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FUTURE VISION FOR ITS
By
William Johnson, TRENDS
The
ITS Canada 2007 Annual Conference provided delegates
with many opportunities to learn about recent developments
and accomplishments in the field of ITS, as well as
to learn what the future may hold for ITS in Canada.
To discern that future, one of the best places to
start is with the Conference session led by senior
members of Transport Canada entitled “Transport
Canada’s Initiatives and Future Vision for ITS”.
The
federal role is important to energize and motivate
the overall direction of ITS in Canada. In this session,
Susan Spencer, Director of the ITS Office, and Helena
Borges, Director General Surface Policy, made presentations
on the status and future of ITS programs in their
department, concluding with a metaphor: the “Temple
of ITS”. Their proposal to revisit and update
the ITS Strategic Plan for Canada in consultation
with the ITS community across Canada was well received.
In this issue, the highlights of their presentations
are summarized for quick review.
ITS
Canada members are also interested in future markets,
of course. The presentation by Nancy McNiven describes
the federal programs at the Department of Foreign
Affairs and International Trade, or ‘DFAIT’
for short. All those who wish to enter markets outside
Canada will find her presentation most helpful.
The
future will also contain technological developments.
An article by John Greenough reports on highlights
from the session on Traffic Monitoring, a fundamental
ITS application. This issue also reports on a workshop
jointly sponsored by ITS Canada and Transport Canada
to “position the debate” on the need for
XML Standards for Traffic Information Systems. The
workshop included an invited presentation by Bob Rausch,
Chair of the U.S. NTCIP TMDD Standards Committee.
(TMDD is Traffic Management Data Dictionary.) The
outcome of the workshop was a commitment to develop
a Canadian position on the issue and to organize to
find solutions.
These
articles on the future of ITS in Canada would not
be complete without a word about ITS developments
in the rest of North America, including border crossings.
In the previous issue of ITS Canada’s Newsletter,
an article reported on the keynote address by Jeff
Paniati, Associate Administrator for Operations in
the U.S. Federal Highway Administration with his overview
of U.S.DOT ITS policies and programs. To round out
that summary, this issue has a brief article with
additional highlights from the Executive Session –
U.S. DOT at the recent ITS America Annual Conference
in Palm Springs, California.
ITS CANADA ANNUAL CONFERENCE – Session Reports
With
the theme Intelligent Borders: ITS As A Gateway
To Prosperity, the Conference explored many aspects
of ITS along with border crossing technology. Below
are reports that review some of the sessions.
Traffic
Monitoring – Can you “See Me” Now?
By John Greenough, LEA Consulting
This session focused on the future of advanced traffic
management systems. The topics included video incident
detection along freeways and within tunnels, the
integration of traffic operations and emergency
operations for improved incident management, the
future of integrated corridor management (which
involves optimizing individual networks and focuses
on improving cross network management) and the future
role of cell phone technology for traffic management
and incident detection.
The
future of advanced traffic management systems involves
the traffic operations centre managing the flow
of traffic along freeways, detecting incidents and
notifying emergency personnel in a timely manner.
Traffic, incident and emergency information would
be delivered to all road users (either by VMS, in-vehicle
systems, cell phones, HAR, etc.) in a timely manner
to assist them in making quick decisions on alternative
routes (including other modes of transportation).
The
presentations outlined the advantages of integrating
traffic operations and emergency operations to improve
incident detection and management. They also outlined
the importance of reliable and accurate incident
detection technologies in this process and the future
of managing major arterials, major transit corridors
and rail in addition to freeways, and using this
information to improve the operational efficiency
of network junctions. One presentation described
the important role cell phones can play by locating
incidents using GPS and delivering important traffic
and incident information right to the drivers’
fingertips.
Integration
of control centre operations, real-time information,
reliable advanced traffic management and detection
technologies, and integrated corridor management
play a key role in the future of advanced traffic
management systems.
The
audience was particularly interested in the use
of cell phones for managing traffic and incidents.
This area is relatively new on the ITS scene and
opens new doors in the way real-time information
is delivered to traffic and emergency response personnel
as well as road users.
Transport
Canada’s Initiatives and Future Vision for ITS – $33 billion and counting
By William Johnson, TRENDS Consulting
Susan
Spencer moderated the session and opened with a
quick revisit of the ITS Strategy for Canada –
En Route to Intelligent Mobility (1999). This document
was built around five “pillars” –
partnering, developing ITS architecture, accelerating
deployment, fostering R&D, and promoting Canadian
industry. The main benefits that the strategy has
offered are leadership, promoting the development
of strategic planning by other levels of government,
guaranteeing integration, provision of industry
support and capacity building. Today, Transport
Canada’s long-term vision for ITS includes
similar themes: partnerships, promoting and ensuring
integration, supporting industry and building professional
capacity. With this introduction, Susan passed the
podium to Helena Borges to provide the “big
picture”.
