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NOVEMBER 2002

 
ITS CANADA MISSION TO DUBLIN

By William Johnson, Secretary – ITS Canada

The "ITS: Realizing the Potential" conference and exhibition took place November 5 and 6 in Dublin, a fascinating and historic city on the western edge of Europe. It provided a unique venue for a conference devoted to cutting-edge technology to resolve present and future problems. While small in comparison to the great cities of Europe, with 1.7 million people (40% of the Irish population), Dublin is brimming with energy and growing rapidly. ITS is seen as a valuable tool to complement new infrastructure investments to ameliorate congestion, foster use of public transport and facilitate a more prosperous future.

The conference was organized by Dublin City Council (Bail Átha Cliath in Gaelic) in association with the National Roads Authority, Trinity College Dublin, the Department of the Environment and Local Government, and the Department of Transport. There were two days of conference sessions, a lively exhibition, and plenty of opportunity for the 120 delegates to network. The formal opening included a welcome from the Minister of Transport, Mr. Seamus Brennan, and the closing session included remarks from his deputy, Secretary-General Ms. Julie O’Neill.

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The Canadian delegation, led by Joseph Lam, Chairman ITS Canada and Executive Vice-President Delcan, included Bill Johnson (ITS Canada), Erin O’Brien (Transport Canada), Mark Field (Applanix), David Kamnitzer (IBI Group) and Graeme Scott (IBI Group). Joe gave the keynote address at the conference on the morning of second day entitled "The Potential Contribution of ITS in Managing Ireland’s Traffic Problems". He ranged over the entire spectrum of the history, applications and future of Intelligent Transport Systems, with particular references to Ireland’s traffic problems, and the audience warmly received his presentation.

The ITS Canada exhibit booth, the mission’s other major contribution to the event, was the largest in the hall (except for Dublin City) and included panel displays and brochures by ITS Canada, Transport Canada, IBI Group, Delcan and Applanix, and brochures from Raytheon and IRIS. The booth was strategically located next to the front entrance and beside the coffee table – quelle bonne chance! In addition to these locational advantages, the special red carpet within the boundaries of the booth certainly did attract attention and favourable comments!

The keynote speaker on the first day was John Bliss of the Roads and Traffic Authority in New South Wales, Australia. The RTA invented SCATS and John spoke about its origins, current status and future development. SCATS, an acronym for Sydney Coordinated Area Traffic System, has been in use for a long time in Dublin, an interesting point since Dublin is almost on the doorstep of the Transport Research Laboratory where the rival SCOOT system was invented.

The proceedings of the conference sessions are available on a CD-ROM which can be accessed through the ITS Canada secretariat. It includes presentations under the headings of Urban Traffic and Parking Management, Academic Research, Future Developments (with Joe’s address), Inter-Urban Traffic Management and Public Transport. Note that there were presentations on the EU Commissions ITS and 6th Framework programs and the ERTICO (ITS Europe) e-Safety initiative.

The Irish are gracious hosts and the conference Gala Dinner, hosted by the Lord Mayor, was held under the great dome of the Market Exchange at City Hall. The guest speaker, Dave Wetzel, Vice Chairman, Transport for London, U.K., outlined that city’s controversial plans to introduce road pricing in the near future, a topic that generated much lively debate.

What did we learn? Did ITS Canada members gain value from our participation? Certainly, we learned that the Irish have come a long way since our last mission to Dublin in June 2001 in terms of defining and articulating their interest and stake in ITS. This was evident in the scope and quality of the conference presentations, the hustle and bustle on the exhibit floor and the thoughtful contributions by the academic community. ITS Canada gained significant profile at this event in its own right as a model for a national public-private partnership (the conference organizers plan to follow up with the development of ITS Ireland) and those members who participated gained new contacts and a better appreciation of the emerging ITS market in Dublin and Ireland.

