AUGUST
2005
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ITS CANADA TO DEVELOP ITS TECHNOLOGY DATABASE
ITS Canada has entered into a contract with Transport
Canada to develop a technology database of new and emerging
ITS products and services. The database is intended
to be a survey of all relevant ITS R&D innovations,
consisting of variations of existing technologies as
well as any new technologies. In addition to showcasing
ITS sources used to satisfy the domestic and/or foreign
ITS markets, the database will also serve to promote
Canadian products and services.
As part of its commitment to support research and technology, Transport Canada's Intelligent Transportation Systems Plan for Canada: En Route to Intelligent Mobility proposes the creation and maintenance of an inventory of new and emerging intelligent transportation systems that integrate the use of sensors, communications and computer systems to provide innovative capabilities for transportation. Special emphasis is to be placed on Canadian products and services, as well as those with the potential to be used in Canada.
The ITS Research and Development Plan: Innovation Through Partnership includes a commitment for the development of an ITS database that is intended to serve as a working intelligence tool to investigate ITS improvements to current ITS applications. The intended applications of the products and services will be listed, along with how the applications address the economic, environmental and safety objectives of the ITS Plan for Canada (in the categories of the ITS Architecture for Canada), and their inter-operability with other services and applications. Data elements will include information on availability and sourcing, as well as on costs and licensing. The results are to be made available in both web-based and CD formats.
It is expected that the database will be used at trade shows, international conferences, and for the promotion and commercialization of technologies. This will help meet three of the overall objectives contained in the ITS Strategic Plan for Canada: awareness building of ITS technologies generally, promotion and awareness of new and emerging R&D trends, and the promotion of Canadian expertise in foreign markets. The information contained in the database is to be based on a comprehensive worldwide search of academic, organizational, and industrial ITS R&D sources, both hard copy and Internet-based.
ITS Canada will be granted a license to update and further develop the database immediately following the termination date of the contract (March 31, 2006).
ITS Canada believes the Canadian ITS community will benefit from this tool that provides an up-to-date technology database of ITS products and services.
To complete this work, ITS Canada has engaged the services of a team consisting of three of its members:
- PSR Group Ltd.
- Dr. William Johnson
- Dr. Ata Khan.
The PSR Team was selected for its qualifications
to do the work, its understanding of the scope, objectives
and challenges of the project, good references, and
their cost-effective methodology.
Colin Rayman, ITS Canada's General Manager, will manage the work of the PSR Team.
FROM ITS CANADA’S PHOTO LIBRARY
COMPASS Centre – Burlington, Ontario
Photo courtesy of Ministry of Transportation of Ontario
REGIONAL UPDATES
News
on the development and deployment of ITS in Canada
SASKATCHEWAN
By Ted Stobbs, Saskatchewan Highways and Transportation
WIM Technology
Saskatchewan Highways and Transportation is a participant in the National Roadside Survey (NRS) scheduled for 2006. Included in this initiative is the creation of a national WIM system to monitor commercial traffic movements.
Saskatchewan hosted two pilot projects associated with the NRS. The first was a mail-out “Origin and Destination” survey conducted by contacting truckers monitored at the Virtual Weigh Stations in the City of Saskatoon. The second was conversion of five Saskatchewan Highways and Transportation Automated Vehicle Classifiers (AVCs) into Weigh in Motion systems (WIM), as a trial of WIM equipment and to assist Transport Canada in developing a national level WIM data handling system.
Saskatchewan was uniquely suited to host the WIM pilots because of the existence of the virtual weigh stations in the City of Saskatoon. Saskatchewan Highways and Transportation also had a relatively large operational system of WIM-capable AVCs available, combined with significant staff experience in operating piezo WIM stations.
The operational portion of rolling out the national WIM system will see Saskatchewan install an additional two WIM stations this year and a further two in fiscal year 2006-07.
Dynamic Message Signs
Saskatchewan Highways and Transportation has a project to install up to three dynamic message signs. The primary purpose of this project is to provide road users travelling north of Prince Albert with information concerning road conditions. The type of messages will concern road closures, construction zones and surface conditions. The project is estimated to cost $200,000. Installation is targeted for this fall.
BUREAU OF INTELLIGENT TRANSPORTATION SYSTEMS AND FREIGHT SECURITY (BITSAFS)
BITSAFS was established in the spring of 2005 to conduct and disseminate research in the area of intelligent transportation systems and freight security. The Bureau’s goal is to develop a base of expertise, a collaborative network, and a research agenda in partnership with both government and industry that will lead to a sustainable long-run program. An official announcement is found at www.tc.gc.ca/mediaroom/releases/nat/2005/05-h160e.htm.
