Transportation and Infrastructure

DC Features

• Broadband Stimulus: Economic Crisis Drives New Thinking
  With $7.1 billion in broadband stimulus funds on the way, the debate continues over how to build out the nation's broadband infrastructure.
  
• Wireless Sensors May Help Governments Monitor Health of Aging Infrastructure
  Minneapolis bridge collapse spurs monitoring innovations.
• The Future of Our Highways - Vehicles That Communicate
  In the wake of the Minnesota tragedy, transportation departments are talking about using electronic monitoring to test the structural integrity of bridges. Funding for that could be tied in to funds for a smart-highway network.
• The Different Flavors of Muni Wi-Fi
  As citywide Wi-Fi initiatives spread like wildfire, local governments choose from the expanding crop of business models in moving forward with adoption.
• Toward a Wireless World
  A look at wireless trends and innovations in local governments by the staff of Government Technology magazine in association with the Center for Digital Government.
• Wireless Nanotech Sensors Could Reduce Power Blackouts
  Engineers at the University at Buffalo 's Energy Systems Institute believe wireless nanosensors could be economically used to monitor power usage to improve the response of power systems during catastrophic or extreme events.
• The Vital Role of Local Governments in Wireless Broadband
  An excerpt from a strategy paper published by The Center for Digital Government, entitled Building the Untethered Nation II: Understanding the Vital Role of Local Governments in Wireless Broadband Implementations.
• Corpus Christi Continues To Lead
  While there may be other higher profile Wi-Fi initiatives, such as Philadelphia or San Francisco, Corpus Christi nevertheless continues to lead in the Wi-Fi arena.
• Phoenix Takes a Cautious Approach to New Wireless Projects
  Kristine Sigfridson, Acting CIO, City of Phoenix, talks about that city's perspective and the pilot Wi-Fi programs they have launched despite concerns.
• Oregon Experiments With Mile Fee In Place of Gas Tax
  With its gas tax stagnant, the state is experimenting with a 'virtual tollway' that includes a fee per mile.

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DC US News

• NGA Urges Passage of PASS ID, 36 States Unable to Meet REAL ID Deadlines
  PASS ID offers a "practical solution" to REAL ID and "enjoys bipartisan support and the endorsement of the U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security."
  
• New York City to Install Radar for Coordinated Traffic Control
  For some 200 intersections in four different boroughs as part of a NYC Transportation Department traffic coordination program.
  
• Obama Administration to Propose Federal Takeover of Light-Rail, Subway Safety
  State control "haphazard and ineffective," following recent "collisions, derailments and worker fatalities."
  
• Rhode Island Governor Vetoes RFID Privacy Bill
  Restricted use of RFID capabilities to track children and motorists without a warrant.
  
• $151 Million Awarded for Energy Research Projects
  "Pie in the sky mad science" to "so crazy it just might work."
  
• Technology Improves Boston Traffic Management
  Accomplished using the city's recently deployed fiber-optic network, originally built for the purpose of better connecting city facilities.
  
• New Smart Grid Documents Include Call for Governing Board Nominations
  The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has posted three documents related to the Smart Grid, the next-generation electricity network for U.S. power distribution.
  

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DC International News

• Ice Shelves Disappearing on Antarctic Peninsula
  This could result in glacier retreat and sea-level rise if warming continues, threatening coastal communities and low-lying islands worldwide.
  
• Converted Shipping Containers Could Provide Emergency Housing in Haiti
  Resources to solve the housing crisis in Haiti may already be on hand.
  
• Innovation News Briefs
  Assistive robot, solar-powered monorail, universal chargers fit all phones, high-altitude wind generation, from bus to bus shelter, solar car race across Australia.
  
• Taxi Drivers Watch Television Behind the Wheel
  Digital Media Broadcasting (DMB) beams television to more than 17 million mobile screens including those on the dashboards of taxis.
  
• Electric Vehicle Batteries Could Reduce Household Peak Power Demand
  Vehicle-to-home is a simple first step toward a mass vehicle-to-grid system.
  
• How Smart is Your Car? EU Mandates Transportation Communication Standards
  Interoperability among European systems.
  
• Rising Sea Levels Increase the Risk of Flooding Along the South Coast of England
  A new study by researchers at the University of Southampton has found that sea levels have been rising across the south coast of England over the past century, substantially increasing the risk of flooding during storms.
  

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