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Systems Incorporated Website. ITS Canada
is organizing several export missions to assist members in increasing
opportunities their marketing opportunities abroad. Members are encouraged
to participate. Our delegates have just returned from a successful mission
to Malaysia (more details will be provided in our next issue.) Please
contact us to express your interest in any of these opportunities via
e-mail to askus@itscanada.ca,
and we will ensure your organization is kept fully apprised as details
are finalized. Santiago,
Chile – September 5 and 6, 2002 The First
Chilean Congress of Intelligent Transportation Systems is being
organized by ITS Chile. Joseph Lam, Chairman of ITS Canada, has been
invited to speak at the opening Plenary Session on behalf of ITS Canada.
The two-day conference will feature the inauguration of ITS Chile as
well as a large number of international speakers. Beijing,
China – September 9 to 13, 2002 This mission
will coincide with the 2nd Beijing International Exhibition &
Seminar on Intelligent Transport Systems, to be held September 10
to 13. ITS Canada is planning a booth at the exhibition. Canada has
been invited to speak at the Opening Session, and ITS Canada will hold
a Canadian Showcase to be titled "Canadian ITS Architecture and
Traffic Management Technologies." The Deputy Minister of the Ministère
des Transports du Québec has been invited to give the opening
speech at the showcase, and there is provision for up to six ITS Canada
members to present (20 minutes each), providing a great marketing opportunity.
If time permits, a reception is also planned at the Canadian Embassy.
For more information regarding the conference, please visit www.ITSevent.com. Hong Kong
– September 16 and 17, 2002 Immediately
following the mission to Beijing, ITS Canada is planning a stop-over
in Hong Kong, which will include an ITS workshop with a briefing on
upcoming ITS projects in Hong Kong by officials from the HKSAR Government,
a meeting with ITS Hong Kong to encourage a closer association between
ITS HK and ITS Canada with a goal of developing an ITS showcase in South
China, as well as meetings with public transport companies in Hong Kong
who are interested in fleet management systems. ITS Canada members are
welcome to participate in this leg of the mission separately if you
are not pursuing the Beijing market. See the article on Page 3 for more
information about Hong Kong. Dublin,
Ireland – Week of November 4, 2002 Dublin City
Council, in association with the Department of Local Government and
the Environment, the Department of Public Enterprise, the National Roads
Authority, and Trinity College Dublin, is organizing an ITS Conference
to be held November 5 and 6, 2002, in Dublin, Ireland. Joseph Lam, Chairman
of ITS Canada, will provide a keynote address. Exhibition opportunities
are available at ITS Canada’s booth for members who are interested
in the emerging ITS market in Ireland. 9th World
Congress/Chicago, Illinois – Week of October 14, 2002 ITS Canada
has arranged for a booth in the exhibit hall for the 9th World Congress
on Intelligent Transport Systems, and we are looking forward to
presenting a coordinated front along with our members in the Canadian
ITS industry and the Ontario Ministry of Transportation. The goal is
to present a booth with a high level of quality and a positive image
that will assist our members at the event. It is understood that some
organizations will have their own booth, and ITS Canada expects to direct
interested parties from our booth to members' booths as appropriate.
Other organizations may be interested in participating in ITS Canada's
booth. A reception or similar hospitality event is being organized to
allow our members to network with Congress attendees from around the
world. ITS Canada is also pleased to offer travel scholarships
to members in the public sector to attend the 9th World Congress. For
information on the event, visit www.itsa.org. Brazil –
Week of November 25 (date tentative) Continuing
volatility in the Brazilian economy is balanced by significant opportunity
for ITS industry participants, as it is understood that most ITS devices
and equipment are generally not available in Brazil. Brazil’s road
improvement program under the privatization scheme will continue to
offer excellent opportunities for Canadian companies. ITS Canada is
working with the Canadian Consulate to develop details for this mission. Birmingham,
England – Week of April 7, 2003 ITS Canada
is partnering with ITS UK to assist in organizing an international conference,
"Smart Moving," with an exhibition that will coincide with
Traffex 2003. A special Canadian "national session" is being
considered which would allow Canada to present our projects and technologies.