The program is funded initially by a consortium of BC Ministries, led by the Ministry of Transportation, and Transport Canada, for one year ending on March 31, 2006. Transport Canada’s funding is part of the Intelligent Transportation System Research and Development Plan, Innovation Through Partnership, which is part of the Strategic Highway Infrastructure Program. Additional funding is being sought to extend this program of research for a period of five to seven years. Future funding may include an extension of the current funding sources, competitive grants, and project grants from stakeholders in the cross-border and international supply chain.
Four initial projects are currently underway for completion by the end of summer 2005:
- Inventory and the General Trends
of Security, Customs and Other Border-Crossing Regulations
Affecting Freight Movements
- Assessment of Carrier and Shipper
Transportation Issues and Public Agency Security Requirements
in Cross Border and International Trade: Enhancing
System Efficiency Given New Security Requirements
- Inter-Modal Freight Process Mapping
of Cross Border and International Freight Flows
- Review of ITS Technologies and
Applications for Freight Security and Cross Border
/ International Trade Facilitation.
These
projects provide the platform for defining an extensive
subsequent research program for completion early
in 2006. The initial projects all involve elements of
polling and interacting with industry and government
on research priorities for the Bureau.
The Bureau is organizing a showcase conference on Intelligent Transportation Systems Research and Deployment to be held in March 2006. The objectives of this conference are:
- to demonstrate the benefits and
opportunities of applying ITS to freight security
and efficiency issues
- to expand interest in, and the
application of, ITS throughout British Columbia and
neighbouring jurisdictions, and across all transportation
modes
- to encourage freight security
research in academia and cooperation with government
and industry.
The
Bureau sponsors seminars every two months featuring
international experts from the public and private
sector on ITS and freight security issues, plus representatives
from the Bureau. The presentations are used to disseminate
research and stimulate interest and discussion on important
issues in ITS and freight security.
Dr. Garland Chow is the Bureau’s Director and Dave Frank is the Managing Director. Garland is a well-respected international expert in supply-chain logistics. Dave brings strong private-sector freight expertise to the extensive research team. BITSAFS is co-located with the Centre for Transportation Studies in the Sauder School of Business at the University of British Columbia. For more information, please contact:
Garland Chow
Telephone (604) 822-4849
Garland.Chow@FreightSecurity.ubc.ca
NEWS bITS
GOVERNMENT
OF CANADA FUNDING ANNOUNCEMENTS
RWIS
On July 14, 2005, the Government of Canada and the Province of British Columbia announced an agreement for the upgrade and installation of environmental sensor stations in the province. Under the agreement, the federal government and the province will each contribute $271,400 for necessary upgrades to 36 of the 54 existing road weather information systems stations and the installation of one new station along the National Highway System in the province. The work is expected to be completed by March 31, 2006.
For more information: www.tc.gc.ca/mediaroom/releases/nat/2005/05-h162e.htm.
On August 4, 2005, the Government of Canada and the Province of Newfoundland and Labrador announced the signing of a contribution agreement under which $1.1 million will be invested on a 50-50 cost-shared basis between federal and provincial levels of government for the acquisition and installation of up to 18 road weather information systems stations along the National Highway System in the province. The project work is expected to be completed by March 31, 2006.
For information: www.tc.gc.ca/mediaroom/releases/nat/2005/05-h170e.htm.
CANADA EXPORT AWARDS
International Trade Canada (ITCan) recently launched a call for nominations and applications for the Canada Export Awards, celebrating the success of Canadian exporting initiatives.
These awards recognize the significant contributions exporters make to Canada's economy, and underline excellence in global competitiveness. The application and nomination forms are available on the Canada Export Awards website at www.infoexport.gc.ca/awards-prix.
The deadline for applications is September 19, 2005.
511 IN THE U.S.
The U.S. 511 Deployment Coalition reports that the usage statistics for 511 nationwide are as follows:
- 1,248,110 total calls in June
2005
- Over 36 million calls nationwide
since inception
- 511 is available to over 81 million
Americans (28 percent)
- Systems deployed for one year
saw a 53.5 percent increase in June 2005 call volumes
compared to June 2004
- Peak usage was experienced due
to incidents and weather conditions (tropical storms,
wildfires, etc.)
- The Orlando service received
its 4 millionth call
- The Arizona, Maine, San Francisco
Bay Area and Utah services set hourly call volume
records.
