MAY / JUNE 2005
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CRTC ISSUES PUBLIC NOTICE RE ITS CANADA’S 511 APPLICATION
Following April’s application to the CRTC by “ITS Canada et al” requesting the assignment of 511 to weather and traveller information services, the CRTC has now issued a “Public Notice” inviting comments and feedback from any interested party.
The notice is posted online at www.crtc.gc.ca/PartVII/eng/2005/8698/j44_200500240.htm.
The notice recognizes that some wireless service providers have been using 511 to allow their customers to place calls while roaming without incurring long distance charges. Many of the telecom companies have advised the CRTC that they are prepared to vacate 511 by the end of June 2006.
The following key schedule dates are included in the notice:
- June 16, 2005 – Any party wishing to participate fully in the proceeding must notify the CRTC by this date
- July 11, 2005 – Written comments must be received by the CRTC
- August 8, 2005 – Parties may file replies to the comments before this date.
More information is available from Paul Frigon at pfrigon@psrgroup.on.ca.
511 usage statistics recently published from the United States include:
- March – total calls 1,575,247
- April – total calls 1,180,694
- Over 33.6 million calls nationwide since the inception of 511.
Other U.S. 511 accomplishments include:
- 511 is available to over 81 million Americans (28 percent).
- Rhode Island launched their service on March 9, 2005 – the 26th service nationwide, and the 23rd state with 511 available.
- In March, the Montana service received its 1 millionth call and the San Francisco Bay Area received its 6 millionth call.
- In April, the Southeast Florida service received its 5 millionth call.
- Systems deployed for one year saw a 28.4 percent increase in March 2005 call volumes compared to March 2004, and a 28.5 percent increase in April 2005 call volumes compared to April 2004.
- The Rhode Island and Southeast Florida services set monthly call volume records in March. The Rhode Island and South Dakota services set daily call volume records in March. The Rhode Island service set an hourly call volume record in March.
- The Maine service set daily and hourly call volume records in April.
- Peak usage was experienced due to weather conditions and incidents.
For more information about 511 in Canada, contact:
Paul Frigon, Chair
Canada 511 Consortium
Tel (613) 820-6019
E-mail pfrigon@psrgroup.on.ca
ITS CANADA’S ANNUAL CONFERENCE
By all accounts, ITS Canada’s Annual Conference, held in Quebec City on May 15 to 17, 2005, was the most successful event in ITS Canada’s history. With over 280 participants, the networking opportunities were unparalleled, providing attendees with excellent leads and partnering opportunities. This year’s event also included a record number of exhibitors and sponsors. Session participants benefited from simultaneous interpretation provided through a contribution from Transport Canada. The highlight of the Conference’s social events was the banquet, held in the spectacular Musée de la Civilisation. Attendees enjoyed the exceptional architecture, the high quality of the museum exhibits and, of course, a delicious feast featuring local cuisine.
Elizabeth Birriel spoke at the event, and advised, “I was very impressed with the quality of the presentations and the speakers. The fact that it was so international, with attendees from the United Kingdom and France, made the meeting very interesting. The meeting was very well organized. Congratulations on such a superb job.”
During the event, ITS Canada held its Annual General Meeting. Election results, committee reports, and the financial status of the Society were presented. Further information regarding the election is on Page 2.
ITS Canada would like to sincerely thank the major sponsors who supported this event, Transport Canada and Ministère des transports du Québec, as well as the following sponsors: Bell Canada, CGI, CIMA+, Daktronics, Delcan Corporation, EBA Engineering Consultants, Electromega, Fortran Traffic Systems, IBI Group, Innovative Traffic Solutions, International Road Dynamics, LGS/IBM, Lynx Technologies, NAVTEQ, Roche, Rogers Wireless, RTQ, Silicomp, Tecsult, and Traficon USA.
A huge thank-you also goes out to the Local Organizing Committee, whose dedicated efforts resulted in the exceptional success of this year’s Annual Conference.
Chairman Joseph Lam speaks at ITS Canada’s Annual Conference
Participants at the banquet mingle and enjoy the ambience
at the Musée de la Civilisation
More event photos are available in the online gallery.