Helena
Borges is well known to ITS Canada from the days
when she was the first Director of the ITS Office
in Transport Canada. Now the Director General Surface
Policy, she presented an overview of the federal
government’s latest policy directions and
their implications for ITS. Building on Susan’s
opening remarks, she reiterated that now is the
time to revisit the strategic direction for ITS
in consultation with all ITS stakeholders, taking
into account the current transportation environment.
She
listed the accomplishments of the last 10 years:
a national ITS strategy, building awareness, accelerating
deployment, strategic ITS planning and the success
of ITS Canada, to mention a few. Moving forward
will take ITS to the next level beyond the achievements
of the last decade and will take into account current
political and social realities.
Helena
outlined three key challenges for transportation:
competitiveness, safety and security, and efficiency
while protecting the environment.
1.
Enhancing Canada’s competitive advantage –
By creating efficient inter-modal trade corridors
and gateways, ensuring efficient flow of people
and goods at borders and promoting faster innovation.
2.
Safety and Security – To keep citizens safe
and secure from terror, accidents and exposure to
dangerous goods. Measures will be taken to reduce
accidents, keep out terrorists, prepare for catastrophic
events, work with U.S. partners and others, and
protect critical infrastructure.
3.
Efficiency While Protecting the Environment –
By promoting the smooth flow of goods and passengers
while protecting the environment. This will require
reducing fuel emissions, faster introduction of
clean technologies, more efficient urban transportation,
and giving Canadians more sustainable transport
options.
Helena
gave examples of recent federal initiatives that
have addressed these challenges:
Windsor-Detroit
Gateway – Planning is well underway to invest
in improvements that will enable this crossing to
continue to meet the challenges of expanding trade.
This includes a new crossing by 2013 that will incorporate
many ITS innovations.
Asia-Pacific
Gateway – The federal contribution of $1 billion
includes funding for a new multi-agency regional
transportation management centre.
Security
and Prosperity Partnership – A NAFTA-based
initiative to increase security, while at the same
time introducing measures to keep legitimate commerce
moving. It was within this context that the Border
Information Flow Architecture (BIFA) was developed.
Eco-Transport
– The federal government has committed $100
million to promote clean transportation technologies,
including transit, new vehicle technologies, new
fuels and emission reduction technologies, with
many opportunities for ITS applications.
The
Challenge
Helena outlined the dramatic federal plans for future
infrastructure funding, as outlined in the 2007
budget: $33 billion in total for infrastructure
investments over seven years. This includes $8.8
billion for Building Canada (including highways
with provinces), $2.1 billion for gateways and borders,
$1.26 billion for public-private partnerships, and
$1 billion for APGCI. The implications for an ITS
Strategic Plan are clear: each and every proposal
under these programs must address each of the three
challenges: enhance competitiveness, safety and
security, and efficiency with environmental sustainability.
As well, Transport Canada wants the ITS community
to participate fully in developing an ITS Strategic
Plan to address these opportunities and challenges.
Susan
Spencer returned to the podium to elaborate on the
theme of a renewed strategic vision for ITS in Canada
and the contribution it can make to meet these three
challenges. To start, she posed the question, “What
is different from 1999?” The ITS sector is
more mature now and in various states of development.
The policy priorities today are competitiveness,
safety and security, and environmental protection.
Susan made a number of points to illustrate the
role ITS can play in the emerging future of transportation:
 ITS can play a role in promoting competitiveness
in international trade: directly in facilitating
trade corridors and gateways, but also in making
supply chains efficient, enabling intermodal integration,
and optimizing the use of existing infrastructure.
ITS can contribute to reducing the impact of transportation
on the environment through more efficient vehicle
technologies and more efficient traffic operations.
ITS can contribute significantly to transportation
security and safety, not just for freight and border
crossings, but also to enable quick response to
accidents, tracking of dangerous goods, and enabling
the smooth resumption of traffic after an incident.
ITS is the key ingredient that provides the capability
to “integrate” the various players,
services and institutions who together contribute
to security and safety.
ITS can serve to integrate at many levels: at the
technology level, among modes of transport and among
jurisdictions. ITS projects can include smart gateways
and corridors, urban networks, and cross-Canada
network services such as 511 Traveller Information,
Canadian Commercial Vehicle Operations Network (CCVON),
and Road Weather Information Service (RWIS).
