No. H005/05
For release January 12, 2005

INTELLIGENT TRANSPORTATION 
SYSTEMS PROJECTS FUNDED IN ONTARIO

OTTAWA — The Honourable Joe Volpe, Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development and Minister Responsible for Ontario, on behalf of Transport Minister Jean-C. Lapierre, today announced funding of $2,059,256 for 11 projects aimed at making transportation in Ontario safer, more reliable and more efficient.

The projects range from the integration and deployment of an advanced transit management system to an advanced traveller information system. The projects will receive funding under Transport Canada’s Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) Plan.

“Innovation is essential to Canada’s growth and competitiveness,” said Mr. Volpe. “The ITS plan is an investment in Canadians’ skills and innovation and challenges them to help make our transportation system safer, more efficient and more sustainable.”

A total of $5 million will be awarded to 25 projects across Canada.

“The funds devoted to these projects reaffirm the Government of Canada’s commitment to accelerating the development and adoption of technologies designed specifically to enhance the transportation system, ” said Mr. Lapierre. “These innovations promote safety and security, relieve congestion, improve mobility and minimize the negative environmental impacts related to transportation.”

ITS is a new and rapidly developing field, where information processing, communication systems and sensing devices are combined and integrated in creative ways to make the transportation system work more effectively. Centralized traffic management, transit smart cards and electronic tolling are examples of ITS in action.

This initiative supports key departmental objectives designed to promote the adoption of ITS technologies to advance the safety, efficiency and security of our transportation system.

The Government of Canada’s $600 million Strategic Highway Infrastructure Program (SHIP) dedicates $100 million to funding initiatives that better integrate the transportation system.

Since 1999, Transport Canada has provided more than $18 million in support of ITS projects and research in Canada. The maximum contribution from Transport Canada for each ITS project is $250,000.

For more information about Transport Canada’s role in Intelligent Transportation Systems, please visit the ITS website at www.its-sti.gc.ca.

A backgrounder outlining the winning projects is attached.

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BACKGROUNDER

INTELLIGENT TRANSPORTATION SYSTEMS PROJECTS

Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) comprise a broad range of diverse technologies applied to transportation to make systems safer, more efficient, more reliable and more environmentally friendly. Transport Canada has been actively promoting them, providing more than $18 million in support of ITS projects and research in Canada since 1999.

The field of Intelligent Transportation Systems encompasses new products, information and communications technologies for the development, operation and regulation of the transportation system. They include applications such as advanced systems for traffic management, traveller information and vehicle control, commercial vehicle and fleet management, and public transit and rural transportation. They all have in common the application of advanced technologies in such areas as information processing, communications, and sensing and control — technologies that offer the potential to revolutionize the transportation system.

The following projects have been selected:
City of Burlington
Integrate and deploy an enhanced traffic responsive operation into the existing traffic management system to provide for enhanced data collection and improved management of the city’s streets as traffic conditions change. 
Partners: Region of Halton, Ontario Ministry of Transportation, Fortran Traffic Systems and Mohawk College. 
Funding awarded: $246,640
Total cost of proposal: $525,800

City of Toronto 
Establish an advanced traveller information system, for all modes of transportation, for the Greater Toronto Area.
Partners: IBI Group, Ontario Ministry of Transportation
Funding awarded: $200,000
Total cost of proposal: $468,000

City of Toronto 
Deploy and integrate an advanced video management system for automatic incident detection into the current traffic management system to better manage incidents throughout the city’s arterial and expressway road network. 
Partners: Fortran Traffic Systems
Funding awarded: $150,000
Total cost of proposal: $325,000

City of Guelph 
Deploy an advanced transit management system to assist Guelph Transit in providing efficient and cost-effective service, maintain good customer satisfaction and service reliability.
Partners: University of Guelph
Funding awarded: $250,000
Total cost of proposal: $600,000

Mississauga Transit
Implement a transit signal priority system to the suite of technologies already integrated within Mississauga Transit’s Smart Vehicle initiative. This technology will allow vehicle tracking, automatic passenger counting and status monitoring.
Partners: IBI Group, University of Waterloo
Funding awarded: $250,000
Total cost of proposal: $553,000

York Region Transit 
Design and deploy an integrated and unified ITS system for transit services in the region.
Partners: LEA Consulting Ltd.
Funding awarded: $250,000
Total cost of proposal: $500,000

York Region 
Deploy an adaptive traffic control system for the delivery of traffic management and control services.
Partners: Delcan Corporation
Funding awarded: $250,000
Total cost of proposal: $500,000

Fortran Traffic Systems 
Integrate, deploy and evaluate a graphical intersection monitor into existing advanced transportation management systems in five Canadian municipalities, to improve current intersection visualization tools and operational efficiency. 
Partners: none
Funding awarded: $98,000
Total cost of proposal: $197,040

Morrison Hershfield 
Design, develop and deploy a web-based traveller information and trip planning demonstration tool.
Partners: GO Transit
Funding awarded: $34,938
Total cost of proposal: $69,875

GO Transit
Deploy an advanced station train information sign system to allow real-time dissemination of train information to passengers at train stations.
Partners: Delcan Corporation
Funding awarded: $250,000
Total cost of proposal: $500,000

Canadian Urban Transit Association 
Undertake a pilot deployment of an advanced fleet management system throughout the maintenance operations of the Calgary Handi-Bus, a specialized transit service. The technology will be used to improve maintenance and repairs in the special vehicles.
Partners: Calgary Handi-Bus, Cetaris, Transport Adapté Québec Métro, York Region Mobility Plus, Girardin Minibus
Funding awarded: $79,678
Total cost of proposal: $159,355

For further information, please visit the Intelligent Transportation Systems website at www.its-sti.gc.ca.

January 2005