtree said.

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More at The Herald-Mail

http://www.herald-mail.com/?cmd=displaystory&story_id=226354&format=html

Traffic down, revenue up on Dulles Greenway

Higher toll rates have led to sparser traffic on the Dulles Greenway. But the 14-mile private toll road is generating more revenue than ever. Daily weekday traffic on the Greenway fell nearly 8 percent over the first three months of this year, compared with the same months in 2008. The significant dip in traffic coincides with fee increases that took effect in January. It now costs $4 to drive on the Greenway during rush hour and $3.40 at all other times, up from $3.

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More at WTOP

http://www.wtop.com/?nid=25&sid=1710912

More at ABC 7

http://www.wjla.com/news/stories/0709/637653.html

Oberstar’s Road Bill Faces Survival Test

With the White House standing in his path and a pair of well-placed senators lining up with the administration, the guessing game in Washington is how long House Transportation Committee Chairman James Oberstar can keep his six-year highway reauthorization bill alive in Congress.

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More at Transport Topics Online

http://www.ttnews.com/articles/basetemplate.aspx?storyid=22247

Local Stimulus Projects

Explore the District, Maryland and Virginia to see how federal stimulus dollars are being spent on transportation projects.

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More at The Washington Post
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/special/metro/stimulusmap/index.html

Site Uncovers Speed Traps So Drivers Don't Have To

There's an easy way to avoid them -- observe the speed limit -- but too few people do. Federal statistics show that 13,000 people died in speed-related crashes in 2005. An earlier study found that 75 percent of drivers slowed down when they feared getting a speeding ticket.

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More at The Washington Post

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/07/01/AR2009070104059.html

Should Reducing Vehicle Miles Traveled Be A Federal Transportation Goal?

On May 14, Senate Commerce Committee Chairman Jay Rockefeller, D-W.Va., and Surface Transportation Subcommittee Chairman Frank Lautenberg, D-N.J., introduced a policy-setting bill to "establish a comprehensive and unifying mission for the nation's surface transportation system." The legislation lays out eight major goals, and the first one is: "reduce national per capita vehicle miles traveled on an annual basis." Is that an appropriate goal for federal transportation policy? Is it a practical goal? How might that be accomplished and what might be the consequences?

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More at The National Journal

http://transportation.nationaljournal.com/2009/06/should-reducing-vehicle-miles.php

ITS America White Paper on TIGER Grants

ITS America is pleased to provide you with the following white paper, “Delivering ITS Solutions through TIGER Discretionary Grants,” which provides information to assist public agencies and private sector/nonprofit partners in applying for ITS-related economic recovery projects under the U.S. Department of Transportation’s (DOT) “Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery” or “TIGER” Grant program.

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More at ITS America

http://www.itsa.org/press_release_content/c215_d2990/News.html

Download White Paper

http://www.itsa.org/itsa/files/pdf/ITSAWP_TIGER.pdf

Traffic lights retimed for Fourth of July crowds

In Northern Virginia, traffic lights will be retimed at 115 intersections along heavily used corridors such as Routes 1, 7, 29, 50, 123, 236 and 244. To help move drivers into and out of the D.C. area, VDOT says signals along these routes will be timed for peak traffic conditions beginning at 8 a.m. on Saturday, and then timed specifically for traffic moving south and west from D.C. between 9:30 p.m. and midnight.

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More at WTOP

http://www.wtopnews.com/?nid=30&sid=1710029

Va. to study Hampton Roads evacuation routes

State transportation officials have initiated another hurricane evacuation study for Hampton Roads, using new storm surge models and traffic data to plot the quickest ways to get people to safety.

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More at PilotOnline

http://hamptonroads.com/2009/07/va-study-hampton-roads-evacuation-routes

DC - DDOT Announces Operation Fast Forward Set for July 4

The District Department of Transportation (DDOT), in coordination with its regional transportation and public safety partners, will run Operation Fast Forward on Saturday, July 4. Now in its fifth year, Operation Fast Forward allows participating agencies to test their emergency evacuation plans at the same time they expedite and manage the flow of traffic after the fireworks. After the conclusion of the fireworks, DDOT will extend the traffic signal cycle lengths on 5 of the District’s 19 marked evacuation routes* to 240 seconds. The goal is to substantially clear the traffic in the downtown area within 60 to 75 minutes.

