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ITS
CANADA PREPARES TO WELCOME DELEGATES TO MONTREAL!
Preparations
are well underway to welcome delegates to Montreal
for ITS Canada’s 2008 Annual Conference and
General Meeting. The Conference will be held in the
heart of downtown Montreal at the Place Bonaventure
Conference Centre, and attendees can stay at the Marriott
Château Champlain Hotel.
The
theme of the Conference is "ITS — The Road
to Safe and Secure Transport!" Included in the
event will be an exhibit area to allow displays of
ITS-related technologies and services, as well as
technical tours and social events. With your help,
we can build a robust and exciting technical program.
The "Call for Papers" is available online,
along with information on exhibit and sponsor opportunities.
Please
come and enjoy some Montreal hospitality while getting
the latest updates on ITS developments in Canada.
Visit the Conference website at www.itscanada.ca/montreal2008
for timely updates regarding all events.
NOVA
SCOTIA BECOMES FIRST PROVINCE TO IMPLEMENT 511
Nova
Scotia has become the first province to implement
511 in Canada.
ITS
Canada led the Canada 511 Consortium’s effort,
which successfully achieved the Canadian Radio-television
and Telecommunications Commission’s (CRTC) approval
for use of the 511 telephone dialing sequence for
weather and traveller information services in Canada.
Since securing the CRTC’s approval, several
Canadian jurisdictions have been considering their
options for moving forward with the implementation
of 511 for the provision of weather and traveller
information. Nova Scotia is the first of these jurisdictions
to implement a 511 service.
Read
all the details about Nova Scotia’s implementation
below.
NOVA
SCOTIA FIRST TO THE PHONES WITH 511
Nova
Scotia became the first province in Canada to set
up the 511 phone number for traveller information
when it officially kicked off the program in January.
Paul
Richard, Manager of Maintenance and Operations for
Nova Scotia Transportation and Infrastructure Renewal,
said that the fact that Nova Scotia already had an
automated phone number in place for road condition
information allowed the province to get the number
up and running promptly.
“I
sat down with my boss and we realized that all we
had to do was get the phone companies to connect the
511 number through to our existing reporting line,”
said Paul. “We asked ourselves, ‘Is it
that simple?’”
Basically,
it was. “Sometimes it helps to be small, in
that we only had to work with five phone companies,”
said Paul. “The only challenge was getting to
the right person in each company.”
The
CRTC (Canadian Radio-Television and Telecommunications
Commission), which mandated that telephone companies
had to provide this service free of charge, also allowed
the companies six months to get things working.
“We
started in June and basically had it operational before
Christmas,” said Paul.
After
a few weeks of testing, the department hit the street
with publicity to let the public know the service
was available. The department issued a press release,
ran ads on radio and in newspapers, and posted 511
signs (see photo) every 50 kilometres along major
highways.
The
bilingual road reporting system that 511 connects
to is Paul’s pride and joy. Developed by Telenium
Inc. (a Canadian company based in Winnipeg), the system
is updated on computer by the department’s dispatchers
who receive radio reports from the plow drivers. This
required training of 150 dispatchers, who previously
had to fax or phone in their road reports to head
office. Callers can enter the number of the highway
they plan to travel on and receive an up-to-date report
on the road’s condition.
The
department requires that updates be made three times
a day at 7:00 a.m., 1:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m. but, in
Nova Scotia where the weather can change dramatically
with just a slight shift in the breeze, it can be
updated quickly at any other time as conditions change.
Eventually,
it’s expected that Environment Canada will come
on board and use the 511 system to provide weather
information for travellers. The department also plans
to use the system to indicate major construction projects.
“The
only thing we have to highlight is that we don’t
want drivers calling the system while they’re
behind the wheel,” said Paul. Nova Scotia will
be proclaiming legislation to ban cell phone use by
drivers later this year.
