Governments promise nearly $1B for ITS projects

OTTAWA — The feds and the province of Ontario say they’ll kick-in $930,000 in research and development projects on intelligent transportation systems.

Each government will contribute $465,000 for projects beginning now through to September 30, 2008.

“Canada’s growth and competitiveness in world markets depend on innovation and creativity,” said federal Transport Minister Lawrence Cannon. “This funding will help researchers in their efforts to make Ontario’s transportation system safer, more efficient and more sustainable.”

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

The University of Toronto will oversee three projects totalling $264,000, expected to be complete by fall 2008. Two of the projects will explore ways to make transit more convenient and attractive for passengers by increasing the level of service and making transit schedules and routes more flexible.

A third project will explore changes in the movement of goods by commercial vehicles that will provide up-to-date information on heavily used truck routes, which will help in planning and investing in future highway improvements.