SEPTEMBER 2003
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ITS CANADA AND ITS BRAZIL SIGN MOU
The highlight of the Closing Ceremony of the 2nd ITS Brazil Congress, held in Sao Paulo, Brazil, on August 24 to 26, was the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between ITS Canada and ITS Brazil.
ITS Canada’s mission to Brazil was lead by Robert Bruce of EIS Electronic Integrated Systems Inc., and Chair of ITS Canada’s Export Committee. Mr. Chequer Jabour Chequer, President of ITS Brazil, signed for ITS Brazil. The panel at the head table that witnessed the signing ceremony included Mr. Geraldso Aguiar de Brito Viana, President of NTC, Mr. Eduardo Ferreira Lafraia, President of the Instituto de Engenharia, Mr. Larry Yermack, Coordinator of ITS World Congresses and Director of ITS America, Mr. Paul J. Kullman, Commercial Counsellor US Consulate General, and Daniel Vézina, Consul, Canadian Consulate General.
Considered an important milestone in strengthening business relations with Brazil in this growth sector, this is the first such bilateral MOU to be signed by ITS Brazil (founded in August 2001). It will provide an opportunity to develop closer ties between members of both industries and improve the exchange of information and cooperation between the associations.
“In signing the MOU with ITS Brazil,” stated Rob Bruce, “we have opened doors towards further co-operation between Canadian and Brazilian ITS professionals. Although our countries are far apart geographically, we share similar problems and require similar solutions. I look forward to forming working relationships with our counterparts in Brazil. Mr. Daniel Vézina of the Canadian Consulate in Sao Paulo provided valuable assistance in supporting the effort, and I extend my thanks to him.”
In 2004, the third ITS Brazil Congress is scheduled to be held in Rio. It was announced that the event will grow to encompass a first “PAN-AMERICAN” ITS Congress that will eventually bring together ITS Chile, ITS Mexico, ITS America and ITS Canada.
ITS CANADA ANNUAL CONFERENCE AND GENERAL MEETING
Mark your calendar now!
May 9 to 11, 2004
The Hyatt Regency Hotel – Calgary, Alberta
ROAD WEATHER IN CANADA
In August 2003, Transport Canada announced a major step towards a national road weather information system (RWIS). Full text of the news release is online at www.tc.gc.ca/mediaroom/releases/nat/2003/03-h090e.htm.
Transport Canada is now beginning funding negotiations with the provinces and territories for the development of a cross-Canada integrated RWIS network. The department will pay up to 50 per cent of eligible costs relating to the acquisition and installation of system components, with the provinces and territories paying the balance along with ongoing operation and maintenance costs.
Road Weather Information Systems (RWIS) are automated weather reporting stations with special sensors embedded in and below the road, and on nearby towers. These systems collect detailed data on weather conditions at and near the road surface, to assist weather forecasters in predicting icing conditions. Road maintenance crews can use “real-time” road weather information to decide if road treatment is necessary, when to treat, what chemicals or mixtures to use, and how much is required.
RWIS has two major benefits. First, by enabling maintenance crews to treat roads in advance of icing conditions, winter driving safety can be enhanced. Second, reducing the overall amount of road salt used can help mitigate the negative impact of road salt on the environment.
Canada already has more than 150 roadside sensor sites but, since these sensors were installed at different times using different technologies, jurisdictions cannot all share information. An integrated system will provide consistent weather information for all jurisdictions. With the implementation of a national RWIS, Canada will be a world leader in large-scale, integrated road weather technology.
ITS Canada has assisted in the preliminary stages of this effort by providing technical advice to Transport Canada in the area of costs for RWIS systems. The negotiations, construction and activation of the new RWIS sites are expected to take up to three years.
REGIONAL UPDATE
Alberta
Reported by Allan Lo, Alberta Transportation
The Highway 2 Blueprint Study will be completed this fall. Based on some of its preliminary findings, Alberta Transportation has already initiated some ITS deployment. A tender for the design and installation of two new Dynamic Message Signs (DMS) along Highway 2 was held in August, and is in the process of being awarded. This deployment project is also eligible for Transport Canada’s cost-sharing. The capital cost of the project including engineering will be under $800,000, of which Transport Canada will fund $250,000. The new DMS signs will be operational by early 2004, and will augment the other DMS signs along Highway 2 to enhance the traveller information and advisory system.