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Erin O’Brien, Transport Canada, with Denis O'Hagen, Head of Transportation Unit, Roads Service,
an agency within the Department for Regional Development (Northern Ireland)

Perhaps a small insight into the prospects in Ireland can be gained from this anecdote. Two Canadian delegates decided to follow up a taxi driver’s tip to be sure to visit the special exhibit of "The Book of Kells" at Trinity College. So, with spare time while waiting to set up the booth, we did so. Created by 12th century monks, the Book is an exquisitely decorated copy of the bible made with local materials and talent, augmented with materials obtained from as far away as the Middle East. This book well signifies the Irish devotion to learning and craftsmanship in the pursuit of a noble purpose! Perhaps they would make ideal partners for ITS Canada members in their shared interest in ITS.

 
DATE CHANGE FOR MADRID 10TH WORLD CONGRESS ON ITS

New dates: November 16 to 20, 2003

See www.ertico.com.

 
REPORTS ON THE 9TH WORLD CONGRESS ON ITS

As part of ITS Canada's Awareness Building Program, travel subsidies were provided for three Canadian public sector individuals employed by organizations which are Corporate Members of ITS Canada. Below are reports from two recipients.

By Doug MacKay
Region of Durham

It has been seven years since I was last involved in the ITS world. With my recent employment change to the Region of Durham as a traffic engineer, I am getting back into this complex and ever-changing environment. It is amazing how quickly the technology has changed and I would like to extend my appreciation to ITS Canada for allowing me the opportunity to attend the 9th World Congress. By attending the conference I was able to accelerate my learning curve, make new contacts, and collect some valuable information that will be useful in my role in the ITS area. Another benefit of attending the conference was the opportunity to promote ITS Canada and the expertise that Canada has to offer in ITS.

I had three main objectives at the conference. The first was to attend as many sessions as possible. There were many sessions to choose from and I was able to get to some very informative ones. My primary interest is in the area of traffic control and management of arterial roads and road safety using ITS. I was able to attend five sessions relating to this subject matter and I collected some valuable information.

My second objective was to meet as many representatives of suppliers as possible within my area of interest. There were many exhibitors representing various areas of ITS. The exhibitors ranged from ITS Scandinavia to Toyota, from dynamic message sign manufacturers to RWIS integrators. The exhibit hall provided the delegates with a wide range of interesting products and information that spanned the entire ITS realm. I found that this was the most beneficial part of attending the 9th World Congress. Regardless of the information that you may pick up at a session, what you learn from talking to representatives of suppliers and other people in the industry is indispensable.

My third objective was to represent ITS Canada. I had the privilege of spending time at the ITS Canada booth. ITS Canada members were well represented at the 9th World Congress, either as delegates or as exhibitors; the ITS Canada booth became the meeting place for all who were there. Many interesting discussions were initiated at the ITS Canada booth, and to be a part of this networking opportunity was very enlightening.

In closing, I wish to take this opportunity to thank ITS Canada for the wonderful opportunity to attend the 9th World Congress in Chicago. I will be applying the experienced I have gained by attending the conference in my daily work at the Region of Durham.

By Rajnath Bissessar
City of Toronto

Attending the 9th World Congress on Intelligent Transport Systems on an ITS Canada scholarship was a worthwhile experience. The conference presented me with a unique opportunity to learn more about existing intelligent transportation systems (ITS) and emerging ITS technologies.

There were so many interesting presentations that it was difficult to choose from the over 550 technical and scientific papers presented in over 200 sessions. These papers covered all areas of the ITS spectrum: Traffic Management and Infrastructure; Traveller Information; ITS Enabling Systems; In-Vehicle Systems; Electronic Payment Systems; Public Transport; Commercial Vehicles, Freight Movement and Logistics; Safety, Security and Human Factors; and Global Transport Security and Safety. I attended sessions on traffic adaptive systems, security and emergency situations, bus priority and traffic management.

I went on three technical tours: the Pace Intelligent Bus System, Chicago Interim Traffic Management Center and the Indiana DOT Borman Traffic Management Center. The latest ITS technology for buses was demonstrated on the bus trip to and from Pace’s North Shore Garage. Pace’s Automated Vehicle Location/Computer Aided Dispatch System was demonstrated at the garage. On the tour of the Chicago Interim TMC, I was surprised to learn that Chicago still operated 500 electromechanical controllers and that signal progression was provided at about 20% of Chicago’s signals. Chicago is only now designing a TMC. The Borman TMC adopted a rather unique approach to freeway traffic management. In additional to a central TMC in Gary, Indiana, each Hoosier Helper emergency assistance vehicle serves as a duplicate TMC. Field staff can undertake the same task in their vehicles that they can undertake in the central TMC. The TMC is not staffed unless there is a declared emergency.