The overall theme of the event is "Applying new technologies for
urban and regional travel and transport around the world." The
event will consider Smart Roads, Smart Vehicles, Smart Travellers, Smart
Ticketing and Payment, and Smart Freight. For event details, contact
congress2003@its-focus.org.uk. ITS Canada’s Standards
Committee convened a workshop on August 8, 2002, at the offices of
IBI Group in Toronto. The event was well attended by members
of ITS Canada and interested professionals who participated in
the event either in person in Toronto or via a teleconference service. The purpose
of the workshop was to review preliminary plans for ITS standards
development and deployment activities in Canada from 2002 to 2005,
and to recommend priorities and program enhancements. A report
on the results of the meeting will be included in ITS Canada’s
September newsletter. More information is also available through ITS
Canada’s web site. Speakers
at the ITS Canada’s Standards Workshop Provided
by Endy Chung, Commercial Officer The rapid advances of technology
since the early 1990s have provided vast opportunities for innovation
in traffic management and improvement in transportation services in
Hong Kong, maximizing the utilization of limited road space. As a
result, ITS is widely used in Hong Kong. The emphasis on ITS deployment
has been shifted from single-purpose systems to integration of systems,
functions and services. In May 2000,
the HKSAR Government's Transport Department initiated an in-house
ITS Strategy Review Study to develop a strategy and a long-term deployment
plan for ITS applications. The study examined the technical, administrative
and financial requirements of implementing an ITS Strategy in Hong
Kong to ensure that different systems developed under the Strategy
are compatible and coordinated, and that seamless integrated services
can be provided to all road users effectively and efficiently. An ITS framework
has now been drawn up, with reference to overseas experience. The
framework defines the relationships and interaction of various components
in ITS systems and services, to achieve optimum deployment of the
selected ITS applications. The framework is functional and service
driven, instead of technology driven. ITS Strategy
for 2001–2010 Under the
Review Study, a strategy has been formulated to identify core projects
to be implemented by the HKSAR Government. For 2001 to 2010, the review
recommends an ITS Strategy which focuses on three main initiatives: 1. A Smart
Way to Travel A Transport
Information System (TIS) serving as a centralized data warehouse will
be set up by the end of 2003. Adopting spatial information and web-based
technologies, TIS supports real-time updating and retrieval of transport
and traffic information, which will be available through the internet
to the general public and to government agencies for planning and
management of their transport-related operations. Transport operators
(e.g., bus companies) would also be able to gain access to TIS and
hence adjust their operation to cope with changes in traffic conditions.
Personalized location-based services on traffic information (such
as car navigation), commercial services (such as fleet management),
and logistic services by Value Added Service Providers may also be
developed with the information from TIS. 2.
A Smart Way for Safety and Efficiency In Hong Kong,
traffic is managed and monitored by Area Traffic Control (ATC) Systems
that centrally coordinate computerized traffic signals on an area-wide
basis in the urban area and in some new towns, and by Traffic Control
and Surveillance (TCS) facilities which include closed circuit television
cameras, variable message signs and lane control signals on expressways.
The priority is to have comprehensive traffic control and surveillance
coverage over the territory and to instigate territorial-wide coordination
among control centres for traffic and incident management. Several
projects will be put in place, including extension of the existing
ATC system, installation of TCS facilities on all major expressways,
the establishment of a Traffic Management and Information Centre (TMIC),
and implementation of the Journey Time Indication System (JTIS) as
a pilot project to advise motorists of the estimated journey time
for travelling to the Kowloon exits of the three cross-harbour tunnels. 3. A Smart
Way to License Under the
Smart Way to License initiative, the Transport Department will implement
a new "Vehicle and Drivers Licensing Integrated Data System IV"
which is an open-standard web-based system. The new system will be
introduced by 2004. Intelligent
Transport Systems-Hong Kong held its 3rd Annual General Meeting on July
17, 2002. Mr. Tommy Law was elected as the new Chairman of ITS Hong
Kong. The list of council members for 2002–2003 is as follows: ITS Canada
plans to publish an inventory of deployed intelligent transportation
applications throughout Canada that addresses all of the ITS domains,
including traffic management, traveller information, commercial vehicle,
transit, toll collection, driver assistance and inter-modal applications. Educational institutions
who are members of ITS Canada and are interested in participating
in this project have submitted proposals to collaborate with ITS Canada
to compile and edit this national inventory. Proposals indicate the
name and background of the faculty member who would lead the work,
the approach which will be utilized to ensure the inventory is complete
and national in scope, and provide a suggested template for the inventory. ITS Canada
will assume responsibility for publication of the inventory once the
data is collected, with appropriate acknowledgement to the university.