The
Canadian ITS Architecture will play a key role in
maximizing the impact of ITS. It continues as an
essential foundation but an update is required.
Transport Canada has a project underway to assess
what changes are needed. This could include closer
alignment with the U.S. architecture, the development
of tools for easier use, and updating training courses.
The new Canadian ITS architecture will incorporate
the Border Information Flow Architecture and will
consider requirements for technical specifications
and interface standards. The tools for using the
architecture will be user friendly and will enable
process mapping for multimodal supply chains.
ITS
research and development (R&D) has played a
successful role in the early innovation and development
of ITS technologies and applications. Transport
Canada has fostered the establishment of Centres
of Excellence for ITS R&D in universities across
Canada and intends to continue to do so under a
new strategic plan.
The
ITS Temple
To conclude their presentation of the Transport
Canada vision for ITS, Susan and Helena used the
metaphor of a “Temple of ITS” to illustrate
how they see the various elements fitting together.
Standing on a solid foundation of R&D and the
ITS Architecture, the temple columns represent the
three major themes of Corridors, Urban Networks
and Cross-Canada Networks, capped by an over-arching
roof representing Integration and Partnerships.
Altogether,
a dramatic and thought-provoking way to leave the
audience with a strong mental image of their vision
for ITS!
 |
|
From
left to right
Susan Spencer and Helena
Borges of Transport Canada,
with Nancy McNiven of the
Dept. of Foreign Affairs and International
Trade |
DFAIT
Takes ITS to Market
The Department of Foreign
Affairs and International Trade (DFAIT) is a partner
with Transport Canada in assisting companies and
associations to expand their reach into international
markets. Together, the two federal departments have
greatly assisted ITS Canada and individual firms
to successfully explore and establish themselves
in new markets. The presentation by Nancy McNiven
outlined the many services that DFAIT provides and
the new services it can offer in future to the ITS
community.
Nancy
introduced the role of DFAIT and the services it
provides. DFAIT represents Canada in other countries
where it promotes Canadian values and expertise.
The support services it provides to Canadians abroad
include consular and passport, investment, science
and technology, and trade. She elaborated on three
themes: trade policy, global commerce strategy,
and business sector support:
Trade
Policy – To promote Canada’s economic
interests in global marketplaces. The Trade Commercial
Service is the “marketing arm” for small
to medium-sized enterprises who are either new or
experienced in international markets and are export
ready. DFAIT has 149 trade offices in 101 countries.
Associations are also part of their clientele. One
of the programs that is well known to ITS Canada
is the Program for Export Market Development (PEMD)
that assists members of associations to open new
markets overseas with funding assistance for travel
and support services.
Global
Commerce Strategy – This is a set of policies
and programs to address the changing realities and
intense competition in international markets, to
ensure continued prosperity for Canadian companies.
It has three integrated elements: identifying Canadian
partners of choice, connecting to businesses with
expanding global reach, and assistance with negotiations.
New
Business Sector Bureau and International Business
Opportunity Centres – There are 11 sector
teams that focus on assisting Canadian firms to
conduct international trade. Their role is to create
conditions for success, and they have funding of
$69 million over 2 years to explore emerging markets,
promote investment, operate science and technology
networks, and create global value chains. The rail
sector, for example, includes transit and ITS.
DFAIT
is ready to assist Canadian ITS companies. In the
short term, it will work with Transport Canada on
the international component of a national ITS strategy
and, in the long term, it will promote the growth
of successful Canadian ITS companies.
INDUSTRY
CANADA REQUESTS COMMENTS ON USE OF SPECTRUM FOR ITS
By
Jonathan Sabean, Transport Canada
Industry
Canada has issued a request for comments on proposals
to establish the spectrum policy, technical and licensing
provisions to accommodate Dedicated Short Range Communications
(DSRC) in support of Intelligent Transportation Systems
(ITS) in the band 5850-5925 MHz.
The
proposal can be found on Industry Canada's website
at http://strategis.ic.gc.ca/epic/site/smt-gst.nsf/en/sf08744e.html.
Specifically,
Industry Canada is making recommendations on the definition
and applications of DSRC, a policy on the transition
to the new Spectrum utilization, a new channelling
plan, eligibility of use, licensing, service area
structure, power limits, and the applicability of
ASTM-DSRC standards.
ITS
Canada members are encouraged to provide comments
on the proposal. A significant number of supportive
responses from stakeholders will confirm that there
is a legitimate need for the allocation of spectrum
bandwidth for ITS applications, to balance against
any negative feedback from non-ITS stakeholders who
may prefer that the 5850 5925 MHz band be reserved
for other purposes.
