December 2008

CTA revamps website

December 18, 2008

The Chicago Transit Authority unveiled a redesigned website for www.transitchicago.com on Monday.  The updated site’s interactive features include real-time service alerts, bus trackers, and the Google Transit trip planner.  Users can sign up for service alerts via email or RSS feed.  The new site follows web standards and accessibility guidelines.  Link to the CTA website.

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Los Angeles ready to launch contactless cards

December 17, 2008

The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (LACMTA) will roll out the contactless Transit Access Pass (TAP)  in January 2009.  TAP cards will be valid on all transit services in Los Angeles County, including buses, Metro Rail, and Metrolink commuter rail.  The system coincides with a new gating system for Metro Rail, which currently has [...]

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Learning from locusts: Volvo sets collision-avoidance goal

December 16, 2008

Volvo has set an ambitious safety goal: No motorist will die in a Volvo crash after 2020.  As a first step, the manufacturer is unveiling a low-speed braking system next year.  Called City Safety, the system is designed to reduce collisions at less than 18 mph by automatically applying the brakes if the driver does [...]

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Connecticut funds computerized signal system for commuter rail

December 15, 2008

The State of Connecticut approved a $2.5 million in state funding to support a centralized traffic control signal system for the commuter rail serving the Danbury to Norwalk corridor. “This is the only rail line in America where a trainman still has to get off the train and manually pull a switch in order for [...]

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Paying the ferryman (via RFID)

December 12, 2008

A pilot program for the Finnish Road Authority uses RFID tags to streamline traffic on a car ferry system. A priority lane, offered for authorized users, has been subject to misuse.

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How-to video for Portland commuters

December 12, 2008

TriMet says its Transit Tracker GPS-tracking system gets more than one million calls each month. So to make it easier for commuters to understand how they can get the whereabouts of the next bus or MAX train on their cell phone while waiting on the stop, the Hard Drive commuting blog presents a how-to video. Read more and [...]

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Bell ID brings NFC to the masses

December 11, 2008

“Smart card management company Bell ID, The Netherlands, has launched a mobile pilot program that can help companies migrate to NFC…The solution can be of particular interest to banks, mobile network operators, transport operators, merchants and organizations interested in loading applications to NFC enabled phones.” Read the full story in NFCNews.

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EPA goes mobile

December 10, 2008

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency launched a new website designed specifically for cell phone users.  EPA Mobile is designed to load quickly on small screens and includes EPA contact information, press releases, environmental information by ZIP code, EPA’s blog, and links to other government websites.  Read EPA’s press release.

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New technology for paying tolls

December 10, 2008

Four transportation authorities around the U.S. will use Radio Frequency Identification Technology (RFID)-enabled windshield stickers. The RFID-enabled stickers take the place of bulkier hard case tags used in applications such as open-road tolling. The system is also being used experimentally in a number of advanced traffic management applications, including high-occupancy tolling lanes, congestion pricing and [...]

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War gaming offers agencies methodology for assessing risk

December 9, 2008

“Civilian agencies should take cues from the military and use war game tactics to identify risks and assess recovery plans in case of emergency, whether a cyberattack or environmental disaster, said an author who specializes in the market. War gaming methodologies that test an organization’s ability to react to unforeseen threats traditionally have been reserved [...]

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