N^o H268/05
For release November 28, 2005

GOVERNMENT OF CANADA AND YORK
REGION TO STUDY BETTER TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT

OTTAWA — Belinda Stronach, Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development and Minister responsible for Democratic Renewal, on behalf of Transport Minister Jean-C. Lapierre announced today that Transport Canada along with York Region and other municipalities in the Greater Toronto Area will be studying opportunities for integrating traffic management systems in the region.

“York Region is one of the fastest growing municipalities and so it is critical that it has the necessary capacity to optimize traffic flow on the regional road networks,” said Minister Stronach. “We applaud York Region for taking the lead in bringing together municipalities and the Province of Ontario to do this study in partnership with Transport Canada.”

“One of the key objectives of Canada’s Intelligent Transportation Systems Plan is to improve the mobility of the transportation network in urban areas,” said Minister Lapierre. “Integrating the traffic management systems in the GTA will go a long way to advance this objective.”

The study will examine how the various traffic management systems in the Greater Toronto region could be integrated to provide effective centre-to-centre communications to improve traffic flows as well as developing a regional traveller information system to provide commuters with information on traffic conditions. The Government of Canada is prepared to contribute up to $250,000 per municipality to undertake this study.

Intelligent transportation systems consist of a broad range of technologies designed to make transportation safer, more efficient and more environmentally friendly.

Federal funding will be provided under the Strategic Highway Infrastructure Program, a $600-million program to improve highway infrastructure across Canada. Part of this funding, $100 million, is earmarked for initiatives that better integrate the country’s transportation system. One of these is the intelligent transportation systems 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 the study is dependent upon the signing of contribution agreements.

Funding for this program is provided for in the existing financial framework.

A backgrounder with further information on intelligent transportation systems is attached.

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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 $23 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 integrated application of advanced technologies including information processing, communications, and sensing and control.

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, a $600-million program to improve highway infrastructure across Canada. Announced in April 2001, the program has two components, a $500-million highway construction component and a $100-million national system integration component, of which $30 million is designated to fund intelligent transportation system initiatives.

For further information, please visit the intelligent transportation systems website at www.its-sti.gc.ca.

November 2005