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More at DrivingLaws.Org

http://blog.drivinglaws.org/2009/07/03/dc-ddot-announces-operation-fast-forward-set-for-july-4/

Loudoun County Commission Told To Halt Work On Transportation Plan

The Planning Commission has been told by leadership on the Board of Supervisors and County Administration to cancel its work sessions on the Countywide Transportation Plan until the board approves a specific timeline to complete the project.

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More at Leesburg Today

http://www.leesburg2day.com/articles/2009/07/03/news/fp135%20ctp070309.txt

HRBT damage still unknown

One lane on I-64 West through the Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel will close from 7:00 p.m. Friday until 9:00 a.m. Saturday as crews remove more water in the flooded pump house.

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More at WVEC

http://www.wvec.com/news/topstories/stories/wvec_local_070309_hrbt_day_after_.5095421.html

Inrix to Report Traffic for Homeland Security

The next time there's a Homeland Security drill, they will be avoiding heavy traffic and traffic incidents using the Inrix data and capabilities to help speed the response. The data will be used by GeoDecisions' IRRIS portal to help the military and Homeland security with accurate traffic flow and incident reporting.

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More at GPS Lodge

http://www.gpslodge.com/archives/027108.php

Favola Promises No Gridlock If 'Streetcar' Built on Pike

“We’re not going to have traffic stopped dead,” Favola said at the annual “State of the County” speech, held June 29 at the Crystal Gateway Marriott. The event was hosted by the Arlington Chamber of Commerce and Leadership Arlington.

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More at Sun Gazette

http://www.sungazette.net/articles/2009/06/30/arlington/news/nw517aa.txt

Va. receives $285M in highway stimulus funding

The federal government has approved $285 million in funding for 45 Virginia highway projects in the first wave of stimulus cash devoted to transportation. It's the first of nearly $700 million in transportation stimulus cash the state is scheduled to receive over the next year.

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More at WTOP

http://www.wtop.com/?nid=30&sid=1708901

Frustration and Praise as Bus Arrival Time System Rolls Out

NextBus uses satellite technology to beam the location of a bus to an advanced computer that can tell you through the Web or a cellphone whether your bus is just down the street or whether you should stay at the office a little longer and surf the Web before going home.

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More at The Washington Post

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/07/01/AR2009070103965.html

Unhappy with roadwork, Fairfax eyes becoming city

Fairfax County supervisors, discontent with the state’s maintenance of local roads, are exploring whether to turn Virginia’s largest county into its largest city. The shift, which would require approval from both voters and the General Assembly, would give Fairfax more power to take over and pay for a road network now maintained by the cash-strapped Virginia Department of Transportation. The idea, rolled out this week by County Executive Anthony Griffin, “came out of the miserable job” VDOT is doing maintaining and operating roads in the county, said Board of Supervisors Chairwoman Sharon Bulova.

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More at DC Examiner

http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/local/Unhappy-with-roadwork-Fairfax-eyes-becoming-city_07_02-49617252.html

CUSTOMER DRIVEN – NOW MORE THAN EVER! SHA UNVEILS NEW USER-FRIENDLY WEBSITE

In this modern era of technology, how organizations communicate with their customers is constantly changing. In an effort to be in sync with those innovations, the Maryland Department of Transportation’s State Highway Administration (SHA) unveils its revamped web site to provide better access to projects, programs and traffic information. Located at www.marylandroads.com, the site has a bright new look, with more tools to help keep the public informed and connected to traffic information, innovations in highway safety, environmental initiatives, and construction projects.