Paul
Richard, Manager of Maintenance and Operations
for Nova Scotia Transportation and Infrastructure
Renewal
ATTRACTING
TRANSIT RIDERS WITH SMART CARD TECHNOLOGY
By
Jeffery Young, Project Director, Presto Card, Ontario
Ministry of Transportation
The
Greater Toronto Area and Hamilton are experiencing
rapid growth in population, employment and transportation
demand. In the next 25 years, the population of the
area is forecast to grow by 2.5 million people. Currently,
there are more than seven million car trips in these
areas every day. As roads become more congested, commute
times increase and quality of life decreases. Traffic
congestion also means more greenhouse gas emissions.
In 2004, more than one-third of greenhouse gas emissions
originated from the transportation sector, with road
transportation generating the bulk of emissions.
To
improve the quality of life for commuters and travellers,
the Ontario government is creating an integrated transit
network that will get people out of their cars, reduce
congestion and contribute to cleaner air. To make
public transit a more convenient alternative to driving,
the Government of Ontario and eight municipal transit
partners are introducing the Presto Card.
The
Presto Fare System will allow users to ride on any
participating transit system using just one card.
Commuters won’t have to pre-purchase tickets
or passes and won’t have to worry about exact
change. It’s just tap and go. Customers will
be able to load the card with a dollar value —
in person, by phone or online. Before riding, users
will just tap their card on a machine reader. The
reader will calculate and deduct appropriate fares,
validate transfers and have the ability to block lost
or stolen cards. Transactions will take less than
a second.
The
Presto Card will communicate via an antenna and computer
interface. It will store e-purse values, passes used
by a specific transit agency, loyalty program information,
trip data and transfer information. Customers will
be able to check their balance and recent transactions.
Transit enforcement officers will use handheld devices
to check for valid fare payment.
A
“virtual single fare payment” method will
make it easier to connect between transit systems,
speed up boarding and provide greater flexibility
to riders. The system is designed to improve efficiency,
lower operating costs, attract more riders and reduce
fare fraud. Similar systems around the world have
emphasized customer convenience as the primary reason
for moving to an automated fare collection system.
GO
Transit, Brampton, Mississauga, Oakville, Burlington,
Hamilton, York Region, Durham Region and Toronto have
committed to participating in the Presto Card project.
This level of cooperation is unprecedented in the
Province of Ontario.
Since August 1, 2007, a select group of frequent GO
train riders in Mississauga have been participating
in the initial launch of the Presto Fare System. Within
the next three years, 1,200 municipal buses, 250 GO
buses and 55 GO train stations will be equipped with
fare card devices. The Toronto Transit Commission
in Toronto will accept the card at five subway stations:
Don Mills, Downsview, Finch, Islington and Union.
By 2010, the Presto Card will be available to transit
riders in Brampton, Burlington, Durham Region, Hamilton,
Mississauga, Oakville and York Region.
The
Presto Fare System project is supported by representatives
and experts from all transit partners, procurement
specialists and IT technicians. It will be managed
by the Ministry of Transportation.
The
system brings together the fare policies of all the
transit agencies in a way that is completely transparent
to the customer. Local data from each transit agency
is sent electronically to a central system with no
intervention. The central system settles accounts
and transfers revenues for each transit agency.
The
Presto Fare System is being designed to be flexible.
Today, it’s a fare card; tomorrow, it could
be used to pay for parking or municipal services.
Metrolinx,
which is responsible for improving the coordination
and integration of all modes of transportation in
the region, will eventually assume responsibility
for the Presto Fare System.
TOLL
ROAD SUMMIT
The
design, finance, construction, and operation of highway
infrastructure are vital to economic growth. Now more
than ever, toll roads are an increasingly important
part of national efforts to support a sustainable
transportation system.
On
March 30-April 1, 2008, the International Bridge,
Tunnel and Turnpike Association will hold the Toll
Road Summit of the Americas in Buenos Aires, Argentina,
where experts will examine an array of different institutional
models that are now being used successfully to finance
and develop both urban and inter-urban highways. This
summit will also look at technology and other important
tools to promote safety and efficiency, reduce urban
congestion, and improve the flow of commerce and people
on the world’s most sophisticated and productive
motorways.