There was a strong Japanese presence in the Exhibition. Japan continues to play an important role as a developer and supplier of ITS technologies and seemed poised to lead the way in Asia. Since I am a Senior Engineer in Toronto’s Traffic Management Center, I tended to focus on traffic signals and freeway management. I was able to learn more about existing and emerging technologies in the following areas: priority control for buses and emergency vehicles; SCATS adaptive control; variable message signs; intelligent pedestrian crossing systems; software to test for NTCIP compliance; weather Information systems; simulation software for traffic modelling; non-intrusive detection systems for count, occupancy, classification and speed across multiple lanes; and traffic enforcement cameras.

One of the issues frequently discussed at the Congress was the use of ITS for police enforcement purposes. The recent hunt for the sniper in the Washington area brought this issue to the forefront because police had checked cameras on potential escape routes to determine if the then suspect vehicle was photographed. In this case, local regulations allowed the police to use the cameras for non-traffic violation purposes. Should fighting crime override the public’s right to privacy in North America? The UK has already decided that fighting crime supersedes the public’s right to privacy. In several UK jurisdictions, intersection cameras allow the police to monitor traffic but the police also use the cameras for checking vehicles in case of a crime.

I enjoyed the opportunity of working at the ITS Canada booth. This allowed me not only to show my sincere appreciation for the scholarship, but also to gain a significant amount of knowledge about ITS Canada. I was able to answer queries from a few Canadian companies that wanted to learn more about ITS Canada and from some who wanted membership information. Since the ITS Canada booth was a focal point for Canadian attendees, I was able to meet several colleagues from across Canada who were involved in ITS activities. I also met representatives from countries who were now becoming involved in the formation of their own ITS organisations and wanted to get information on ITS Canada.

I wish to take this opportunity to thank ITS Canada for giving me the opportunity to attend the 9th World Congress. I feel this opportunity also benefited the City of Toronto since I was able to speak to my colleagues about my experience and distribute the large quantity of ITS related information I brought back from Chicago. I believe that the experience gained at this Congress, as well as the contacts I made, will be of great assistance in the future.

 
INVENTORY OF CANADIAN ITS DEPLOYMENTS

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ITS Canada plans to develop an inventory report of the deployed ITS applications throughout Canada that addresses all of the ITS user service bundles including traffic management, traveller information, commercial vehicle, public transit, electronic payment, emergency management, vehicle safety and control, and information warehousing. The report will provide important information that can help transportation agencies and private companies invest wisely in ITS by addressing questions such as: What ITS projects have been implemented in Canada? Who are the agencies and organizations that are responsible for the implementation? How are various technology components integrated in an ITS project? What are the major challenges that have been encountered? What main benefits can be attributed to each ITS project? This information will help increase the transportation industry's knowledge of successful applications of ITS technologies in Canada and promote international awareness of Canadian ITS capabilities.

The project will be conducted by a research team from the University of Waterloo, consisting of Drs. Liping Fu and Bruce Hellinga, professors of the Department of Civil Engineering, and Mr. Jeff Henderson, an MASc student and Research Assistant at the University of Waterloo. A web-based survey will be conducted in early December to collect ITS deployment information from three levels of transportation government agencies in Canada, including provinces and territories, municipalities and cities, and regions, as well as private companies. ITS Canada members will be requested to participate in this survey.