Another potential deployment for Alberta Transportation is the national Road Weather Information System (RWIS) deployment. As stated in the Transport Minister Collenette’s recent announcement, Transport Canada will be negotiating with each interested province bilaterally on capital cost funding arrangements. Alberta Transportation has drafted a proposal to install up to 70 stations over the next two years on the National Highway System (NHS). Once the bilateral agreement is in place, the RWIS deployment is expected to proceed very rapidly.
Alberta Transportation is also in the midst of negotiating with Transport Canada on the new ITS R&D bilateral program. As soon as that agreement is in place, more ITS development is foreseen to take place.
TRANSPORT CANADA’S ITS OFFICE WELCOMES NEW STAFF
Reported by Melody Miller, Deployment Officer – ITS / Transport Canada
Transport Canada welcomes two new staff members to the Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) Office:
Daniel Hubert joins us from Industry Canada. His experience in urban planning will undoubtedly prove very valuable in his new position. Daniel will be involved in several areas of ITS, including road weather information systems and commercial vehicle operations. Daniel can be reached at (613) 991-2381 or by e-mail at hubertd@tc.gc.ca.
Jonathan Sabean has been with Transport Canada for a number of years, working in areas such as Environmental Affairs and Transportation Security. He will be acting as liaison to ITS Canada, and working on the deployment of ITS at the international borders with the U.S. Jonathan can be reached at (613) 949-1251 or by e-mail at sabeanj@tc.gc.ca.
On behalf of ITS Canada, we would like to welcome both of them to Transport Canada’s ITS Office.
ITS CANADA SAYS GOODBYE …
As of October 3, 2003, Georgina Wainwright Kemdirim will be leaving the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade (DFAIT), after more than 15 years. Georgina has acted as ITS Canada’s representative for the PEMD program, and has been offered a new and challenging position as a policy analyst at Aboriginal Business Canada, an agency of Industry Canada. ITS Canada would like to wish Georgina well in her new position.
ITS CANADA ANNOUNCES TRAVEL SUBSIDIES FOR THE 10TH WORLD CONGRESS
Reported by William Johnson, Chair, ITS Canada Education and Training Committee
ITS Canada has announced the availability of subsidies to members in the public sector, to attend the 10th World Congress on Intelligent Transport Systems in Madrid, Spain, November 16 to 20, 2003.
Offerred as part of ITS Canada’s Awareness Building Program, travel subsidies of $1,500.00 (Cdn.) will be awarded to up to three Canadian public sector members who are employed by a public sector organization that is a Sustaining Corporate Member or a Corporate Member of ITS Canada. Recipients will be responsible for booking their own registration, travel and hotel accommodations.
By offering these travel subsidies to public sector individuals, ITS Canada hopes to encourage attendance at the Congress and to provide a learning opportunity to view exciting new developments in ITS from around the globe. ITS Canada’s strategic objective is to build awareness of the benefits and importance of ITS among transportation public sector decision makers, designers and operators.
The Congress will include daily plenary sessions, presentations of hundreds of technical and scientific papers, one-of-a-kind technical tours, and an exhibit hall featuring the latest ITS products and services. Participants will be surrounded with new ideas, innovations and perspectives from all facets of intelligent transportation.
Full details are available on ITS Canada’s Scholarships page.
Award recipients will be announced in next month’s ITS Canada newsletter and also on the website.
EXPAND YOUR EXPORT SALES
Ontario Exports Inc. (OEI) is the Government of Ontario’s export development agency. OEI helps small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) expand their exports sales to compete in world markets, and assists foreign buyers in finding Ontario suppliers for their purchasing requirements.
OEI provides a variety of programs, products and services for SMEs that help them assess export readiness or determine if they are ready to increase their export activity.