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More at MDSHA

http://www.sha.state.md.us/Pages/release.aspx?newsId=405

Quest for optimum mobility and the future of civilization

As mobile ecosystems comprised of trillions of biological nano machines it is incomprehensible how long it will take for human intelligence to proxy the richness, resilience, pure functionality and practicality of natural systems. Human mobility is a product of many years evolution. Self-propulsion is ubiquitous among living things and serves as the gold standard. And, as the ultimate philanthropist providing extraordinary bounty free, nature has had a lot of years to figure this stuff out. Add a little bit of human intelligence and the simple mechanical advantage provided by bicycle-like technology increases mobility tremendously.

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More at Streets Wiki
http://www.livablestreets.com/streetswiki/zero-vmt

Fairfax Out of Road Money

The Virginia Department of Transportation awarded Fairfax about $240,000 for all new secondary road construction, about 2.5 percent of the $ 11 million the county received for the same purpose last year. "A fairly minor signal? Yes, [$240,000] might cover it. But some traffic signals cost between $250,000 and $300,000 to put in," said Kathy Ichter, director of Fairfax County’s Department of Transportation.

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More at CentreView

http://www.connectionnewspapers.com/article.asp?article=330266&paper=82&cat=104

GPS systems that give traffic reports

Thanks to mobile navigation -- either on portable devices or via cell phones -- the days of mobile origami where you unfold and then try to refold a map as you hope the light doesn't turn green are coming to an end. And if navigation is the buzz -- with many of us relying on GPS, or Global Positioning System, satellites to find our place in the world -- then real-time traffic is the killer app we all want.

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More at News 6

http://www.newson6.com/Global/story.asp?S=10620305

Planners Back Bus Rapid Transit Over Light Rail for I-270 Corridor

Montgomery County planners have recommended that a bus rapid transit system be built along the Interstate 270 corridor, saying that the other choice, a light rail line, would be too expensive to win federal funding.

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More at The Washington Post

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/06/30/AR2009063003801.html

Who's to Blame for Virginia's Traffic Nightmares

If Republicans had demonstrated successful leadership in transportation, as House Speaker William J. Howell (R-Stafford) argued ["Virginia Republicans Kept Their Promises on Transportation," Local Opinions, June 21], Virginia would not be in the desperate situation of lacking funds to meet federally required matches. Nor would the Virginia Department of Transportation have recommended closing 19 visitors' centers.

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More at The Washington Post

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/06/29/AR2009062903755.html

Study praises D.C.'s, Maryland's use of transportation stimulus

Maryland and the District of Columbia are outpacing Virginia in spending stimulus money set aside for transportation, according to a study by Smart Growth America. Virginia has failed to use federal funds to decrease its backlog of repairs. The state did get high marks for its spending on rail.

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More at Smart Brief

http://www.smartbrief.com/news/elfa/storyDetails.jsp?issueid=E7F685C7-0FAB-4FAE-90FE-BDDEF1041857&copyid=3DA5A267-000F-471B-BAFE-A53EDD588A01

Next Bus to re-launch July 1

Metro is one day away from re-launching Next Bus, a service which provides real-time information for when the next Metrobus arrives at a bus stop. “This will be a major improvement for Metrobus riders across the Washington area,” said Metro Board Chairman Jim Graham. “They will no longer have to guess when the next bus will arrive.”

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More at Metro

http://www.wmata.com/about_metro/news/PressReleaseDetail.cfm?ReleaseID=2648

Parking fines: D.C. collects 25Xs what Fairfax Co. does

The District of Columbia collects 25 times more money in parking fines than its neighbors in Fairfax County and more than eight times than Montgomery County collects each year. According to records obtained by WTOP, the District collected $67,311,140 in parking fines in fiscal year 2008. Compare that number to Montgomery County, which collected $7.9 million in the same time period. Fairfax County collected $2,619,635.

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More at WTOP

http://www.wtop.com/?nid=30&sid=1706454

Deeds, McDonnell say they can improve transportation without raising taxes

Gubernatorial hopefuls Creigh Deeds and Bob McDonnell, in their first back-to-back appearances on the same stage, told Boys State attendees in Lynchburg today that they can improve transportation in Virginia without raising taxes. Deeds, a Democrat, said he would seek to pay for better roads by promoting business growth that would increase state revenues, but ultimately that growth depends on better roads.