For further information regarding this project, please contact Michael Bailey at askus@itscanada.ca or Dr. Liping Fu at lfu@uwaterloo.ca. (TOP)

 
ITS NEWS FROM ACROSS CANADA

City of Calgary ITS Strategic Plan Underway

By Doug Morgan, City of Calgary, and Robyn McGregor, EBA Engineering Consultants

The City of Calgary's process for development of an ITS Strategic Plan is now underway. The primary purpose of this strategic plan is to develop a comprehensive "roadmap" setting the direction and pace of ITS investments within the City of Calgary over the next ten years and beyond. The objective of this ITS Strategic Plan is to develop, program and communicate strategies for the development and deployment of a broad-based ITS program within the City of Calgary and the Calgary Region that:

  • supports, enables and enhances a seamless, multi-modal transportation network
  • helps ensure the competitive position of the City of Calgary in national and international markets while addressing social and environmental objectives, and
  • is supported by major stakeholders.

Addressing institutional, private sector and industry needs will be challenging and, therefore, stakeholder consultation and education will be important throughout the process. Initial contacts with stakeholders will be made to gather information, identify needs, and address issues and concerns. A series of workshops will be delivered, the first of which is scheduled for early December.

Throughout the undertaking, the ITS Architecture for Canada will be used as a tool to provide a framework that defines the relationships between the subsystems and terminators that make up the intelligent transportation system for the Calgary Region.

The City of Calgary has formed a study team to facilitate the Strategic Planning Process. This Strategic Planning Team includes a strong external consulting group led by Delcan with several team members from Calgary. The ITS Strategic Plan for the Calgary Region is expected to be completed by spring 2003.

 
ITS CANADA MEETS ITS UK IN DUBLIN

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(L to R) David Clowes, Chair of ITS UK; Robert Cone, Vice Chair of ITS UK;
Joseph Lam, Chair of ITS Canada; and Jennie Martin, ITS UK Secretariat

By William Johnson, Secretary of ITS Canada

ITS Canada delegates to the Dublin Conference, ITS: Realizing the Potential, took advantage of the presence of a large delegation of ITS U.K. members to hold an informal meeting to discuss common interests and to exchange information. Conducted mostly in the lounge-bar (!) of the Shelbourne Hotel, the exchange focused on these topics: progress under the MOU, mission visits, ITS and enforcement, cooperation with the Atlantic thematic network, and future cooperation.

The cooperation under the MOU was considered to be proceeding well. ITS Canada has made one mission to the U.K. and plans another one next April. The next priority is for ITS U.K. to plan a mission to Canada. Several ideas for cooperation were discussed: at the World Congresses, for APEC outreach, for ISO standards, possible joint roundtable discussions with developing countries (e.g. Eastern Europe) and joint projects with Atlantic. Fostering ITS research and development cooperation between Europe and North America, Atlantic could help both societies to focus their R&D objectives and provide a gateway for cooperation with other national ITS entities.

If you would like further information about opportunities in the United Kingdom, contact William Johnson at johnswf@attglobal.net.

 
ONTARIO MINISTRY OF TRANSPORTATION PLANNING FOR THE FUTURE

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Throughout Ontario's history, transportation has played a key role in the province's economic and social well being. The ability to move goods and people efficiently continues to be crucial to the province's society and economy, providing the essential links between communities large and small.

A safe, efficient and integrated transportation system also supports economic investment and promotes job creation. It contributes to the preservation of the environment and makes an important contribution to the overall quality of life for everyone who calls Ontario home.

Whether it is connecting remote areas to key economic markets, or getting millions of people to and from work every day, Ontario's transportation system is fundamental to the province's success.

The Ministry of Transportation of Ontario (MTO), in conjunction with the Ontario SuperBuild Corporation, is now looking toward the future of transportation in Ontario. To that end, MTO has developed five draft Transportation Directions documents. The first four lay out strategies for each of four provincial regions: Northern Ontario, Eastern Ontario, Southwestern Ontario and Central Ontario. Copies can be found on the Ministry’s web site at www.mto.gov.on.ca/english/about/trnsmrtgro.

The Ministry is pleased to release the fifth draft document entitled Strategic Transportation Directions: Intelligent Transportation Systems for review. "This document, linked to our Regional Transportation Directions, outlines our thoughts on how Ontario can use ITS to support economic development in a fiscally responsible way," says Stephen Erwin, Manager of Intelligent Transportation Systems for the province. "We are trying to mainstream ITS, integrating it into our broader transportation and economic planning processes."