OEI also provides market information, including helping companies identify customers and choose the countries most likely to be profitable markets. The agency can also help develop marketing strategies, guide clients to sources of financing and introduce them to international decision makers. To complement its in-house expertise, OEI has retained the services of locally engaged in-market consultants in selected international markets.
Beyond this, OEI also coordinates international trade missions and participates in trade fairs, as well as hosting export seminars, often in collaboration with the Ministry of Enterprise, Opportunity and Innovation field offices, municipal offices, community industry associations and other stakeholders. OEI also organizes virtual trade missions as well as a popular New Exporters to Border States program.
Working in partnership with private and public sector sponsors, OEI also hosts the annual Ontario Global Traders Awards to recognize excellence in exporting and to celebrate Ontario’s export success stories.
The OEI website www.ontarioexportsinc.com offers a suite of export-related products including country profiles and links to the Getting Ready to Export Guide and the Ontario E-Commerce Export Guide.
For further information and export assistance, contact OEI toll-free at 1-877-46TRADE (8-7233) or at (416) 314-8200 or e-mail trade.officer@eoi.gov.on.ca
ITS CANADA MEMBER IN THE NEWS
EIS Electronic Integrated Systems Inc. Announces RTMSTM X3 with a Built-in IP address
EIS specializes in the application of radar technology for advanced traffic applications. The company’s flagship product, RTMS, provides vehicle detection for intersection, incident detection, and vehicle counting requirements in over 25 countries worldwide.
Early in September 2003, EIS announced the release of an Internet Protocol (IP) enabled RTMS, allowing simple connections to any Ethernet network using the TCP/IP protocol. Integrating this solution with the EIS Wireless Ethernet Radio system enables substantial savings in deploying ITS infrastructure. Field installation is simplified with a Windows-based setup Wizard operating the RTMS self-setup application. This tool seamlessly integrates with IP enabled RTMS units to ensure efficient field installation.
ITS CANADA MEMBERS UPGRADING TO THE SUSTAINING CORPORATE LEVEL
ITS Canada would like to acknowledge with gratitude the following members who have upgraded to the Sustaining Corporate level:
- EIS Electronic Integrated Systems Inc.
- International Road Dynamics Inc.
- Mark IV Industries Limited
- Navigation Technologies Canada Inc.
- Raytheon Canada Limited
UPCOMING EVENTS
- Vehicular Technology Conference
October 6 to 9, 2003 – Orlando, Florida
www.vtc2003.com
- World Road Association (PIARC) Congress
October 19 to 25, 2003 – Durban, South Africa
www.piarc.org
- Intertraffic Latin America
October 27 to 29, 2003 – Mexico City, Mexico
www.intertraffic.com
- TISPOL Congress 2003 – European Traffic Police Network
“Crossing Borders to Save Lives”
October 29 and 30, 2003 – Berlin, Germany
www.tispol.org
- 10th World Congress on ITS
November 16 to 20, 2003 – Madrid, Spain
www.madrid2003.itscongress.org
- ITS Standards Training … FREE!
November 18 to 21, 2003 – Toronto, Ontario
See ITS Canada’s June 2003 Newsletter or www.ite.org
- Highway-Railway Grade Crossing 5th Annual Workshop
November 24 and 25, 2003 – Montreal, Quebec
Contact Sesto Vespa at (514) 283-0059 vespas@tc.gc.ca
- Gulf Traffic 2003 – conference and exhibition
December 8 to 11, 2003 – Dubai, UAE
www.gulftraffic.com
- 12th International Conference on Road Transport Information and Control
April 20 to 22, 2004 – London, UK
www.iee.org/oncomms/pn/auto/RTIC.cfm
- 2004 ITS America Annual Meeting
April 26 to 29, 2004 – San Antonio, Texas
www.itsa.org
- Intertraffic Netherlands
March 30 to April 2, 2004 – Amsterdam
www.intertraffic.com
- Upcoming World Congresses
October 18 to 22, 2004 – Nagoya, Japan
November 6 to 10, 2005 – San Francisco
Newsletter published by ITS Canada.
Submissions or comments can be emailed to itscanada@itscanada.ca.
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