Transportation and Infrastructure

2011 Digital Counties Survey Winners Announced

July 12, 2011 - The 2011 Digital Counties Survey winners include Palm Beach County, Fla.; Washoe County, Nev.; Pueblo County, Colo. and Nevada County, Calif.

The Science of Certain Things

July 7, 2011 - Turn your iPhone into a microscope for about $10. New York City taxicab extreme makeover. The bedbug detective is an electronic nose for detecting the critters.

Comparing the Next Generation of Police Cars

July 6, 2011 - As Ford’s Crown Victoria drives into the sunset, a new generation of police vehicles will vie for market dominance.

QR Codes Aim to Curb Drunken Driving in Texas

July 6, 2011 - Texas anti drunken-driving campaign used QR codes to help drinkers think before getting behind the wheel.

Feds Begin Sharing Secret Cyber-Threat Data With Private Companies

June 22, 2011 - The Defense Industrial Base Cyber Pilot is sharing secret threat data with selected corporations and partner Internet service providers to improve the nation’s security posture.

Airline Emergency Communication Goes Wi-Fi

June 9, 2011 - Aircraft can now send and exchange text-based messages across a secure network in the event radio communications are down, or if there is trouble contacting the ground.

Report: California Mulls a ‘Department of High-Speed Trains’

June 3, 2011 - State legislation comes in the wake of a nonpartisan audit that found “significant inadequacies in the management practices” overseeing California’s multibillion dollar high-speed rail effort.

IT Trends: Robot Insects, Movement-Powered Nanogenerators

June 1, 2011 - Microbes that could drive down biofuel costs.

Digital Cameras and Bluetooth Ease Travel Through Houston Airports

May 31, 2011 - Modern technology may help the Houston Airport System take some hassle out of air travel.

Boston Area Trains to Save Fuel and Cut Pollution

May 27, 2011 - The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority beefs up its rail fleet with energy-efficient locomotives.

Florida’s High-Speed Rail Money Sent to 15 States and Amtrak

May 9, 2011 - The $2.02 billion is a portion of the $2.4 billion returned by Florida Gov. Rick Scott that was originally slated for a proposed high-speed rail line between Tampa and Orlando.

Can Cycling Route Data Improve Transportation Projects?

May 6, 2011 - With the CycleTracks app, the Association of Monterey Bay Area Governments wants bicyclists’ routes that the counties intend to use for planning purposes.

The Power Grid Brings Cyber-Security Concerns

April 28, 2011 - More control over the power grid means more efficiency for consumers and the electric industry, but also more vulnerabilities.

Public Safety Agencies Are in Hot Pursuit of 4G Infrastructure

April 18, 2011 - Bandwidth-hungry data applications for public safety make better networks a necessity.

California Aims to Improve Predictions for Traffic Jams

April 14, 2011 - Caltrans, UC Berkeley and IBM hope to improve the reliability of estimated commute times, and give drivers personalized travel recommendations that save time and fuel.

Can Wind and Solar Energy Power Traffic Lights?

April 12, 2011 - A University of Nebraska-Lincoln research program is trying to build a smart grid of renewable energy capable of reliably powering traffic signals.

Amtrak and 24 States Vie for Florida’s High-Speed Rail Funds

April 6, 2011 - The $2.4 billion was made available after Fla. Gov. Rick Scott rejected the federal funding for a proposed high-speed rail line between Tampa and Orlando.

Chicago Combines Vehicle-Sharing Program with Existing Fleet

April 6, 2011 - Chicago, Washington, D.C., and New York City are using a vehicle-sharing company called Zipcar to lower costs and get more environmentally friendly.

Hybrid Garbage Trucks Saving Miami-Dade Big Money

April 5, 2011 - How “hydraulic hybrid” technology in garbage trucks could someday save municipalities like Miami-Dade County, Fla., millions of dollars.

NYC BigApps 2.0 Winners Announced

April 1, 2011 - Automobile manufacturer BMW surprisingly doubled NYC BigApps 2.0 contest prize money.