SPECIAL...........................................................................................................................3

Charter for Transit Rail Advisory Committee for Safety...........................................3

U.S. Department of Transportation Motorcoach Safety Action Plan.........................3

U.S. Seeking to Set Transit Safety Rules....................................................................3

RESEARCH IN PROGRESS.............................................................................................4

Advanced Technology Bus Rapid Transit..................................................................4

Travel Management Coordination Center...................................................................4

The Center for Transportation and the Environment..................................................5

FEDERAL RESEARCH PUBLICATIONS......................................................................6

Catalog of 2010 Practice-Ready Papers......................................................................6

Detection of Radioactivity in Transit Stations—Phase 2...........................................6

FRA Research Results................................................................................................6

Extra—Easter Seals Project ACTION Monthly Electronic Newsletter......................7

Guidebook for Rural Demand-Response Transportation: Measuring, Assessing, and Improving Performance.........................................................................................7

Guidelines for Rail Base Inspection and Rail Condemnation Limits for Corrosion-Induced Material Loss............................................................................................7

Federal Project Approval Process Remains a Barrier to Greater Private Sector Role and DOT Could Enhance Efforts to Assist Project Sponsors................................8

RECOVERY.......................................................................................................................8

A Day in the Life of a Recovery Act Transit Grant....................................................8

BART Considers Stimulus Funds to Avoid Layoffs..................................................8

Hybrid Metro Mobility Buses Hit the Road in Minnesota..........................................8

Transit, Road Contractors Expect less Business in 2010, Coalition Poll Shows........9

ENERGY & CLIMATE CHANGE....................................................................................9

Transportation Research Program for Mitigating and Adapting to Climate Change and Conserving Energy..........................................................................................9

Santiago, Chile Installs Green Walls in Subway Stations..........................................9

SAFETY AND SECURITY..............................................................................................10

Security 101: A Physical Security Primer for Transportation Agencies—Surface Transportation Security Volume 14, NCHRP Report 525...................................10

NTSB Issues Safety Recommendations....................................................................10

Obama Administration Proposes Seatbelts, Other Safety Measures for Long Distance Buses.....................................................................................................10

UNIVERSITY RESEARCH.............................................................................................11

Financing Tools and Partnerships for Rural, Semi-Urban Transportation Projects.11

Integrated Vehicle-Based Safety Systems Third Annual Report..............................11

Personal Rapid Transit: Winona is Ready................................................................11

University of Delaware Adds Hydrogen Bus to Fleet..............................................12

INTERNATIONAL..........................................................................................................12

Developing Countries 2009......................................................................................12

Indian Bus Rapid Transit Systems Funded by the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission..................................................................................................12

Towards Sustainable Production and Use of Resources: Assessing Biofuels..........13

Transportation Research Program Administration in Europe and Asia....................13

Visit by a Delegation from Uzbekistan.....................................................................13

RESEARCH NEWS & RESOURCES.............................................................................14

Federal Government Suggest U.S. Control of Subway and Light-Rail Safety Rules14

Associated Press Poll: Sometimes It Isn’t Easy Being Green..................................14

Bay Area Burden: Examining the Impacts and Hidden Costs of Housing and Transportation......................................................................................................14

CTA Fare Deal Gets Final Approval........................................................................14

DC Metro Wrestles with Growing Suicide Problem................................................15

Early Estimates of Motor Vehicle Traffic Fatalities for the First Half of 2009........15

Easter Seals Project ACTION and the Pedestrian and Bicycle Information Center Host Free Webinar–Wednesday, December 9, 2009...........................................15

Feds to Check if BART Service and Fares Amounts to Bias...................................16

Florida Think Tank Rejects Rail...............................................................................16

Has Enforcement been the Missing Piece?...............................................................16

Indiana DOT Launches Statewide Traveler Website................................................16

Landscapes on the Edge: New Horizons for Research on Earth’s Surface..............16

Muni Ride is Like Being at Work for Prison Guard.................................................17

Stranded at the Station: Impact of the Financial Crisis in Public Transportation.....17

Three Arrested at Inspection Station Linked to Sherman Bus Crash.......................17

Transit Use is Growing, but Not Where You Think.................................................18

TR News September-October 2009: Demographic Changes Driving Change: Ensuring Mobility for All—Safely, Efficiently, Equitably..................................18