Feedback
“ITS Canada’s Annual Conference in Quebec was one of the most positive meetings to date. Traffic in the exhibit area and the quality of contacts was excellent. Generally there was a positive mood, and Canadian agencies have a genuine demand for ITS systems, spurred on in part by Transport Canada’s partnership program and a strong Canadian economy. It was refreshing to be part of such a successful event, and it makes for an easy job justifying the costs and the time spent.” Brian Taylor, International Road Dynamics
ITS CANADA ELECTS NEW BOARD OF DIRECTORS
At ITS Canada’s Annual General Meeting held May 15, 2005, in Quebec City, election results for ITS Canada’s Board of Directors were ratified in a vote of the members present. Mr. Joseph Lam was re-elected as the Chairman of the Board, and the following were elected as Directors for the 2005-2007 term:
- Michael Bailey – NAVTEQ
- Robert Bruce – EIS Electronic Integrated Systems
- Michael De Santis – Lynx Technologies
- Paul Frigon – PSR Group
- Kara John – DMTI Spatial
- William Johnson – TRENDS
- Les Kelman – City of Toronto
- Joseph Lam – Delcan
- Jacques Legault – Daktronics Canada
- Nancy Lynch – New Brunswick Dept. of Transportation
- Doug MacKay – Regional Municipality of Durham
- Robyn McGregor – EBA Engineering Consultants
- John Pump – Insurance Corporation of British Columbia
- Ahmad Radmanesh – City of Calgary
- Robert Shirra – RGS Consulting International
- Scott Stewart – IBI Group.
The new Board has approved the following Executive Committee for the 2005-2007 term:
- Joseph Lam – Chairman of the Board
- Michael De Santis – Vice Chairman
- Scott Stewart – Treasurer
- Paul Frigon – Secretary
- Les Kelman
- Nancy Lynch
- Robyn McGregor.
Board members in attendance, May 17, 2005
Seated, L-R: Scott Stewart, Rob Shirra, Kara John
Standing, L-R: Doug MacKay, Michael De Santis, Jacques Legault, Robyn McGregor,
William Johnson, Joseph Lam, Ahmad Radmanesh, Nancy Lynch, Robert Bruce
MEMBERS IN THE NEWS
TransLink has won another award for the Universal Transit Pass (U-Pass) program, from the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) and CH2M Hill, an internationally renowned engineering firm specializing in sustainable public infrastructure. The award recognizes excellence and innovation in municipal service delivery that has advanced sustainable community development.
TransLink’s universal pass system serves more than 60,000 students at Simon Fraser University and the University of British Columbia. Students have voted to make U-Pass a mandatory program, sharing its costs among the entire student body. Designed to increase transit ridership, U-Pass provides students with unlimited travel on the region’s bus, rapid transit, and passenger ferry services. Launched in August 2003, under this successful program transit ridership is soaring and traffic volumes to the campuses have dropped.
NET, a subsidiary of Delcan Corporation in the U.S., has entered into a partnership to deliver real-time traffic information using Cellular Floating Vehicle Data (CFVD™) to public agencies throughout the U.S. The technology to be employed uses anonymous data from cell phones to estimate speeds and travel times on expressways and arterial roads. It offers an exciting new source of traffic information that will support traveller information services as well as transportation management and planning applications. The goal is to provide state, local, and federal agencies with significantly more real-time traffic data at substantially lower costs than possible using traditional methods such as sensors. This will allow transportation agencies to make more effective use of existing field devices which, when combined with CFVD™, will enable the rapid regional expansion of traveller information.
ISO/TC 204 — PARIS IN THE SPRING!
By William Johnson, Chair, Canadian Advisory Committee for ISO/TC 204
The ISO Technical Committee 204 develops international standards for intelligent transportation systems. The TC 204 member countries and their accredited ITS experts meet twice per year in working group sessions and at a plenary meeting. In April 2005, TC 204 was hosted by the National Standards body of France, AFNOR, at their offices in St. Denis in suburban Paris.
The Canadian delegation included William Johnson, Lewis Sabounghi, Jackson Wang, and Christina Rudin-Brown, the newest member of the Canadian Advisory Committee for ISO/TC 204. They attended working group meetings focused on freight and emergency management, traffic management, public transport systems, traveller information systems, and vehicle/roadway warning and control systems.