The five documents set out a course of action for transportation in Ontario, taking into account the different needs of the various regions.

They are based on extensive research, and include relevant factors such as Smart Growth principles, infrastructure decisions and announcements, transportation studies, and other pertinent information.

Focusing on Intelligent Transportation Systems, this fifth document is intended to:

  • provide an overview of ITS and its current state of deployment in Ontario;
  • identify factors affecting the future deployment of ITS; and
  • set out a vision and strategy for the province to use ITS to achieve its transportation goals.

"This draft strategy represents the collective work of many staff within the Ministry, as well as our consultant, IBI Group," notes Felix Tam, Project Manager, "and we are looking forward to receiving feedback from our stakeholders and potential partners throughout the province."

Comments on the strategy can be directed to Felix.Tam@mto.gov.on.ca.

 
TRANSPORT CANADA FUNDING FOR ITS PROJECTS

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.

Intelligent Transit Vehicle Subsystem (ITVS)

By Steve Lassey, City of Ottawa Transit Services

TRANSPORT CANADA FUNDING: $250,000
TOTAL PROJECT COST: $4.75 million

The City of Ottawa has received funding from Transport Canada's ITS program to assist in the deployment of an Intelligent Transit Vehicle Subsystem (ITVS) in its fleet of Transit Services vehicles. The core components of this subsystem are a Global Positioning System, a Mobile Data Terminal, and a wireless mobile data network. Design work began on this project in November 2001, with a subsequent RFQ/RFP procurement process during the summer of 2002. It is expected that a contract will be awarded in December 2002.

The Ottawa ITVS project has three distinct phases. During Phase 1, the selected vendor will be required to install their solution in a small fleet of 20 vehicles of various types. The performance of the system will be evaluated over a 60-day period, in order to ensure specifications are met. Phase 2 will commence upon successful completion of this pilot phase. This second phase is the roll-out of the ITVS system to the remaining 1,120 vehicles in the transit fleet. It is expected this will take approximately 12 months to complete. Phase 3 involves the integration of existing on-board equipment into the ITVS. This includes vehicle diagnostic information (J1708 standard), automatic passenger counters, transfer printers, electronic destination signs, etc. It is also expected that the installation of an electronic "smart-card" fare system in the transit fleet will commence in 2004, with further integration requirements. The Ottawa ITVS project will utilize the Canadian ITS architecture, and NTCIP standards.

This project has also received funding through the Province of Ontario's "SuperBuild" program, This, together with the initial investment by the City of Ottawa, demonstrates the commitment of all three levels of government to transit initiatives. It also indicates how the ITS architecture can be utilized in the Canadian transit industry, and will hopefully leverage future investments in ITS in the public sector.

 
TRANSPORT MINISTER SPEAKS

Transport Minister David Collenette recently spoke at the 44th Annual Conference of the
Canadian Institute of Traffic and Transportation held in Halifax, Nova Scotia, on November 4, 2002. Established in 1958, CITT is a non-profit organization with a membership of over 2,000 transportation, distribution and logistics management professionals across Canada.

During his speech, Minister Collenette spoke about intermodal opportunities, and encouraged partnerships between trucking companies and railways, citing such benefits as moving goods more efficiently, improving the efficiency of Canada’s economy, and helping meet Kyoto commitments to deal with greenhouse gas emissions.

"We need to find innovative solutions to other challenges as well," the Minister noted. "Innovation in transportation comes in many forms, and one of the most interesting is the field of Intelligent Transportation Systems, or ITS. Here in the Atlantic Provinces, Transport Canada is working with the four provinces on the Atlantic Provinces Regional ITS Strategic Plan. This plan will provide a road map for ITS development in this region for the next 10 years." The Minister spoke about the Confederation Bridge Electronic Tolling System, or STRAIT PASS, which was recently launched. "These and other innovative solutions will be an essential part of the transportation system of the future, and Transport Canada is committed to supporting innovative developments." For a full text of the speech, please e-mail ITS Canada at askus@itscanada.ca.

