Getting Around: Signaling systems, 3G, and airport solutions

A summary of some of the Shanghai public-transportation-related stories making the news lately:

• An intelligent, wireless signaling and control system already successfully implemented on Lines 6, 8 and 9 will be used for all new lines built between now and the World Expo in 2010, theoretically cutting the lowest time between trains to 90 seconds.
• According to news reports, the new 3G cellphone network being rolled out in Shanghai has complete coverage on all metro lines and at the city's airports.
• The airport authority and police have printed up brochures explaining in Chinese and English what is allowed and not allowed to be brought onto airplanes under the new rules limiting gels and liquids in unchecked baggage.
• The average bid for a license plate at March's auction rose to RMB 32,169, disappointing many car owners who expected a price nearer to the record low seen in January. A total of 63,534 bidders attended the auction, a six-fold increase over the average past attendance.
• On Monday and Tuesday of this week the Shanghai Airport Authority hosted over 400 global airport and aviation executives at the Airport Service Quality & Facilitation Conference. The goal of the conference was to generate ideas on improving the airport experience in the face of growing security demands like the one mentioned above.

Cross-posted to the Shanghai Public Transportation weblog.