The most important reason for developing ITS standards is to facilitate interoperability in transportation operations. Having the capability to communicate from the roadside to vehicles, vehicles to vehicles, and vehicles to the roadside will in future be a key feature of transportation operations. Another important reason is to facilitate production for sale in many different markets around the world. For both of these reasons, automotive manufacturing is a key domain for international ITS standards.
Working Group 14, Vehicle/roadway warning and control systems, is developing ITS standards for functions involving the vehicle and the roadway. Made up of experts from auto manufacturers, government regulators, and academics from Europe, North America and Asia-Pacific, this working group is making significant progress. Their ITS standards, designated by an “alphabet soup” of acronyms – such as FSRA-CCS (Full Speed Range Adaptive Cruise Control Systems) and ISVWS (Intersection Signal Violation Warning Systems), are expected to become standard features on vehicles sold in international markets.
From Canada, Christina Rudin-Brown attended the Working Group 14 meeting. She is employed by the Road Safety and Motor Vehicle Regulation Directorate at Transport Canada, and brings a wealth of knowledge and experience as a human factors specialist to the task of perfecting these standards.
ISO/TC 204 has a joint project agreement with the APEC ITS Experts Group (i.e., Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation) to conduct a worldwide survey of ITS standards development and deployment. The Stage 1 questionnaire will be sent out in May 2005 to all TC 204 and APEC countries, including Canada, for response by the end of June. The Korean National Standards body manages the survey project, and a report is due in early 2006.
The Canadian Advisory Committee (CAC) for ISO/TC 204 operates under the auspices of the Standards Council of Canada. The CAC welcomes new members to assist in reviewing and voting on balloted work items. If you would like to join the CAC or to receive further information, contact:
William Johnson
Tel (613) 797-1489
E-mail johnswf@attglobal.net
NEWS bITS
Traffic Signal Timing in the U.S.
The National Transportation Operations Coalition in the United States has issued a report indicating that traffic signal timing across the country has been graded a “D-” , and is contributing to pollution and congestion, negatively affecting commuters nationwide.
The detailed Technical Report shows how the survey was conducted, and includes noteworthy findings in each of six categories that were considered necessary components to achieving excellence in traffic signal operations:
- Proactive management
- Coordinated systems
- Individual intersections
- Specialized operations
- Detection
- Maintenance.
The report concludes that insufficient funds are being allocated for traffic signal timing and indicates that, with an investment of about $4 per car per year, or 1 percent of funds spent annually on transportation, agencies could reduce delays and improve the grade to an “A” .
Conclusions are that the benefits of investments in signal timing outweigh the costs by 40:1 or more. Those benefits include shorter commute times, improved air quality, better fuel efficiency, and decreased driver frustration.
Full details are available at www.ite.org/reportcard.
ITS Costs and Benefits
UK’s Department for Transport has produced a CD “Understanding the Benefits and Costs of Intelligent Transport Systems: A Toolkit Approach” to complement previously issued material aimed to encourage and facilitate greater adoption of ITS by local authorities in the United Kingdom.
The CD covers the selection of ITS tools to meet policy objectives, the benefits and costs of ITS deployment, what others have done to incorporate ITS within transport plans, and lessons learned from their experience.
A limited supply is available to ITS Canada members while quantities last, from ITS UK via e-mail at mailbox@its-uk.org.uk.
ITS Slovakio Joins Network of National ITS Associations
ITS Slovakia (Inteligentné Dopravné Systémy Slovensko – IDS Slovensko) has joined the ERTICO-initiated Network of National ITS Associations in Europe as its seventeenth member. Launched in October 2004, the network aims to provide promotion and support of national ITS organizations, both in Europe and around the world, through information exchange and cooperation.
Network members now include ITS Czech Republic, ITS Denmark, ITS Finland, ITS France, ITS Greece, ITS Hungary, ITS Munich, ITS Netherlands (Connekt), ITS Norway, ITS Romania, ITS Slovakia, ITS Sweden, ITS Switzerland, ITS United Kingdom, ITS&S Czech Republic, Telematics Cluster (Belgium), and TTS Italia.
