Moving Forward with Intelligence - Delivering ITS Service Effectively

Vision

Investments in ITS by the provincial government achieve the greatest benefit in meeting provincial needs and achieve optimal use of internal and external skills and resources for the planning and delivery of ITS services.

ITS is a diverse and complex field. While ITS has evolved from a research topic to an operational tool - many aspects still require development including new conceptual models and the appropriate supporting standards. To deliver all ITS systems independently would be a mammoth undertaking for any organization - and the Ministry of Transportation is no exception. The ministry can take advantage of better planning approaches; increased education and outreach to ensure skilled employees and partners are available; put in place policies to address critical issues; and take advantage of the tremendous partnership opportunities available - both internally and externally. The ministry can also work with Ontario industry to help it access international markets - bringing jobs back to Ontario.

ITS deployment planning

ITS Deployment Analysis System (IDAS) helps MTO understand the benefits and costs of specific ITS applications and ensures effective ITS investment planning.

With the maturing of the ITS field comes the maturing of our ITS planning processes. The next evolution in the development of detailed strategies for deployment of ITS will include the development of an Ontario Regional ITS Architecture. This will be based on the ITS Architecture for Canada, developed by Transport Canada. The development of the Ontario architecture will provide a consultative opportunity to develop more detailed plans with our partners.

It is also important to move ITS investment planning into the ministry's Asset Management Framework - to ensure ITS solutions are considered in concert with other ministry investment decisions. The ministry will continue to implement the ITS Deployment Analysis System (IDAS) and use it for ITS investment planning.

The Canadian ITS Architecture outlines the relationships among the four key components of intelligent transportation systems - Travellers, Centres, Vehicles and the Wayside. This model helps us plan the interaction among the components, and relates them back to the services we want to deliver. It enables better coordination for building and operating systems with our partners.

Diagram in text format

Strengthening partnerships

ITS planning, development and delivery in Ontario is a shared responsibility - both across the ministry's organization, and with partners in municipalities, federal government, industry, consultants and academia. The ministry will take advantage of this broad skill set through joint initiatives with other Canadian jurisdictions and working with international standards committees like the American Association of State Highway Transportation officials (AASHTO) and National Transportation Communication Infrastructure Protocol (NTCIP), to implement ITS solutions and establish standards.

By meeting and continuing to work with partners and stakeholders, MTO will take advantage of our combined knowledge and resources.

The current climate of greater cooperation between the federal, provincial and municipal governments creates an opportunity for maximizing funding for ITS initiatives. Joint cost-sharing programs - Strategic Highway Improvement Program (SHIP), the border Infrastructure Fund (BIF) and ENTERPRISE (a consortium of road authorities of which MTO is a member) - will use Ontario taxpayers' funds to get the greatest possible value for each dollar that MTO invests. The United States has taken great advantage of the "shared pool fund" concept for research and development activities. Ontario has participated actively in a number of these funds. This same concept should be used in Canada to encourage increased cooperation among Canadian jurisdictions. Through these activities opportunities exist for MTO to play a larger part in border security, infrastructure development and national standard development.

Research and development needs can be met through partnerships with Ontario's universities and colleges, industry and other governments. Forming collaborations on projects can result in innovative technologies and systems, while training a workforce for the current and future needs of the ITS industry. Skill development can be furthered by incorporating ITS at an undergraduate level, and creating complimentary advanced ITS continuing education curriculum in collaboration with Transport Canada and ITS Canada. The ministry encourages the ITS industry to move towards a Centre of Excellence concept for ITS research, using each organization's limited funding to create a strategic research and development investment plan. The University of Toronto's ITS Centre and Testbed represents an excellent hub for the urban ITS solutions component of such a Centre of Excellence.

Developing ITS policy and standards for Ontario

The new wave of ITS shows us the value that systems integration and information sharing can bring to us. To make this happen, however, requires the appropriate policies and standards be in place.

Internationally, a tremendous effort is underway to develop the necessary supporting technical standards. Ontario has played a role in past - and needs to continue to play a role in future to ensure that the province's needs are included. However, we need to ensure that we play the right role and that our collective investment in this is targeted at the appropriate standards - those that will make the biggest difference to our plans and support our quality of life and economic growth. The ministry will work with its partners to identify these critical standards and develop a program to ensure our needs are included.

Formal technical standards aren't the only guidelines necessary. Issues such as protection of privacy, driver distraction and transponder interoperability all require the development of guiding policy. Ontario will work with our partners to ensure the necessary policy and guidelines are in place to make sure our systems work together.

Award of the ITS World Congress to Ontario in 1999 was an international recognition of Ontario and its ITS industry's history in developing and using ITS solutions.

Outreach and education

The ministry will work with the federal government, academia, other governments, and other organizations to provide general and specific workshops and demonstrations of ITS technologies and standards to Ontario and Canada. Some examples of recent partnerships include the partnership with Transport Canada for a visit by the US Department of Transportation Advanced Public Transit Mobile Showcase - a 40-foot tractor-trailer loaded with public transit related systems and tools. The ministry also worked with the Institute of Transportation Engineers to host a series of ITS standards workshops in Toronto.

Investing in Ontario's ITS industry

The support of the Ministry of Transportation can be of tremendous benefit to Ontario's industry. By standing with Ontario industry as it develops contacts with international markets, the Ontario government helps tell the world that our industry is the best and can be trusted to provide expert advice, products and services. The ministry will continue to participate in select international ITS events, such as ITS World Congress. In addition, the ministry will continue to meet with and host international delegations to Ontario - and provide opportunities for Ontario industry to meet these delegations.

The ministry also has access to international standards development activities, and will take advantage of this access to ensure Ontario industry's needs are reflected.

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