The budget for compilation and editing of the inventory is $15,000. It is anticipated
that the collection of information for this inventory will begin in
the fall. ITS America’s 13th Annual
Meeting & Exposition Draft papers
due September 17, 2002 By Allan
Lo, Technology Development Engineer Transport Canada
Funding: $250,000 Alberta Transportation,
the provincial transportation agency, has co-sponsored along with Transport
Canada an ITS "blueprint" study for one of Alberta’s
busiest stretches of rural and urban highways – Highway 2 between
Edmonton and Calgary. The study will focus on the 260 km of rural four-lane
divided freeway plus the urban freeway sections within Calgary (50 km
of Deerfoot Trail) and Edmonton (25 km of Anthony Henday Drive, including
portions not built). Aside from serving the many intra-provincial trips
between the communities along the corridor, Hwy 2 also makes up a significant
portion of the CANAMEX (CANada, AMErica, MEXico) North-South Trade Corridor
that links the rest of the province to the U.S. and Mexico. Traffic
volumes vary significantly from 120,000 to 200,000 veh/d on parts of
Deerfoot Trail to less than 30,000 veh/d along the less congested rural
portions. This will be
a unique Canadian study due to the corridor’s length and the many
potential rural and urban ITS solutions that will be addressed: Advanced
Traveller Information Systems (ATIS), Advanced Traffic Management Systems
(ATMS), Road Weather Information Systems (RWIS), Critical Incident Detection
Systems, and Smart Work Zones. In addition,
the study will include site-specific determinations of the 70 proposed
RWIS stations along our National Highway System, which will constitute
Alberta’s contributions to the RWIS System for Canada. The impetus
behind the study started with Alberta Transportation’s ITS Strategic
Plan in 2000 when Hwy 2 was identified as a key test bed corridor for
future ITS deployment. After months of internal discussion and the confirmed
co-sponsorship of Transport Canada, the call-for-proposal was made in
May 2002 and a consultant team was selected in June. The study is expected
to be completed by April 2003 with the major deliverable to be
a set of functional plans and drawings, including technical specifications
for some critical ITS components. The objectives of the study are
to: Alberta Transportation’s
ITS Strategic Plan document can be found at www.trans.gov.ab.ca/Content/doctype52/production/its01.htm.
Another Alberta Transportation/Transport Canada sponsored ITS project
will be initiated in 2003-04 after the current study is completed.
It will be an ITS deployment project for the same Hwy 2 corridor. Transport Canada provides support
for strategic ITS deployment and integration model applications. In
June 2001, proposals for cost-shared funding were solicited. Fifty-one
proposals were received and, in March 2002, seventeen were approved
for funding in the amount of $3.7 million. The complete list of the
approved projects is available at www.its-sti.gc.ca/en/menu_e.htm. Transport Canada’s ITS
Office is pleased to announce the launch of its re-designed web site.
Consistent with its mandate of increasing interest and awareness of
ITS information and developments as well as partnership opportunities,
the ITS Web site offers visitors an effective and efficient means
of learning more about intelligent transportation systems in Canada. Visitors
can browse through publications such as The ITS Plan for Canada:
en Route to Intelligent Mobility, ITS Architecture for Canada,
and the soon-to-be released Research and Development Plan.