Active
511 Systems as of June 30, 2005, included Cincinnati/Northern
Kentucky, Nebraska, Utah, Virginia, Arizona, Orlando,
Minnesota, Southeast Florida, Washington State, Iowa,
South Dakota, Kentucky Statewide, San Francisco Bay
Area, Montana, Vermont, North Dakota, Alaska, Maine,
New Hampshire, Oregon, Kansas, North Carolina, Sacramento/Northern
California, Tampa, Colorado, and Rhode Island.
U.S. TRANSPORTATION FUNDING
Now enacted into law, the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, and Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU), provides national transportation funding for a six-year period of $286.4 billion. This funding will be used to modernize highways and roads in the U.S.
UPCOMING ITS WORLD CONGRESSES
13th
World Congress
London, England – October 8-12, 2006
14th
World Congress
Beijing, China – 2007
15th World Congress – has now been awarded to New York City, U.S.A. – 2008
INNOVITS
Centre
of Excellence For Transport Telematics and Sustainable
Mobility
A Centre of Excellence called InnovITS is being established in the UK, to accelerate effort in ITS innovation from the diverse range of players in the UK. The ITS Centre of Excellence will seek out inventive telematics technology to integrate on a realistic scale, and validate that it delivers value to road users and transport operators. As a result, it will act as a catalyst for subsequent deployment and commercial exploitation.
For further information, contact ITS UK via e-mail at mailbox@its-uk.org.uk.
ITS BENEFITS EVALUATION AND COSTS
ITS
Benefits, Costs And Lessons Learned
A continuation of a series of reports providing a snapshot of the information collected by the United States Department of Transportation (USDOT) ITS Joint Program Office (JPO) on the impact that ITS projects have on the operation of the surface transportation network. New in the 2005 report is the introduction of summaries of lessons learned from ITS planning, deployment, operation, maintenance, and evaluation experience; the previous report contained only benefits and costs information. The ITS JPO has just recently initiated the process of capturing these lessons. An ITS Lessons Learned Database is planned to be available soon, when it will be publicly accessible via the Internet.
The report presents material from the databases that describes the impacts of the intelligent transportation infrastructure as well as intelligent vehicle applications. The majority of published evaluations of ITS implementations document positive impacts on the transportation system, and the assessments provided in this report reflect this fact. Every attempt has been made to incorporate positive, negative, and neutral findings. A small number of negative findings appear in the report, and it also documents a few evaluations that found that an ITS implementation did not have an impact on a particular measure of effectiveness. Visit www.itsdocs.fhwa.dot.gov/jpodocs/repts_te/14073.htm
ITS Benefits Evaluation And Costs Sessions Planned at the World Congress In San Francisco
IBEC will be running four "Special Sessions" in the main program as well as a full day workshop. Topics to be covered include An International Tour of ITS Benefits, Evaluations and Costs; Private Sector Decision-Making on ITS Investments: Making the Business Case for ITS; Issues Facing Economies in Transition and Developing Countries; The Latest Evaluation Results in Europe and North America; and Impacts of Road Pricing: Beyond the Technology. Full details and the schedule are available at www.ibec-its.org.
Proceedings Of The IBEC Session Held In Hannover Are Now Available
Proceedings from an IBEC session held at ITS Hannover 2005, "Guiding Decision-Makers on ITS Investment – The Power of Evaluation" are now available online at www.ibec-its.org.
ITS FUNDING FROM TRANSPORT CANADA
In January 2005, a total of $5 million in funding for twenty-five new projects was announced under Transport Canada's Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) Plan. The winning projects will take place in various locations across Canada. Details on all of the projects are available at www.tc.gc.ca/mediaroom/releases/nat/2005/05-h001e.htm.
Graphical Intersection Monitor
Funding awarded: $98,000
Total cost of proposal: $197,040
With funding assistance under Transport Canada’s Intelligent Transportation System (ITS) Deployment and Integration Plan, Fortran Traffic Systems Ltd. (Fortran) is moving forward with the implementation, integration, and deployment of a Graphical Intersection Monitor (GIM) tool into Fortran’s Fastracs/T2000C Advanced Transportation Management Systems currently in place in several Canadian municipalities.
The participating municipalities include the City of Burlington, the Region of Durham, the Region of Waterloo, the City of Mississauga/Region of Peel, and the City of Peterborough. The integration and deployment of the GIM tool will offer several direct benefits to the municipalities involved, such as improving operational efficiencies, enhancing communication with non-technical stakeholders, and helping to reduce on-street congestion.