Industry
Canada's comment deadline is Friday, June
29, 2007.
XML FILE FORMAT FOR BULK TRAFFIC DATA – Workshop
Report
By
William Johnson, TRENDS Consulting
The issue of whether or not
to develop a Canadian standard for bulk traffic data
transfers emerged in early 2006 as the participants
in the growing market for traffic information services
began to look for collective solutions to the problems
of duplication of effort and cost inefficiencies.
Transport Canada volunteered to sponsor a workshop
to examine the issue. The resulting workshop, convened
by ITS Canada and held in conjunction with ITS Canada’s
Annual Conference in Niagara Falls, attracted over
50 delegates representing a broad cross section of
the Canadian ITS community.
Susan
Spencer, Director of the ITS Office at Transport Canada,
moderated the workshop. In her introductory remarks,
she recalled for delegates that the Canadian ITS Architecture
calls for standards but, until the ad hoc XML Working
Group had come forward, none had been identified as
a Canadian need. She stated that the purpose of the
workshop was to review the state of XML for traffic
data, to hear from users and to position the debate.
Her charge to the delegates was to consider what needed
to be done, and whether the TMDD (Traffic Management
Data Dictionary – the U.S. NTCIP approach) was
the right way to go.
There
followed five presentations by experts in the field
with unique perspectives, including:
Bob Rausch, TransCore USA, Chair U.S. NTCIP TMDD
Committee
Phil Masters, Ontario Ministry of Transportation,
traffic data provider
James Fam, Greater Vancouver Transportation Authority,
traffic data user
Richard Chylinski, Delcan, system integrator
Barrie Kirk, Globis Data, Chair of ad hoc XML Working
Group.
The
delegates then engaged in an open plenary discussion
that touched on many of the factors affecting the
need for a common file format and the problems involved
in developing such a format.
A
complete record of the presentations and the discussion
is posted on the ITS Canada website at www.itscanada.ca/niagara2007/XML.htm.
Susan
presented her summary of the outcome of the workshop
in seven points:
Not looking at an ITE/NTCIP/TMDD level solution
Canada needs to develop application profiles for
its ITS needs, starting with traffic data and drawing
on existing TMDD and XML expertise.
On
how to proceed, Susan posed the following suggestions:
ITS Canada to serve as host for the activity that
would have both technical and strategic leadership
and would develop the common “application
profile”
Need to create a steering committee to decide technical
representation
Training for standards must be part of the proposed
activity and this could be part of ITS Canada’s
ITS training workshops
Training for the actual agreed common “application
profile” is also needed
Establish a link back to the U.S. TMDD work.
In
the discussion that followed, the delegates expressed
broad agreement with Susan’s summary and it
was adopted as the plan for moving forward.
To
kick things off, Phil Masters agreed to serve as the
“strategic” co-chair of the proposed activity
to be hosted by ITS Canada. In collaboration with
Transport Canada, ITS Canada and key stakeholders
agreed to work out the other arrangements and launch
the “application profile” development
activity.
Susan
thanked the speakers and delegates and declared the
workshop a success.
U.S.
DOT ITS PROGRAMS
By
William Johnson, TRENDS Consulting
The recent ITS America Annual Meeting in Palm Springs,
California, the Executive Session provided an opportunity
to hear from senior officials in the U.S. Department
of Transportation on their plans and programs for
ITS.
Given
the significant trade and social traffic between Canada
and the United States, these views are bound to have
some influence on the future direction of ITS in Canada.
Moderated by John Bobo, the Deputy Administrator,
Research and Innovative Technology Administration
(RITA) in which the ITS Joint Program Office (JPO)
now resides, the message is clear that the JPO will
play a lead role in ITS innovation as well as in ITS
program coordination.
Shelley
Row, Director of the ITS Joint Program Office (JPO)
outlined the trends that are creating the need for
ITS and innovation. She mentioned growing congestion,
stagnant safety measures, limited public resources,
and the slow pace of ITS deployment. On the other
hand, there is an explosion of new information technologies
and growing expectations for real-time connectivity
to information sources. The JPO’s priorities
are to create a foundation layer of technologies for
system monitoring, foster public and private partnerships,
fund high-risk innovations, act as a catalyst for
new initiatives, support public sector applications,
and facilitate ITS gatherings.
