No. H001/04
For release January 14, 2004

TRANSPORT MINISTER ANNOUNCES
WINNING CONTRACTS FUNDED BY THE
INTELLIGENT TRANSPORTATION SYSTEMS
RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT PLAN

OTTAWA - Transport Minister Tony Valeri today announced that the Government of Canada has selected the winning projects that will be awarded contracts funded under Innovation Through Partnership, Transport Canada’s Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) Research and Development Plan.

"I am pleased that the Government of Canada is providing funding for these innovative projects," said Mr. Valeri. "Canada’s ITS strategic plan provides the leadership and support necessary to advance ITS technologies, and to make Canada’s transportation system safer, integrated and more sustainable."

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.

The categories under which contract proposals were submitted for Innovation Through Partnership funding include: Urban Transportation; Safety, Security and Trade Facilitation; Environment; and Foundations of Innovation. These categories are all part of Transport Canada’s Research and Development Plan.

The Government of Canada’s $600 million Strategic Highway Infrastructure Program (SHIP) provides the funding for Innovation Through Partnership, of which $100 million is designated to fund initiatives that better integrate the transportation system. One million dollars of this is allocated for research and development contracts, with a maximum of $100,000 awarded per project.

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.

Since 1999, Transport Canada has provided more than $8.5 million in support of ITS projects and research in Canada.

For more information about Transport Canada’s role in ITS, 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
RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT CONTRACT FUNDING

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 $8.5 million in support of ITS projects and research in Canada since 1999.

The field of ITS encompasses new products, information and communications technologies for the development, operation and regulation of the transportation system. ITS includes 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 contracts have been awarded in four target areas:

Traffic management and control and public transportation

Delcan Corporation
Delcan Corporation of Toronto, Ontario will receive $99,799 in funding to develop intelligent sign management systems, with the Ministry of Transportation of Ontario, and the Advanced Traffic Management Section.

Globis Data Inc.
Globis Data Inc. of Kanata, Ontario will receive $99,900 in funding to develop a system for using cell phones as traffic probes, with Profilium, Mixperts, and the University of Waterloo.

LEA Consulting Ltd.
LEA Consulting Ltd. of Markham, Ontario will receive $100,000 in funding to develop a transit signal priority algorithm, with Fortran Traffic Systems, and the University of Toronto ITS Centre and Testbed.

Transportation safety, transportation security and commercial vehicle operations

Synectics Transportation Consultants Inc.
Synectics Transportation Consultants Inc. of St. Catharines, Ontario will receive $99,960 to develop work zone traffic management on streets and highways, with the University of Toronto ITS Centre and Testbed.

MacDonald Dettwiler & Associates Ltd.
MacDonald Dettwiler & Associates Ltd. of Richmond, British Columbia will receive $100,000 in funding to develop a commercial vehicle operations (CVO) data clearinghouse/brokerage facility with the University of British Columbia.

International Road Dynamics
International Road Dynamics of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan will receive $99,000 in funding to develop remote-controlled weigh stations, with Constance Consultants Ltd., Saskatchewan Highways and Transportation, and the University of Saskatchewan.

Reduction of greenhouse gases and Road Weather Information Systems

IBI Group
IBI Group of Toronto, Ontario will receive $84,500 in funding to develop a real-time communications system for “ride-matching” (i.e., matching drivers with riders). An innovative point system will be incorporated to provide incentive to drivers to participate. The project will be undertaken with Larsson Consulting Ltd., Redknee Inc. and the University of New Brunswick.

IBI Group
IBI Group of Toronto, Ontario will also receive $99,250 in funding to develop sensor systems to determine pavement load-bearing capability, which can vary in different weather conditions. IBI Group will work in partnership with the University of Waterloo Centre for Pavement and Transportation Technology, and Manitoba Transport and Government Services.

ITS standards and methodological issues

Galdos Systems Inc.
Galdos Systems Inc. of Vancouver, British Columbia will receive $99,980 in funding to develop traffic system spatial infrastructure (i.e., the means by which geographic or locational information may be integrated with transportation management systems). Galdos will partner with Translink (the Greater Vancouver Transit Authority), InComKorea, and an advisor from the University of Toronto.

IBI Group
IBI Group of Toronto Ontario, in partnership with the University of Waterloo, will receive $99,980 in funding for the development of technical systems requirements for a national traveller information system that could be accessed by dialing “511”.

For further information, please visit the ITS Office’s Web site.