This project concerns the deployment of a Graphical Intersection Monitor (GIM). This tool will display a short history of several cycles’ worth of intersection operation (similar in concept to a heart monitor), and will animate this information using understandable graphical representations of intersection operation (e.g., using a “dial” to represent the intersection cycle). The Graphical Intersection Monitor will also include record and playback facilities, and provide direct access to relevant system information and functions. The GIM is expected to improve the detection, diagnosis, and correction of field equipment failures, minimizing the negative impact of equipment downtime on on-street signal network performance.
Also, GIM is expected to assist system operators to make better decisions by allowing them to effectively visualize intersection operation. Finally, GIM is expected to provide a useful visual aid to help non-technical stakeholders (such as transit authorities, planners, senior managers, city councillors, and members of the public) to understand the challenges of managing traffic flow on arterial and local roadways.
The necessary enhancements to the Fastracs/T2000C system have been completed, and a factory acceptance test involving all five participating municipalities will take place shortly, to be followed by the deployment and evaluation of the Graphical Intersection Monitor in the coming months.
For more information, contact Mike Bowie via e-mail at mbowie@fortrantraffic.com.
FROM ITS CANADA’S PHOTO LIBRARY
University of Toronto’s ITS Testbed
Photo courtesy of Ministry of Transportation of Ontario
MEMBERS IN THE NEWS
The upgrading of New Jersey toll plazas to open road
tolling (ORT) is the latest success story of MARK IV
technology. Express E-ZPass makes toll payment even
easier than the original E-ZPass system did to eliminate
congestion and help speed motorists to their destinations.
Express E-ZPass replaces physical toll structures with
a new form of toll collection called open road tolling,
which allows drivers to pay tolls at highway speeds.
New Jersey’s deployment of Express E-ZPass is
the largest and most sophisticated ORT deployment in
the country.
The plazas are using MARK IV Badger Readers to enable ORT without changes to existing transponders or roadside infrastructure located elsewhere on New Jersey roads. This approach leverages the investment that has been made by toll agencies in the 12 million E-ZPass transponders now on the road. And consumers love it: according to New Jersey Turnpike Authority data, about 95 percent of users prefer the Express lanes to regular E-ZPass lanes.
NAVTEQ, a leading global provider of digital map data for vehicle navigation and location-based solutions, has been selected by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts through an agreement with American Digital Cartography, Inc., to provide an enterprise-wide license that allows Commonwealth-wide use of NAVTEQ base maps and associated address range data. The agreement enables Massachusetts to use the NAVTEQ NavStreets data at any of the over 300 agencies that are part of the enterprise-wide license.
In July, NAVTEQ released NAVTEQ Map Voice Data for Austria. NAVTEQ customers that license the NAVTEQ map of Austria can now integrate phonetic representations of street names and administrative areas for Austria into its products. NAVTEQ Map Voice Data is already available for France, Germany, Spain, Italy, the United Kingdom, Canada and the United States. NAVTEQ Map Voice Data brings a higher degree of precision and usability to navigation systems by reducing recognition complexities, improving output accuracy, and expanding the navigation system's dynamic routing commands to include street names.
UPCOMING EVENTS
- 7th Asia-Pacific ITS Forum
and Exhibition
August 9 to 11, 2005 – New Delhi, India
www.itsindia.org
- TAC Annual Conference
September 18 to 21, 2005 – Calgary, Alberta
www.tac-atc.ca
- Transport and Sustainable
Mobility Conference
September 19 and 20, 2005 – Brussels, Belgium
www.euconferences.com
- 1st Pan American ITS Congress
& Exhibition
October 18 to 21, 2005 – Rio de Janeiro,
Brazil
Call for papers has been issued
jabourchequer@terra.com.br
- 12th World Congress on ITS
November 6 to 10, 2005 – San Fransicso, CA
Call for papers – deadline January 14, 2005
www.ntpshow.com/shows/itswc05
- 2nd International Conference
on Driver Behaviour Training
November 15 to 17, 2005 – Edinburgh, UK
www.dbt2005.info
- CUTA 2005 Fall Conference and
Trans-Expo
November 19 to 23, 2005 – Vancouver, BC
November 22 – Trans-Expo, Canada’s Transit
and Bus Exposition
www.cutaactu.on.ca
- Highway-Railway Grade Crossing
Workshop
November 21 and 22, 2005 – Montreal, QC
www.tc.gc.ca/tdc/events/7workshop.htm
- ITS Transit Workshop
November 24, 2005 – Vancouver, BC
www.itscanada.ca/vancouver2005
- Gulf Traffic
December 12 to 14, 2005 – Dubai, UAE
www.gulftraffic.com
Newsletter
published by ITS Canada.
Submissions
or comments can be e-mailed to askus@itscanada.ca.
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