Both
the private and the public sector will present and
discuss the business rules and new technology models
that are shaping the future of toll motorways to achieve
seamless transportation. For example:
How the State of Chile is developing different actions
looking for the development of technological interoperability
and better client services, especially in infrastructure
projects, through common initiatives between the Ministry
of Public Works and the Ministry of Transport, leading
to more effective strategic alliances between the
private and public sectors
How new, advanced urban traffic schemes, like cordon
and zone charging, access control and flexible pricing
models, are allowing communities to manage their responsibility
for sustainable mobility based on their traffic policy
targets.
The
program will also include the latest overview on the
national deployment of effective, interoperable 5.9GHz
DSRC Systems, and the current ETS interoperability
system in Spain, VIA-T.
For
more information on this international event, visit
www.ibtta.org.
NEWS
bITS
ITS GERMANY LAUNCHED
In December 2007, seven German ITS organizations from
Baden-Württemberg, Bavaria, Berlin, Niedersachsen
and North Rhine-Westphalia gathered in Munich to launch
ITS Network Germany – Gesellschaft für
Verkehrstelematik Deutschland. Member organizations
are made up of over 200 individual public authorities,
small and medium-sized enterprises, scientific institutions
and key multi-nationals. Heinz Sodeikat of ITS Munich
Germany has been elected to the role of Chairman of
the Board; Dr. Norbert Handke of ITS Niedersachsen
will act as Managing Director.
The Federal Ministry of Transport, Building and Urban
Affairs (BMVBS) welcomes the establishment of this
association that will provide a common stage to promote
German ITS interests, both locally and internationally.
For further information, please contact: info@its-munich-germany.de
TRANSIT TECHNOLOGY FACT SHEETS
The Federal Transit Administration of the U.S. Department
of Transportation has developed a number of fact sheets
that provide a summary of the most basic and useful
technologies for different types of transit needs.
During the review process, necessary technologies
for each service type were identified as the “Core
Suite of Technologies”. Combinations of technologies
that produced synergies were also identified.
The
fact sheets provide recommendations to agencies as
to which of the many transportation technologies they
should invest in.
To
review all the fact sheets currently available, and
to sign up for notification of publication of additional
fact sheets, visit: www.pcb.its.dot.gov/factsheets/factsheets.asp.
MEMBERS
IN THE NEWS
Delcan
Corporation has been named as the recipient
of the 2008 Honor award from the Consulting Engineers
and Land Surveyors of California (CELSOC) for Caltran’s
Los Angeles Regional Traffic Management Center (LARTMC)
project. The LARTMC was created with the goals to
reduce congestion by at least 20 percent, improve
travel reliability by at least 20 percent, increase
safety on highways, improve the ability to respond
to natural disasters and increase security preparedness.
The LARTMC serves 43 distinct government functions
and will act as the center for ITS and emergency response
operations for the next 30 years. Delcan, as lead
consultant, played an integral role from the project’s
inception to the final system cutover and maintenance.
For more information, visit www.delcan.com.
Image
Sensing Systems, Inc. (“ISS”) announced
this week that it has purchased selected assets from
EIS Electronic Integrated Systems Inc. (EIS),
including EIS’s market-leading RTMS™ (Remote
Traffic Microwave Sensor) radar product line, for
initial consideration of $10.9 million in cash and
147,202 shares of ISS common stock (valued at about
$2.5 million). In addition, EIS has a three-year earn-out
agreement based on the performance of the purchased
assets where, if performance is at the target level,
EIS would receive an additional $6 million in cash.
Substantially, all EIS employees are expected to join
ISS, including its founder and President, Dan Manor.
EIS had approximately $8.0 million in revenue in fiscal
2006.
