Intelligent Transportation Systems

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Background

The new millennium will see Alberta continue to experience considerable growth in exports and tourism. Emerging e-commerce and the growing exports of value-added products are shifting Alberta’s traditional resource based economy to a new economy, which relies heavily on just-in-time performance and integrated transportation logistics systems. The new economy requires more efficient trucking services and highway infrastructure to su stain the growth and competitiveness.

Governments are now turning to the emerging and evolving technologies known as intelligent transportation systems (ITS) for solutions to help them meet the many challenges and demands placed on transportation systems. A general definition of ITS is as follows:

"Intelligent Transportation Systems include the application of advanced information processing (computers), communications, technologies and management strategies, in an integrated manner, to improve the safety, capacity and efficiency of the transportation system."

ITS applications can generally be divided into the following eight major functional categories:

1. Traveller Information Services (e.g. traveller advisory systems, etc.)
2. Traffic Management Services (e.g. advanced traffic signal systems, freeway incident detection and management systems, etc.)
3. Public Transport Services (e.g. electronic transit schedule information, GPS tracking of bus movements and locations, etc.)
4. Commercial Vehicle Operations (e.g. weigh-in-motion, electronic truck clearance at vehicle inspection stations and border crossings, etc.)
5. Electronic Payment Services (e.g. electronic toll payment, transit fare payment, etc.)
6. Emergency Management Services (e.g. improving emergency vehicle response time by fleet tracking, route guidance and signal preemption, etc.)
7. Vehicle Safety and Control Systems (e.g. in-vehicle technologies such as on-board computers, collision avoidance sensor technologies, etc.)
8. Information Warehousing Services (e.g. traffic safety data collection, archived data management, etc.)

A Strategic Plan

Alberta Infrastructure/Transportation developed and adopted an ITS strategic plan, which provides a vision for the future of ITS in Alberta's transportation system, and outlines strategies and action plans for Alberta Transportation to explore ITS opportunities. To view the strategic plan as an Adobe document, follow the link below. 

•  ITS Strategic Plan (pdf 564 KB)

ITS Standing Committee

As recommended in the strategic plan, an ITS Standing Committee has been formed to coordinate all ITS initiatives in the department.  Representing various divisions, the membership of the Committee includes:

• Vince Wu, Policy and Corporate Services
• Mike Bradley, Policy and Corporate Services
• Allan Lo, Transportation and Civil Engineering
• Jeanette Espie, Transportation Safety Services
• Ken Bainey, Policy and Corporate Services
• Donna Lee, Policy and Corporate Services (Secretary to the Committee)

What's New?

ITS Study for the Edmonton and Calgary Ring Roads

Alberta Infrastructure/Transportation will be conducting a study to assess the needs and deployment opportunities for ITS technologies on the existing and future sections of the Edmonton and Calgary ring roads.  This ITS study will identify immediate and long-term needs, explore ITS solutions, and integrate ITS in the design of future ring road development.

With funding assistance from the Government of Canada, Alberta Transportation is conducting an Intelligent Transportation System (ITS) study to assess the immediate and future requirements on the Highway 2 corridor between Edmonton and Calgary, to improve safety and operational functions that can be addressed through the use of ITS technologies.  

This corridor is one of the most travelled routes within Alberta and is also a significant segment of the CANAMEX North South Trade Corridor that links the rest of the province to the US and Mexico.  This will be the focus for the development of an "Advanced Traveller Information and Traffic Management Systems Blueprint for Highway 2 Between Edmonton and Calgary" (pdf 100K).  

ITS network applications may include Road Weather Information Systems (RWIS) stations, dynamic message signs (DMS), traffic cameras, and highway advisory radios (HAR).

The Terms of Reference for this study can be viewed in the first link below and the Highway 2 maps of the study area can be viewed by accessing the second link below.  Both links contain files that are Adobe documents.

• Blueprint Study - Terms of Reference (pdf 84 KB)

• Highway 2 maps - study areas (pdf 524 KB)

Alberta Infrastructure/Transportation is also installing two Dynamic Message Signs (DMS) along Highway 2 in the vicinity of the City of Red Deer, and retrofitting two existing DMS at Leduc and Airdrie, as part of an integrated traveller information and traffic management system for Highway 2.  DMSs are traffic control devices used for traffic warning, regulation, routing and management by providing real-time highway information displays, therefore improving the flow of traffic.

The objective of integrating ITS network solutions is to enhance traffic safety and operations, reduce/control congestion, improve winter maintenance performance on highway systems, and deploy these solutions in a cost-effective and well-planned approach.

For further information please contact:

Mr. Vince Wu
Director, Highway and Municipal Policy
Strategic Policy Branch
Alberta Infrastructure/Transportation
3rd Floor, Twin Atria Building
4999 - 98 Avenue
Edmonton, AB  T6B 2X3
Phone: (780) 415-0680
Fax: (780) 422-1070
Email: vince.wu@gov.ab.ca