Jeff
Paniati, Associate Administrator for Operations in
the Federal Highways Administration, represents the
office promoting deployment of ITS technologies into
practice on the nation’s highways. The Congestion
Initiative is a six-point plan announced in 2006 that
includes relieving urban congestion, introducing technology
into operations, and establishing a “Corridors
of the Future” program through a nationwide
competition. Phase 1 of this competition recently
concluded, with eight corridors selected (including
I-95) for further analysis and selection (three to
five will emerge for full funding).
Walter
Kulyk of the Federal Transit Administration (FTA)
presented the Department’s role in promoting
the future of transit and ITS in transit to mitigate
congestion and meet national social goals. He highlighted
how ITS can improve efficiency (e.g., fleet management,
electronic payment, traveller information), reduce
congestion (e.g., modify service to match demand,
manage park-and-ride, adopt universal electronic payment),
and create future transport management opportunities
(e.g., high performance bus rapid transit, land use
and transportation coordination).
MEMBERS
IN THE NEWS
In
early June 2007, International Road Dynamics (IRD)
Inc. announced the award of 16 virtual weigh stations
in the Country of Qatar. This contract represents
the first award through their partner Traffic Tech
(Gulf) to supply Weigh-In-Motion (WIM) Pre-Screening
Systems in the country. The 16 virtual weigh station
sites will weigh trucks in motion, capture images
of suspected overloaded trucks and transmit the vehicle
information and images to an enforcement facility
downstream. The systems utilize IRD WIM technology,
powered by IRD’s iSINC electronics system to
provide a system to identify and provide information
on specific trucks suspected of having load issues.
The iSINC interface also provides Internet and wireless
access to the system to allow enforcement staff to
monitor the truck traffic remotely. For more information,
email IRD at irdir@irdinc.com.
UPCOMING
EVENTS
| |
XVII
Canadian Multidiscipinary Road Safety Conference
June 3 to 6, 2007 – Montreal, Quebec
www.cmrsc.polymtl.ca |
| |
ITS
America 2007 Annual Meeting and Exposition
June 4 to 6, 2007 – Palm Springs, California
www.itsa.org |
| |
7th International Conference
on ITS Telecommunications (ITST 2007)
June 6 to 8, 2007 – Sophia Antipolis, France
www.itst2007.eurecom.fr |
| |
ITS
New York Annual Meeting and Technology Exhibition
June 7 and 8, 2007 – Saratoga Springs, New York
DottyD@aol.com |
| |
CUTA
Annual Conference
June 9 to 13, 2007 – Halifax, NS
www.cutaactu.ca |
| |
IBTTA Spring Technology
Workshop
June 10 to 12, 2007 – Berlin, Germany
www.ibtta.org/Events |
| |
2nd Ibero-American Congress/7th
ITS Argentina Congress
June 12 to 14, 2007 – Bueno Aires, Argentina
www.congresoits.com.ar |
| |
6th
European ITS Congress and Exhibition
June 18 to 20, 2007 – Aalborg, Denmark
www.itsineurope.com |
| |
Asia Traffic
July 9 to 12, 2007 – Singapore
www.asia-traffic.com |
| |
ITE 2007 Annual Meeting
and Exhibition
August 5 to 8, 2007 – Pittsburg, PA
www.ite.org |
| |
23rd World Road Congress
September 17 to 21, 2007 – Paris, France
www.paris2007-route.fr |
| |
Vll Congreso Espanol ITS
September 18 to 20, 2007 – Valencia, Spain
www.itsspain.com |
| |
Trafic
October 2 to 5, 2007 – Madrid, Spain
www.trafic.ifema.es |
| |
75th IBTTA Annual Meeting
and Exposition
October 6 to 10, 2007 – Vienna, Austria
www.ibtta.org |
| |
National Rural ITS Conference
October 7 to 10, 2007 – Traverse City, MI
www.nritsconference.org |
| |
14th
World Congress on ITS
October 9 to 13, 2007 – Beijing, China
www.itsa.org |
| |
Intertraffic
North America
October 10 to 12, 2007 – Fort Lauderdale,
Florida
www.intertraffic.com |
| |
TAC
Annual Conference and Exhibition
October 14 to 17, 2007 – Saskatoon, SK
www.tac-atc.ca |
| |
Gulf Traffic
Exhibition and Conference
December 10 to 12, 2007 – Dubai, UAE
www.gulftraffic.com |
| |
15th World
Congress on ITS and ITS America’s 2008 Annual
Meeting & Exposition
November 17 to 20, 2008 – New York, NY
www.itsa.org/worldcongress.html |
Newsletter
published by ITS Canada.
Submissions
or comments can be emailed to askus@itscanada.ca.
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