 
B.C. BORDER CROSSING

FUNDING ANNOUNCEMENT

Transport Minister David Collenette, together with Surrey-Cloverdale MLA Kevin Falcon, on behalf of British Columbia Transportation Minister Judith Reid, announced funding of $30.4 million for 11 border crossing transportation initiatives in the B.C. Lower Mainland area as part of the Government of Canada’s Strategic Highway Infrastructure Program (SHIP).

The Government of Canada will contribute $14.1 million to the projects, and the British Columbia Ministry of Transportation will contribute $16.3 million. The funding announced is in addition to the $61.2 million the province will receive for highway construction under the March 5, 2002, SHIP agreement signed with the Government of Canada.

"This federal contribution of more than $14 million will go a long way toward improving the flow of people and goods across our borders, something that is vital to the health of our economy," said Mr. Collenette. "These projects will improve our highways and border infrastructure at the four B.C. Lower Mainland crossings, which benefits residents of the area as well as visitors and trade."

"These improvements to our border infrastructure will ease the free flow of goods, increase economic benefits in a range of sectors, and improve security at border crossings," said Ms. Reid. "British Columbia relies on efficient, safe and secure cross-border access. The total commodity value of goods transported between this province and the United States by road exceeds $23.9 billion annually."

The federal funding for the 11 projects, to be implemented in fiscal years 2002-03 to 2005-06, is drawn from the $65 million portion of SHIP allocated specifically to Border Crossing Transportation Initiatives across Canada.

Other funding partners, mainly the City of Surrey and the Greater Vancouver Transportation Authority, will also contribute approximately $1 million to this initiative, bringing the total funding to more than $32 million. For more information, see www.tc.gc.ca/mediaroom/releases/nat/2002/02_h124e.htm.

 
ISO/TC 204 PLENARY CHICAGO

By William Johnson, Head of Delegation Canada, and Chair, SCC/CAC for ISO/TC 204

The autumn 2002 meetings of ISO Technical Committee 204 (Intelligent Transportation Systems) were held in Chicago, Illinois, USA, at the Millennium Knickerbocker Hotel from October 7 to 11, 2002. The meetings were held under the auspices of the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) and organized by ITS America on behalf of sponsors.

The Canadian delegation to the TC 204 autumn meeting was lead by William Johnson, Head of Delegation representing the Standards Council of Canada (and sponsored by ITS Canada and Transport Canada); Dr. Lewis Sabounghi of Sabounghi & Associates, Convener of Working Group 7 for General Fleet Management and Commercial Freight; Jackson Wang of e-Radio Inc., expert to WG 10 (ATIS); and Dan Nephin, e-Radio Inc., observer in WG 10. David Atnikov of Novax Industries also paid a short visit to the C/HOD meeting as an observer. Dr. Johnson also attended the meetings for WG 7, 8 and 9 and acted as recording secretary for WG 7. Dr. Sabounghi attended meetings for WG 7, 9 (to brief WG), 15 and 16. Reports on meetings are available from them.

The 20th Plenary meeting of ISO/TC 204 was attended by over 60 delegates from 14 countries and concluded by passing 26 resolutions for follow-up action. Two new countries were accepted as "P" members (i.e. voting) – Switzerland and South Africa. One new working group was proposed for "ITS and Security Technology" and a call was issued for relevant work items. This clearly demonstrates the continuing vitality and relevance of this Technical Committee after 10 years of operation.

Canada has agreed to consider hosting the ISO/TC 204 meetings in the spring of 2004. The meetings are held twice annually, and Canada has acted as host on 2 occasions, once in Toronto (spring 1998) and once in Montreal (autumn 1999). The Chair of the SCC/Canadian Advisory Committee for ISO/TC 204 is approaching SCC, Transport Canada and ITS Canada to obtain their support for this initiative proposed for Vancouver, BC. For a full report on the meetings, contact Bill Johnson at johnswf@attglobal.net.

 
NEWSLETTERS

A free resource which ITS Canada members may find helpful is the TCN, or the Transportation Communications Newsletter. Published via e-mail Monday through Friday, the TCN has a rundown of news items and information related to ITS and all aspects of communications in the transportation field. The newsletter is written in a headline and link format so the user can quickly scan the stories to see which may be of interest. Currently over 4,300 transportation professionals receive the TCN. For further information or to subscribe, please contact the editor, Bernie Wagenblast, at i95berniew@aol.com.

