DOT 8-08
Friday, January 18, 2008

News Digest

DOT Cautions Consumers on Super Bowl Air Travel Ticket Scams.  Air travelers going to Super Bowl XLII this year should be aware that not all tour packages include a ticket to the Feb. 3 game in Phoenix.  U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) consumer protection rules require any operator marketing a Super Bowl air package that is promoted as including game tickets to have the tickets in hand or have a written contract for the tickets before the operator does any advertising.  The Department cautions travelers that if a game ticket is not specifically mentioned in advertisements or other solicitation material or listed as a tour feature, the ticket is probably not included.  DOT’s rules state that if a tour was described as including a game ticket and you do not receive one, you are entitled to a full refund of the entire package price upon your return.  People may file complaints about Super Bowl tours that advertise tickets but do not provide them by contacting the Aviation Consumer Protection Division online at http://airconsumer.ost.dot.gov, by voice-mail at (202) 366-2220 or by TTY at (202) 366-0511.  Media Contact: Bill Mosley, (202) 366-4570.

Department of Transportation Releases Vision to Guide Research and Investment Decisions Toward Safe, Reliable and Efficient National Transportation System. The U.S. Department of Transportation's Research and Innovative Technology Administration (RITA) released Transportation Vision for 2030, designed to guide the Department’s research, technology and investment decisions in order to improve safety and system performance and find 21st-century solutions to the challenges facing the nation's intermodal transportation system.  Transportation Vision for 2030 details current challenges in passenger and freight transportation, such as record-level gridlock at our nation's airports and seaports and on our highways.  It also points out flaws in the current system of transportation financing and the need to improve the use of technology.  The document then outlines the Department's "pathway" to addressing these challenges, such as safety-oriented technology programs, congestion-reducing technologies and pricing models, increased energy efficiency and  alternative fuels, and public-private partnerships.  Transportation Vision for 2030 is available online at http://www.rita.dot.gov/publications/transportation_vision_2030/.  Contact: Kim Riddle, (202) 366-5128.

U.S. Department of Transportation Announces Partnerships to Advance America’s Next Emergency 9-1-1 System.  Call takers and dispatchers at 9-1-1 Centers will be able to send and receive digital pictures and video, email and text messages, and other modern communications from computers and handheld devices instead of relying solely on the traditional 9-1-1 telephone calls under a 9-1-1 network model currently being developed by the U.S. Department of Transportation.  The Department’s Research and Innovative Technology Administration today announced the selection of five partnership sites that will test its Next Generation 9-1-1 (NG-911) network prototype:  Helena, MT; Rochester, NY; Seattle, WA; St. Paul, MN; and the state of Indiana.  The demonstrations are expected to begin in April 2008.  Contact: Kim Riddle, (202) 366-5128.

-END-