No. H048/04
For release September 2, 2004

TRANSPORT MINISTER
SIGNS CONTRIBUTION AGREEMENTS WITH NOVA SCOTIA FOR INTELLIGENT TRANSPORTATION SYSTEMS

OTTAWA - Transport Minister Jean-C. Lapierre, along with Ron Russell, Nova Scotia Minister of Transportation and Public Works, today announced the signing of two contribution agreements between the Government of Canada and the Province of Nova Scotia for Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) in the province.

Under the first agreement, $346,500 of federal funding has been allocated for the acquisition and installation of Road Weather Information Systems along the National Highway System in Nova Scotia. Up to 14 weather stations will be constructed to measure atmospheric and pavement temperatures. The data will help provincial authorities to make informed decisions on whether road treatment is necessary, the best time to apply de-icing chemicals to the road and how much to use. This will lead to improved driving conditions and enhanced safety for travellers.

"The agreement for the acquisition and installation of Road Weather Information Systems stations is one of several that will establish a cross-Canada network to provide critical weather data for road maintenance crews," said Mr. Lapierre. "Intelligent Transportation Systems such as Road Weather Information Systems can enhance the safety, security, efficiency and sustainability of Canada's transportation system."

Road Weather Information Systems 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, which can assist weather forecasters in predicting icing conditions. A camera on each station also provides visual data on highway conditions, which the public can access through the Internet. Road Weather Information Systems are a joint provincial, territorial, Transport Canada and Environment Canada program to provide Canadians with road weather information.

"Environment Canada's Meteorological Service is directed toward one goal: to provide the best and most useful weather information possible to ensure the health, safety and security of Canadians," said Minister of the Environment, Stéphane Dion. "This system will not only save lives but will also help reduce the usage of road salts, thereby protecting our environment."

Transport Canada is concluding funding negotiations with the provinces and territories for the development of a cross-Canada Road Weather Information Systems network. The department will pay up to 50 per cent of eligible costs relating to the acquisition and installation of the system components, subject to the successful conclusion of contribution agreements with the provinces and territories, which are expected to pay the balance and 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.

Under the second contribution agreement announced today, the province of Nova Scotia will implement two ITS projects. The first involves the installation of up to five Road Weather Information System stations on roads that are not a part of the National Highway System but meet the same specifications as the funded National Highway System sites. The second involves the installation of weigh-in-motion technology on Trans-Canada Highway 104 at the Auld's Cove Weigh Station. Weigh-in-motion technology will result in the improved safety of the highway system through the screening of commercial vehicles for weight compliance. The total cost of these projects is $864,000, with Transport Canada providing $432,000.

"These new technologies will contribute significantly to the enhancement of road safety and travel efficiency," said Mr. Russell. "The highway cameras installed on the new Road Weather Information Systems stations will be especially welcome news to the many Nova Scotians who use them to check winter road conditions."

Federal funding will be provided under the Strategic Highway Infrastructure Program (SHIP), a $600 million program to improve highway infrastructure across Canada. Part of the SHIP funding - $100 million - is for initiatives that better integrate the country's transportation system. One of these is the ITS initiative, which includes applications such as advanced systems for traveller information, traffic management, public transport, commercial vehicle operations, emergency response management, and vehicle safety.

Funding for this program is built into the existing financial framework.

Backgrounders with further information on Road Weather Information Systems and ITS are attached.

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BACKGROUNDER

ROAD WEATHER INFORMATION SYSTEMS

Road Weather Information Systems 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, which can assist weather forecasters in predicting road surface 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.

Road Weather Information Systems have two major benefits. First, by enabling maintenance crews to treat roads in advance of icing conditions, winter driving safety can be enhanced. Second, by reducing the overall amount of road salt used, they can help mitigate the negative impact of road salt on the environment.

Canada already has more than 150 roadside sensor sites, installed by various jurisdictions. 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 Road Weather Information System, Canada will be a world leader in large-scale, integrated road weather technology.

Since 1999, Transport Canada and Environment Canada have worked with the provinces and territories to create a cross-Canada network of high quality road weather systems that would be installed on the National Highway System.

The federal government is negotiating with the provinces and territories to finalize contribution and data sharing agreements for these systems. Once an agreement is in place, construction of the environmental sensor sites along the National Highway System can begin. The negotiations, construction and activation are expected to take up to two years.

September 2004

BACKGROUNDER

INTELLIGENT TRANSPORTATION SYSTEMS

Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) are a broad range of diverse technologies applied to transportation to make systems safer, more efficient, more reliable and more environmentally friendly, without necessarily having to physically alter existing infrastructure. Transport Canada has been promoting them aggressively and has provided more than $13 million in support of ITS projects and research in Canada.

The field of ITS encompasses new products and information and communications technologies for the development, operation and management of the transportation system. ITS includes applications such as advanced systems for traveller information, traffic management, public transport, commercial vehicle operations, emergency response management, and vehicle safety. They all have in common the application of advanced technologies, including information processing, communications, and sensing and control - technologies that put transportation systems at the core of an innovation revolution.

The Government of Canada's Intelligent Transportation Systems Plan for Canada: En Route to Intelligent Mobility (1999) sets out the strategy for stimulating the development and deployment of ITS across urban and rural Canada. More information on that plan can be found at
www.its-sti.gc.ca/en/its_plan_for_canada.htm. The goals are to maximize the use and efficiency of existing infrastructure and meet future mobility needs more responsibly. The ITS Plan provides leadership and support to advance the application and compatibility of ITS technologies and to increase the safety, integration, efficiency and sustainability of Canada's transportation system.

For further information, please visit the ITS Office's website at
www.its-sti.gc.ca.

September 2004