The web site includes links to other related sites such as Transport
Canada’s Internet site, the Transportation Development Centre,
ITS Canada, ITS America and ITS Europe. Visitors can also review a
listing of events in the ITS community such as the upcoming 9th World
Congress and the 2003 Annual General Meeting of ITS America. ITS Canada
members are invited to visit the web site, browse the pages, and provide
Transport Canada with your comments and suggestions. The
ITS Office of Transport Canada welcomes Erin O'Brien to
its staff. Erin joins Transport Canada from the Department of Finance
and, among other previous working experience, was involved in Canada's
export financing program at the Export Development Corporation. Erin
will be working on issues involving CVO and border security initiatives
that have an ITS component. She may be reached at (613) 991-6040, or
by e-mail at obriene@tc.gc.ca. At
the request of Transport Canada in February 2000, ITS Canada developed
a "template terms of reference" to assist Canadian jurisdictions
with developing RFPs for commission of ITS strategic plans. The final
copy of the Template Terms of Reference for ITS Strategic Planning
was submitted to Transport Canada on March 24, 2000. The template was
made available at ITS Canada’s 3rd Annual General Meeting in March
2000. This template
has now been made available on ITS Canada’s website under
the Library. On Friday, August 9, 2002,
Tanya Loewen of IRD was killed while installing a highway safety
system. Tanya, 26 years old, was a graduate of the University of Saskatchewan
in Civil Engineering and worked with IRD’s ITS Solutions Group.
The accident occurred on interstate I-94 in the area of Detroit, Michigan,
where two IRD employees, Bill Hattan of IRD Michigan and Tanya of
the Saskatoon office, as well as members of Michigan DOT and NES Worksafe,
were setting up an IRD Workzone Safety System. The accident occurred
at approximately 6:00 p.m. (Detroit time) and involved an automobile
hitting the IRD equipment, resulting in the immediate tragic death
of Tanya and serious injuries to Bill Hattan. The occupants of
the vehicle were not injured. A scholarship
fund has been established in memory of Tanya. For more information,
please visit the web site at www.irdinc.com/english/html/tanya_loewen/tragic_accident. Senate Panel Approves
Transportation Bill The Senate
Appropriations Committee approved a FY2003 spending measure with $3.7
billion more than in FY2002 and $9.2 billion more than in the President’s
request. ITS standards, research, operational tests and development
would receive $110 million; $122 million would go for ITS deployment.
The House Appropriations Committee is expected to take up its version
in September. Seattle
Port Joins Tech Initiative The Port
of Seattle/Tacoma has joined the ports of Singapore, Hong Kong and
Rotterdam in an industry effort to track cargo. The Strategic Council
on Security Technology is leading the effort, known as Smart and Secure
Tradelanes (SST). SST combines existing technology (including RFID
tags and smart container seal and GPS, and other tracking mechanisms)
to monitor cargo from factory to final destination. The program is
expected to be in operation by year-end. Seattle/Tacoma is the first
U.S. port to join the network. B.C. and Ontario Municipalities
Tied for Urban Transportation Award Both the
Resort Municipality of Whistler, British Columbia, and the Regional
Municipality of York, Ontario, will this year receive the second
edition of TAC’s Sustainable Urban Transportation Award. The
annual award is intended to recognize exemplary contributions by a
TAC association member in the area of sustainable urban transportation. A review
panel made up of members of TAC’s Sustainable Transportation
Standing Committee, which received five nominations for the 2001 award,
was divided on which of the two winning projects should be selected.
As one of the projects had been submitted by a small municipality
and the other by a large municipality, it was decided to recommend
both of them to TAC’s Board of Directors, which ratified this
course of action. The award presentations will take place at TAC’s
September annual conference in Winnipeg. The Resort
Municipality of Whistler will be granted the award for The Whistler
Way! Rideshare Program. The program is being implemented to provide
an efficient and affordable alternative mode of travel as part of
an overall strategy for the municipality. The Regional
Municipality of York will receive the TAC award for its transportation
master plan. York has committed to shift from current suburban transportation
standards to sustainable urban standards in the vision for its new
official plan. The 30-year plan addresses all modes and other influencing
factors in an integrated fashion. These include transit, roads, transportation
demand management, regional centers, goods movement, walking and cycling.