ITS Assist is a project funded by the U.K.’s Department of Transport to provide information and guidance related to the deployment of Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS). ITS Assist publishes Newswire. ITS Canada members are invited to receive regular information about UK ITS initiatives via e-mail by subscribing to the ITS Assist Newswire. To receive copies of this e-mail transmission, please register via e-mail to information@its-assist.org.uk, or visit the website at www.its-assist.org.uk.

 
AQTR CONGRESS

AQTR will hold its 38th Annual Congress at the Delta Hotel in Sherbrooke, Québec, from April 6 to 8th, 2003, under the theme:

"Transport et technologies au quotidien"
"Day-to-day Transportation and Technology"

This general theme will cover many ITS applications in Québec. Close to 600 participants are expected to participate.

The conference will address four main topics in relation to the general theme:

  • Infrastructures – Innovations for improving day-to-day business
  • Environment – Technologies to enhance quality of life
  • Transportation Management – Making the most of technology
  • Market expansion through the broadening and sharing of technologies.

The "Road and Transportation Exhibition", being held concurrently, will group 34 indoor participants with the possibility of additional exhibits off-premises. The preliminary program for technical conferences will be available in early January 2003.

For further details, please visit the AQTR website at www.aqtr.qc.ca. The information is current in French only. Information in English will be available shortly.

 
ITS CANADA’S ANNUAL CONFERENCE AND GENERAL MEETING

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“ITS: Intermodal Directions and Connections”

April 28 and 29, 2003
Sheraton Fredericton Hotel – Grand Ballroom
225 Woodstock Road, Fredericton, NB E3B 2H8

Call for Speakers

If you are interested in speaking at the conference, please advise ITS Canada by e-mail to askus@itscanada.ca, including the topic and a short description.

MARK YOUR CALENDAR!

 
UPCOMING EVENTS

  • Telematics Consumer Electronics Seminar will be held January 8, 2003, in Las Vegas, Nevada. For further information, please see www.telematicsupdate.com/ces2003.
     
  • Intertraffic Latin America will be held April 2 to 4, 2003, in Mexico City, Mexico. For more information, see www.intertraffic.com.

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  • Smart Moving/Traffex 2003 will be held April 7 to 10, 2003, at the National Exhibition Centre near Birmingham, England. ITS Canada is partnering with ITS UK to assist in organizing this international conference, with an exhibition that will coincide with Traffex 2003. A special Canadian "national session" is being organized which will allow Canadian ITS officials and private sector companies to present projects and technologies. The overall theme of the event is "Applying new technologies for urban and regional travel and transport around the world". With its international perspective, the event will consider Smart Roads, Smart Vehicles, Smart Travellers, Smart Ticketing and Payment, and Smart Freight. For event details, contact ITS Canada or congress2003@its-focus.org.uk.
     
  • Intertraffic Eurasia 2003 Turkey, a regional trade fair for parking, traffic and transport infrastructure, will be held in Instanbul, Turkey, from May 13 to 15, 2003. For more information, see www.intertraffic.com.

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  • ITS America’s 13th Annual Meeting and Exposition will be held at the Minneapolis Convention Centre, May 19 to 22, 2003. See www.itsa.org for information.
     
  • The International Federation of Automatic Control (IFAC) will hold CTS 2003: 10th IFAC Symposium on Control in Transport Systems in Tokyo, Japan, on August 4 to 6, 2003, with technical tours August 7. For more information, visit www.is.aist.go.jp/ifac-cts2003.
     
  • Intertraffic Latin America will be held September 4 to 6, 2003, in Sao Paulo, Brazil. For more information, see www.intertraffic.com.
     
  • Intertraffic Netherlands will be held March 30 to April 2, 2004, in Amsterdam. For more information, see www.intertraffic.com.

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Newsletter published by ITS Canada.

Submissions or comments can be emailed to askus@itscanada.ca.