International
Road Dynamics (IRD) is acquiring a 50 percent
interest in Xuzhou-PAT Control Technologies Limited
(XCPT) located in Xuzhou, Jiangsu, China. XCPT, IRD’s
distributor in China since 2003, is a design, manufacturing
and service company focused on providing ITS solutions
to the growing highway and roadway infrastructure
business throughout China. The remaining 50 percent
interest is owned by Xuzhou Construction Machinery
Group (XCMG). Using IRD’s proprietary Weigh-In-Motion
technologies, and other products and solutions owned
by IRD and XCPT, the company provides toll road and
traffic monitoring solutions and support to government
and private enterprise engaged in China’s growing
investment in highway and roadway infrastructure.
In addition to the sale of its products, XCPT also
offers a comprehensive service and maintenance program.
NAVTEQ
Corporation has announced that its stockholders
have approved the previously announced merger agreement
entered into with Nokia. Over 75 percent of the issued
and outstanding shares of common stock eligible to
vote, representing over 99 percent of the total votes
cast, were voted in favor of the adoption of the merger
agreement. Adoption of the merger agreement by NAVTEQ
stockholders satisfies one of the conditions to completion
of the merger between NAVTEQ and Nokia. Completion
of the merger is also subject to receipt of regulatory
approvals and the satisfaction of the other closing
conditions set forth in the merger agreement.
BC
Ministry of Transportation’s announcement
of a $14 billion transit expansion in the province
will mean more high-capacity service for more people
in Metro Vancouver much sooner, and represents the
biggest commitment to transit in the history of British
Columbia. The goal is to reduce public transit's contribution
to the province's greenhouse gas emissions by one
third by 2020. More specifically, it provides the
basis for TransLink to develop its
10-year plan. The province’s project priorities
are generally consistent with TransLink's plans and
will provide Metro Vancouver municipalities with the
Frequent Transit Network to cluster employment and
high-density residential development in their communities.
The program will now be accelerated, delivering service
improvements much sooner than TransLink would have
been able to do on its own, and in some cases with
higher capacity transit solutions.
The
provincial plan requires a $2.75 billion capital contribution
from TransLink, and staff will work with the province
to identify the underlying financial assumptions.
There will be relief on overcrowded corridors in the
densely populated areas, and under-served areas like
the Northeast Sector and the South of Fraser will
get more transit, both the rapid transit and the buses
they need to serve their growth in population and
jobs much sooner. Work with the Ministry of Transportation
will begin immediately to move the plan forward.
The
largest bus expansion in 31 years will be the centrepiece
of TransLink’s 2008 transportation plan, which
will deliver transit service expansion, road improvements
and progress on major road and transit projects.
UPCOMING
EVENTS
ONTARIO
TRAFFIC CONFERENCE
The
Ontario Traffic Conference was formed in 1950 by a
small group of municipal officials who saw the need
for a coordinated effort to improve traffic management
in Ontario, by drawing together
the knowledge and expertise of those in the fields
of enforcement, engineering and education.
Following
are some of the specific aims of the OTC:
- To provide a source for the
dissemination of the latest information and techniques
for improvement in traffic safety and management
of traffic
- To assist and coordinate with
the various governmental, other agencies and organizations
with an interest in traffic and parking fields
- To develop and improve education
programs relating to the fields of traffic safety,
traffic/parking enforcement and traffic/parking
operations
- To encourage and promote technical
investigations and reports on topics of current
interest in the field of traffic and parking
- To solicit participation of
all persons engaged in traffic engineering, parking
and traffic safety in Ontario.
The
OTC is hosting a number of events and courses that
may be of interest to ITS Canada members:
Ontario
Traffic Conference and AGM
June 2 and 3, 2008 – Oakville, Ontario
OTC
Parking Workshop
September 14 to 16, 2008 – Stratford, Ontario
OTC
Traffic Engineering Workshop
October 16, 2008 – Alliston, Ontario
For
information, please visit their website at www.otc.org.
Newsletter
published by ITS Canada.
Submissions
or comments can be emailed to askus@itscanada.ca.
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