York’s first two related initiatives, which were highlighted
in the award nomination, were an integrated regional transit system
and the pursuit of a private sector partner for the provision of future
rapid transit service. Florida became
the 6th region to launch 511 in July, logging 100,000 calls during
the first weekend of operation. The Florida
system involves a unique innovation expected in the next two years
in the Orlando area – using transponders as traffic probes. The
Orlando area is home to about 500,000 toll tags, which will be used
in a non-revenue reader system to determine travel times. A trial
begins in August. Arizona
Selected for 511 Model Deployment Transportation
Secretary Norman Y. Mineta announced an agreement between U.S. DOT
and the Arizona Department of Transportation to develop an innovative
511 system that advances content quality and interaction with users.
The model deployment will solicit information from vendors about the
value of premium services. The 511 system will be automated
and will include a wide range of travel information, including: Arizona DOT and Maricopa
County, key area metropolitan planning organizations, and the cities
of Phoenix and Tucson were selected for the project. The project
is expected to be in operation in about six months. ITS
America Proposes DSRC Rules to FCC ITS America
submitted Ex Parte comments to the Federal Communications
Commission to propose recommended licensing and service rules for
the 5.9 GHz Band allocated for ITS Dedicated Short Range Communications
systems. Their proposals
are designed to achieve nationwide interoperability of DSRC systems,
devices and applications, to promote use by the traveling public,
to foster the growth of competitive markets in the U.S. and abroad
for U.S. equipment and service providers, and to ensure that the
5.9 GHz Band is used as efficiently as possible. Key to achieving
these goals is a further recommendation that all DSRC services in
the band conform to a single wireless data transmission standard. Their proposed licensing and
service rules are designed to enable the band to maximize the benefits
to the public. Applicants would be licensed on a site-by-site and
first-come/first-served basis coordinated by existing public safety
and private frequency coordinators. No licensing by auction or unlicensed
operations would be conducted, and DSRC devices on vehicles would
be licensed by rule to enable their installation as base equipment
in vehicles. ITS Asia-Pacific held their
5th Forum in Seoul, Korea, to discuss future prospects for ITS in
the region, standards activities, mobile and electronic commerce,
safety needs, and policy and institutional issues. Joseph Lam,
Chairman of ITS Canada, represented ITS Canada at the event. ITS Korea,
which hosted the conference, established its ITS national master plan
in 1999 to develop transportation technology in three stages through
2020. More information about the association is available at www.itskorea.or.kr. MARK YOUR
CALENDAR NOW… ITS Canada’s next Annual
Conference and General Meeting will be held in April 28 and 29, 2003,
in Fredericton, New Brunswick. Newsletter
published by ITS Canada. Submissions
or comments can be emailed to askus@itscanada.ca.
AUGUST 2002
ITS MISSIONS
ITS STANDARDS WORKSHOP WELL ATTENDED
From right to left: Scott Stewart, IBI Group (moderator); Grant Zammit,
FHWA;
Bill Johnson, ITS Canada; Susan Spencer, Transport Canada; Paul Manuel,
Mark IV;
Bruce Zvaniga, City of Toronto; Imad Nassereddine, 407 ETR
WHAT'S NEW IN HONG KONG
Consulate General of Canada, Hong Kong
NEWS FROM ITS HONG KONG
ITS CANADA LAUNCHES INVENTORY OF ITS PROJECTS
CALL FOR PAPERS
Minneapolis Convention Center
May 19–22, 2003
TRANSPORT CANADA FUNDING FOR ITS PROJECTS
Alberta
Highway 2 ATIS/ATMS Study
Total Project Cost: $500,000 estimated
TRANSPORT CANADA RE-DESIGNS WEB SITE
TRANSPORT CANADA WELCOMES NEW STAFF
TEMPLATE TO ASSIST WITH STRATEGIC PLANNING NOW AVAILABLE ONLINE
TRAGIC ACCIDENT
NEWS
FROM THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
MEMBERS IN THE NEWS
NEWS FROM ITS AMERICA
Florida
511 to Use Traffic Probes
ITS ASIA-PACIFIC FORUM
UPCOMING EVENTS