For more information: www.ertico.com/en/activities/other_initiatives/network_of_national_its_associations.htm
ITS CANADA WELCOMES NEW CORPORATE MEMBERS
- BC Transit
- Bell Canada
- City of Coquitlam
- DTI Telecom
- Genivar
FUNDING NEWS FROM THE GOVERNMENT OF CANADA
Manitoba To Install RWIS
On June 2, 2005, the signing of a contribution agreement between the Government of Canada and the Province of Manitoba was announced, for the acquisition and installation of eight Road Weather Information System (RWIS) stations along the National Highway System in Manitoba.
The total cost of the project is expected to be $520,400, with the Government of Canada contributing up to $212,100.
This funding supports the development of a cross-Canada Road Weather Information Systems network. Up to 50 per cent of eligible costs relating to the acquisition and installation of the system components will be paid by Transport Canada, subject to the successful completion of contribution agreements with interested provinces and territories, which are expected to pay the balance as well as the ongoing operation and maintenance costs. As a condition of funding, provinces and territories are also required to enter into a data-sharing agreement with Environment Canada.
For full details, please visit www.tc.gc.ca/mediaroom/releases/nat/2005/05-h124e.htm.
Federal Government Announces $800 Million for Public Transit
At the 2005 CUTA Annual Conference held in June in Gatineau, Quebec, the Government of Canada announced the investment of up to $800 million, over two years, in Canada’s public transit system. This investment will be allocated to provinces and territories on a per-capita basis. The funds are over and above the $5 billion, over five years, expected to be distributed from federal gas tax revenues that was announced in February 2005 for environmentally sustainable infrastructure.
For full details, please visit www.cutaactu.ca/pdf/EXPRESSions/EN/20050602.pdf.
Saskatchewan Receives ITS Funding
On June 6, 2005, the signing of a contribution agreement between the Government of Canada and the Province of Saskatchewan was announced, in order to deploy a number of ITS projects.
The first project involves the installation of three remote vehicle inspection stations using weigh-in-motion (WIM) technology, in Carlyle, Weyburn, and Prince Albert. This technology weighs and measures commercial vehicles without requiring them to stop at roadside weigh stations. It also allows enforcement agencies to pre-screen vehicles for compliance with provincial regulations. Data collected during the period of this project will be analyzed to provide information supporting further ITS technologies in other rural parts of the province.
The Province of Saskatchewan intends to deploy additional projects under the newly signed agreement, in support of its Intelligent Transportation Systems Strategic Plan.
For more information, please see www.tc.gc.ca/mediaroom/releases/nat/2005/05-h126e.htm.
ITS CANADA BOARD NAMES COMMITTEE CHAIRS FOR 2005–2007
At ITS Canada’s Board of Directors meeting held May 17, 2005, in Quebec City, the following Committee chairs were named:
Annual Conference Organizing Committee
Michael De Santis
Education and Training Committee
William Johnson
Export Committee
Robert Bruce
Finance and Investment Committee
Les Kelman
Member Services
Doug MacKay
Standards and Architecture Committee
Robyn McGregor
TOMSC
Ahmad Radmanesh
UNIVERSITY OF NEW BRUNSWICK ITS RESEARCH AND TESTING PROGRAM
The Transportation Group at the University of New Brunswick has established a national program for identifying, testing, and evaluating intelligent transportation systems (ITS) in rural environments. The program’s goal is to identify innovative and previously unproven technologies for improving rural transportation systems. There are currently three projects being conducted at the University:
- Work Zone Radar Speed Management Study
- Remote Track Switch Position Indicator
- Grade Crossing Warning System for Private and Farm Crossings.
The total cost of these projects is $613,900, with Transport Canada providing $291,400, under the bilateral Canada-New Brunswick ITS Research and Development (R&D) Agreement, which is part of the Strategic Highway Infrastructure Program. The Province of New Brunswick‘s Department of Transportation and the University will partner with industry stakeholders on these projects, which are scheduled for completion in March 2006.
Work Zone Radar Speed Management
Construction zones in rural areas face unique challenges. Low traffic density combined with high speeds present an elevated risk for the number and severity of work zone accidents. Traffic diversion from the work zone may not always be possible if the highway represents the only link to a destination, and rural locations make it difficult to invest in continual speed limit enforcement by police.