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More at Richmond Times-Dispatch

http://www.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/local/article/GOVSGATER26_20090626-193402/276571/

Does A Private Company Own Your Muni Arrival Times?

When Steven Peterson created Routesy, an iPhone app that lets riders see Muni arrival times, the last thing he expected was to hear was that Muni's real-time arrival times were actually the property of a private company located in the East Bay. But that's exactly what happened, when Alex Orloff, COO of a company calling itself NextBus Information Systems, contacted him in August, 2008, demanding a "straight revenue split" or a "data licensing agreement" from Peterson.

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More at SF Appeal
http://sfappeal.com/news/2009/06/who-owns-sfmta-arrival-data.php

VDOT testing will hinder traffic at HRBT early Sunday

Traffic at the Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel will be stopped for up to 30 minutes early Sunday morning for flood gate testing between 4 a.m. and 6 a.m.

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More at PilotOnline.Com

http://hamptonroads.com/2009/06/vdot-testing-will-hinder-traffic-hrbt-early-sunday

More HOT lanes may be in works for Interstates 95 and 395

Virginia Transportation Secretary Pierce Homer says negotiations are nearing conclusion on high-occupancy toll lanes on Interstates 95 and 395, a deal that would add 28 miles of roadwork to 14 under way along the Beltway. "One the things we would like to do would be to have at least a segment of the I-95 HOT lanes open at the same time as the Beltway HOT lanes," Homer said. WTOP-FM (Washington, D.C.) (06/19).

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More at Smart Brief

http://www.smartbrief.com/news/gwbot/storyDetails.jsp?issueid=740B6EC9-0670-4644-A00C-1646817D0A67&copyid=BA8AFE1F-8318-4F00-BAA1-9B76BDAC1EC2

Oberstar transportation bill moves ahead

U.S. Rep. Jim Oberstar refuses to give in to a popular president’s pressure to delay a new federal transportation funding plan. “We intend to move this bill forward, this administration not withstanding,” a determined Oberstar said Wednesday as congressional committee work began on a $500 billion, six-year transportation funding plan that would mean more money to rebuild highways, expand transit programs and build high-speed passenger rail lines.

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More at DailyGlobe

http://www.dglobe.com/event/article/id/24177/

A look at Metro's safety systems

Monday's Red Line crash is a horrible reminder that sometimes things go badly wrong. By all accounts, this collision should not have happened. Not only are safety features present, but the train operator should have been able to hit the emergency stop in case the system failed. It's far too early to speculate on the cause of the collision at this time. However, those familiar with the system already suspect that something went wrong in Metro's signaling system that allowed these trains to approach and collide. With that in mind, let's take a look at how Metro's safety systems are supposed to work.

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More at Greater Greater Washington

http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post.cgi?id=2695

Runoff temporarily stops some work on HOT lanes

Wet weather is preventing work on some sections of the Capital Beltway's High Occupancy Toll lane project. Eroding soil is washing into nearby streams that empty in Potomac River waterways. Runoff is one of the biggest concerns in the Chesapeake Bay watershed because too much nitrogen kills bay life.

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More at WTOP

http://www.wtop.com/?nid=25&sid=1703532

UMD Transportation Technology Helped During Deadly Metro Collision

Because of technology developed at the University of Maryland, one local group was able to communicate with different transportation agencies almost immediately following a deadly collision on Metro's red line.

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More at News Channel 8

http://www.news8.net/news/stories/0609/634529.html

Address Highway Trust Fund shortfall quickly, governors urge Congress

The nation's governors have called on Congress to address the impending funding shortfall of the Highway Account of the Highway Trust Fund (HTF) as soon as possible.

