No. H124/05
For release June 2, 2005

TRANSPORT MINISTER SIGNS 
CONTRIBUTION AGREEMENT WITH MANITOBA 
FOR INTELLIGENT TRANSPORTATION SYSTEMS

OTTAWA — Reg Alcock, President of the Treasury Board, and Minister Responsible for the Canadian Wheat Board, on behalf of Transport Minister Jean-C. Lapierre, along with Manitoba Transportation and Government Services Minister Ron Lemieux, today announced the signing of a contribution agreement between the Government of Canada and the Province of Manitoba for Intelligent Transportation Systems in the province.

Under this agreement, the Government of Canada will provide funding for the acquisition and installation of eight Road Weather Information System 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.

Road Weather Information Systems are funded by the Intelligent Transportation Systems initiative to help improve the safety, sustainability, reliability and efficiency of Canadian transportation systems.

"This agreement is an important step towards improving the safety and sustainability of Manitoba’s highway system," said Mr. Alcock. "By providing detailed data on road conditions in real-time, this technology will allow road crews to better plan for road maintenance, allowing them to decide if, and when, treatment is needed."

Road Weather Information Systems consist of 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 help weather forecasters and highway maintenance personnel to predict road conditions. The Road Weather Information Systems initiative is a joint provincial, territorial, Transport Canada and Environment Canada program.

"The Government of Canada is dedicated to providing Canadians with the best transportation system," said Mr. Lapierre. "Funding reliable technologies that improve the safety and efficiency of our roads is one way we honour this commitment."

"Given Manitoba’s extreme weather, motorists will greatly benefit from the enhanced ability to assess the impact of weather on our roads and driving conditions," said Mr. Lemieux.

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, 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.

"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."

Federal funding will be provided under the Strategic Highway Infrastructure Program, 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 Intelligent Transportation Systems 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.

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.

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.

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 be completed within one year.

June 2005

BACKGROUNDER

INTELLIGENT TRANSPORTATION SYSTEMS

Intelligent Transportation Systems are a broad range of diverse technologies used to make transportation systems safer, more efficient, more reliable and more environmentally friendly, without necessarily having to physically alter existing infrastructure. Since 1999, Transport Canada has been promoting them aggressively and has provided more than $20 million in support of Intelligent Transportation Systems projects and research in Canada.

Intelligent Transportation Systems encompass new products and information and communications technologies for the development, operation and management of the transportation system. They include 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, which helps 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 Intelligent Transportation Systems across urban and rural Canada. The goals are to maximize the use and efficiency of existing infrastructure and meet future mobility needs more responsibly. The Intelligent Transportation Systems Plan provides leadership and support to advance the application and compatibility of Intelligent Transportation Systems technologies and to increase the safety, integration, efficiency and sustainability of Canada’s transportation system.

Federal funding is provided under the Strategic Highway Infrastructure Program (SHIP), a $600 million program to improve highway infrastructure across Canada. Announced in April 2001, SHIP has two components, a $500 million highway construction component and a $100 million national system component of which $30 million is designated to fund ITS initiatives.

For further information, please visit the Intelligent Transportation Systems website.

June 2005