This project will test a radar speed display adaptable for both stationary and mobile uses on rural highway construction. The speed display will be evaluated on its effectiveness in reducing the number and severity of construction work zone accidents due to inattentive drivers and high-speed vehicles. UNB’s industry partners for this project are International Road Dynamics and the Maritime Road Development Corporation.
Remote Track Switch Position Indicator
The aim of this project is to improve the safety and efficiency of Canada’s railways through the identification and testing of a system that indicates track switch position to a train operator in non-signalized areas. There is currently no electronic means to identify the position of track switches in these areas, also known as “dark territory” . Train operators rely on distant visual confirmation of switch positions. Switches can be obscured or altered, leading to misunderstandings and possible derailments. Three such cases involving passenger trains have occurred since 1990, resulting in both severe injury and death. A track switch position indicator should provide a high level of reliability at the lowest cost, combined with ease of installation and operation, minimal maintenance requirements, and extended durability. UNB’s industry partners for this project are NB Southern Railway and Global Rail Systems Inc.
Grade Crossing Warning System for Private and Farm Crossings
According to Transport Canada, there is an average of 54 accidents per year at private and farm crossings of rail lines in Canada. The goal of this study is to identify a low-cost warning system that could be used to enhance safety at private and farm crossings. Existing warning systems, such as flashing lights and bells, are too costly to justify their installation at these low-volume crossings. Currently, there are approximately 28,500 private and farm crossings in Canada. UNB has partnered with NB Southern Rail and Ontrack Innovative Solutions Inc. to test a new warning system based on radar technology.
UNB Contact Information
Eric D. Hildebrand, PhD, P.Eng. or
Charles (Chuck) Roberts, B.Sc. Eng
UNB Transportation Group
P.O. Box 4400, Fredericton, NB E3B 5A3
Phone: (506) 458-7113
E-mail: z3vi1@unb.ca
www.unb.ca/transpo
UPCOMING EVENTS
- ITS Hannover 2005 – 5th European Congress and Exhibition on ITS
June 1 to 3, 2005 – Hannover, Germany
www.itsineurope.com/hannover
- Federation of Canadian Municipalities’ Annual Conference
June 3 to 6, 2005 – St. John’s, Newfoundland
www.fcm.ca
- National Transportation Week
June 3 to 12, 2004
www.ntw-snt.ca/engraph/Home_e.htm
- 15th Annual Canadian Conference on Intelligent Systems
June 5 to 7, 2004 – Quebec City, Quebec
www.precarn.ca
- 2005 CITE Conference
June 5 to 8, 2005 – Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
www.cite7.org/saskatoon
- Canadian Multidisciplinary Road Safety Symposium
June 5 to 8, 2005 – Fredericton, NB
info_auto21@uwindsor.ca
- ITS New York 12th Annual Meeting
June 9 to 10, 2005 – Saratoga Springs, NY
www.its-ny.org
- Autovision 2010 – “Opportunities and Innovations”
June 14-16, 2005 – Montreal, Quebec
www.autovision2010.com
- Intertraffic Asia
June 14 to 17, 2005 – Bangkok, Thailand
www.intertraffic.com
- 15th IRF World Meeting
June 14 to18, 2005 – Bangkok, Thailand
www.irf2005.com
- 5th International Conference on ITS Telecommunications
June 27 to 29, 2005 – Brest, France
http://conferences.enst-bretagne.fr/itst2005
- GML Days
July 18 to 22, 2005 – Vancouver, B.C.
www.gmldays.com
- 7th Asia-Pacific ITS Forum and Exhibition
August 9 to 11, 2005 – New Delhi, India
www.itsindia.org
- Business Leadership Conference
September 13 to 15, 2005 – Washington, U.S.A.
www.itsa.org/blc2005.html
- TAC Annual Conference
September 18 to 21, 2005 – Calgary, Alberta
www.tac-atc.ca
- Intertraffic North America
September 27 to 29, 2005 – Baltimore, Maryland
www.intertraffic.com
- 1st Pan American ITS Congress & Exhibition
October 18 to 21, 2005 – Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Call for papers has been issued
www.itsb.org.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
- Gulf Traffic
December 12 to 14, 2005 – Dubai, UAE
www.gulftraffic.com
Newsletter published by ITS Canada.
Submissions or comments can be emailed to askus@itscanada.ca.
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