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More at the Trucker.Com

http://www.thetrucker.com/News/Stories/2009/6/22/AddressHighwayTrustFundshortfallquicklygovernorsurgeCongress.aspx

VDOT starts stimulus

Federal highway stimulus funds went to work in Virginia yesterday. A Virginia Department of Transportation contractor began installing guardrails along U.S. 460 in Dinwiddie County. It is the first highway project using some of the state's $694.5 million in federal economic stimulus money.

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More at Richmond Times-Dispatch

http://www.timesdispatch.com/rtd/business/transportation/article/B-VDOT23_20090622-212202/275483/

Richmond, Va. and Intergraph First to Automate Security Alarm 9-1-1 Calls

The City of Richmond, Va. and Intergraph are the first to automate the transmission of security alarm alerts directly to the appropriate public safety answering point's (PSAP) Computer-Aided Dispatch (CAD) system and reduce response time by at least two to three minutes, saving precious time and lives.

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More at LBSZone.Com

http://www.lbszone.com/content/view/5144/2/

Fairfax supervisors brace for Dulles Rail change orders

Fairfax County supervisors said Monday they would closely monitor changes to the Dulles Rail Project, reacting to rumblings that costly alterations could be on the way for the multibillion-dollar Metro line. The Board of Supervisors, despite being in the dark about specifics, told its auditor to track change orders to the contract that could put county taxpayers on the hook for additional costs.

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More at DC Examiner

http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/local/Fairfax-supervisors-brace-for-Dulles-Rail-change-orders-48810447.html

The deadline to apply for the TIGER grants (Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery) is Sept. 15.

Grants will be awarded on a competitive basis to projects that have "a significant impact on the nation, a region or metropolitan area and can create jobs and benefit economically distressed areas," according to USDOT. Primary criteria includes contributions to the medium- to long-term economic competitiveness of the nation; improving the condition of existing transportation facilities and systems; improvements to the quality of living and working environments through livable communities; energy efficiency and greenhouse gas emission reductions; and improving the safety of U.S. transportation facilities.

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More at USDOT

http://www.dot.gov/recovery/

Metro Brings Back Tracking System For Phone and Web

Metro is relaunching a long-awaited real-time bus arrival system that is supposed to tell riders when the next Metrobus will arrive at their stop. The system could make the area's largest regional bus service a more viable option for thousands of people who now shun it because of its unreliability.

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More at The Washington Post

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/06/20/AR2009062000970.html

"Priority bus" a valuable part of the transit mix when done right

Regional planners have been focusing their efforts recently on improving transit by creating better and faster bus service. Metro is working hard to develop "priority bus corridors," with express buses that run more often, more quickly, and more reliably than existing service.

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More at Greater Greater Washington

http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post.cgi?id=2652

Norwegian Company Unveils New Visual & Collaborative Tech Center in Washington, D.C. Region

Some of the most cutting-edge display technologies aren't found in movie theatres, but those used behind closed doors in military and intelligence command centers, where massive walls of ultra-high resolution images and data feeds are seamlessly blended and controlled for joint-warfare training, surveillance, and simulation.

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More at Fox Business

http://www.foxbusiness.com/story/markets/industries/industrials/norwegian-company-unveils-new-visual--collaborative-tech-center-washington-dc/

ITS America Announces 2009 ITS Hall of Fame Inductees

The Intelligent Transportation Society of America (ITS America) announced the inductees into the 2009 class of ITS Hall of Fame recently during a special ceremony of the ITS America Annual Meeting & Exposition held in National Harbor, Maryland.

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More at ITS America

http://www.itsa.org/press_release_content/c215_d2967/News.html

ITS America’s “Transportation Management Center of the Future” Now Available on DVD

Brought to you by the Intelligent Transportation Society of America (ITS America) and seen at the 15th World Congress on Intelligent Transport Systems, the “Transportation Management Center of the Future” was a 3,200 square foot exhibition that showcased the integration of active probe data into the most advanced applications of Transportation Management Center (TMC) systems. This one-of-a-kind exhibition is now available as a 45-minute DVD.

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More at ITS America

http://www.itsa.org/press_release_content/c215_d2968/News.html

LaHood: "Let's face reality on the Highway Trust Fund, not rush comprehensive legislation"

Yesterday and today, I briefed members of Congress on the Highway Trust Fund situation and proposed an immediate 18-month highway reauthorization that will replenish the Fund. This is an unusual step, I know. But, with the Fund likely to run out of money by late August, it's a little too late to worry about business as usual.

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More at The Fast Lane

http://fastlane.dot.gov/2009/06/lets-face-reality-on-the-highway-trust-fund.html

Va. obligates 50 percent of highway stimulus funding

Virginia has obligated half of its discretionary federal transportation stimulus funding. The Federal Highway Administration has accepted the state's list of $287 million in highway and transit projects proposed for stimulus funding, the Virginia Department of Transportation said yesterday.

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More at Richmond Times-Dispatch

http://www.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/state_regional/article/B-VDOT18_20090617-215803/274482/

US Senators Criticize White House On Highway Funding

U.S. senators criticized the Obama administration Thursday for failing to produce a plan to close a growing gap between highway-construction spending and revenue. At issue is the rapidly declining health of the Transportation Department's Highway Trust Fund, the main source of financing for road and bridge construction.

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More at The Wall Street Journal

http://online.wsj.com/article/BT-CO-20090618-709389.html

Hurricane simulation tests National Guard's skills

About 500 Virginia National Guard soldiers, airmen, and members of the Virginia Defense Force are testing their skills this week in a hurricane simulation at the State Military Reservation in Virginia Beach to see how prepared they would be if a major hurricane hit Hampton Roads.

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More at PilotOnline

http://hamptonroads.com/2009/06/hurricane-simulation-tests-va-national-guards-skills

Board Makes $538 Million In Va. Road Cuts Official

A Commonwealth Transportation Board vote has officially pared $538 million from the state highway system's six-year spending plan. The board that has final say on which road, rail, transit and related projects get funded raced through its long agenda Thursday with little debate.

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More at WJZ 13

http://wjz.com/wireapnewsfnva/Commonwealth.Transportation.Board.2.1050750.html

LaHood Offers Plan to Fund Highway Programs

The plan, described by Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood in private meetings with lawmakers, undercuts efforts by Rep. James Oberstar, the chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, to get a six-year, $450 billion transportation bill approved this year.

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More at GovCentral

http://www.govcentral.com/news/articles/11294-lahood-offers-plan-to-fund-highway-programs

Transportation panel unhappy with new highway cuts

The panel that authorizes transportation projects braced itself to slash road projects by $538 million Thursday - poised to go even deeper if highway revenues continue to recede. The cuts are the latest retrenchment for the Virginia Department of Transportation's troubled six-year program, leaving few resources for much beyond highway maintenance through 2015.

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More at WTOP

http://www.wtop.com/?nid=25&sid=1698907

Regional board to vote on Purple Line plans

A board of the region’s key transportation leaders is slated to vote today on whether to add the proposed Purple Line to the region’s long-term plans, prompting a renewed push from opponents trying to stop the project.

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More at DC Examiner

http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/local/Regional-board-to-vote-on-Purple-Line-plans_06_17-48201762.html

Dulles Rail focus turns to Herndon

Supporters of extending Metro to Washington Dulles International Airport have turned their attention to Herndon’s Town Council, a panel that must approve part of the 23-mile rail’s funding.

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More at The DC Examiner

http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/local/Dulles-Rail-focus-turns-to-Herndon-48204477.html

“Virginia’s Unbuilt Road To Progress” Op-Ed by Governor Tim Kaine

When I ran for governor, I told Virginians that I wanted to find transportation solutions -- more road, rail and public transit options and better linkages between land use and transportation planning. In my last months in office, I am doing what I hoped to be doing -- attending ribbon cuttings and unveiling contracts for transit systems, bridge replacements and expanded Amtrak service. Yet these announcements are quite different from how I envisioned them. The difference between the plan and the reality tells an interesting story about transportation today and points out sizable continuing challenges for the commonwealth.

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More at The Washington Post

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/06/13/AR2009061301827_pf.html

Red Light Camera Program Returns to Virginia

Red light cameras have returned to Northern Virginia. The city of Alexandria announced for the first time yesterday that a private company has re-installed cameras at three intersections with citations going out on July 15. Until now, the city has been quiet about the revived program, hoping to avoid a public discussion of the controversy over accidents that persuaded the legislature to shut down the program in 2005.

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More at The Newspaper.Com

http://www.thenewspaper.com/news/28/2810.asp

Va. Is Last State to Request Stimulus Funds for Roads

For a state that has struggled for years to find road and transit money, Virginia would seem the least likely candidate to be the last one to ask for federal stimulus money for transportation. But state officials started submitting lists of shovel-ready projects to the federal government last month after the other 49 states had. The final list will be sent Thursday.

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More at the Washington Post

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/06/16/AR2009061603086.html

Virginia CIO Lem Stewart Fired

Lemuel Stewart, CIO of Virginia, who helped shepherd the largest state IT outsourcing contract, was fired yesterday. Stewart was fired from his position as director of the Virginia Information Technologies Agency (VITA) by its oversight panel after he questioned a multimillion dollar invoice from Northrop Grumman.

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More at GovernmentTechnology

http://www.govtech.com/gt/articles/695208

"We're building a foundation for a new transportation system in America"--the view from VP Biden's Road to Recovery

Today is Day 2 of my ride on Vice President Biden's "Road to Recovery" tour. Yesterday, with Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, Pennsylvania's Gov. Ed Rendell and Sen. Arlen Specter, we visited a bridge project in Carlisle, PA.

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More at The Fast Lane

http://fastlane.dot.gov/2009/06/were-building-a-foundation-for-a-new-transportation-system-in-americathe-view-from-vp-bidens-road-to.html

Norfolk Airport accepts contactless payment for parking

Norfolk International Airport (VA) now accepts contactless payment for its 7,200 parking spaces. “After long flights, passengers are eager to get to their final destinations,” said Wayne E. Shank, deputy executive director of the airport.

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More at The Transit Wire

http://www.thetransitwire.com/2009/06/11/norfolk-airport-accepts-contactless-payment-for-parking/

An expansion of toll lanes not coming soon in Md.

High Occupancy Toll lanes are being built from the Springfield Interchange to the area near the Dulles Toll Road on Virginia's side of the Capital Beltway. So why not extend those HOT lanes across the American Legion Bridge and into Montgomery County? Phil Andrews, the current county council president, is throwing cold water on that idea.

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More at WTOP

http://www.wtopnews.com/?nid=30&sid=1692707

Groups prepare lawsuit over Metrorail project

Tysons Tunnel Inc. and Sierra Club -- an environmental group with deep pockets -- are planning to file a lawsuit in regard to tunneling the Dulles Metro project under Tysons Corner.

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More at Washington Businesss Journal

http://www.bizjournals.com/washington/stories/2009/06/08/daily95.html

Zipcar: Making It Even Easier To Go Car-Free

From San Francisco this week came good news for area Zipcar members: Apple's Worldwide Developers' Conference was where Zipcar announced it would be introducing an application for iPhones that allows all Zipcar members to do all sorts of cool things.

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More at CommuterPage

http://www.commuterpageblog.com/2009/06/zipcar-making-it-even-easier-to-go-carfree.html

Transportation officials scramble after museum shooting

The ensuing investigation into the shooting closed the northbound lanes of the 14th Street Bridge, prompting Virginia transportation officials to try to keep drivers away from downtown Washington. “They’ve asked us to help divert traffic away from the city,” said Virginia Department of Transportation spokeswoman Jennifer McCord. VDOT used overhead message signs on Interstate 95 to tell drivers to use the Beltway, instead of I-395.

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More at Inside NoVa

http://www.insidenova.com/isn/news/local/traffic/article/transportation_officials_scramble_after_museum_shooting/37230/

Latest Update and Annual Report from PATH

More at:
http://www.path.berkeley.edu/PATH/Publications/Annual_Reports/Default.htm