Intelligent Transportation System
on Ontario’s Highways
Mike Barnet, P.Eng.
Intelligent Transportation Systems Program
Ministry of Transportation of Ontario
COMPASS Traffic Operations Centres
COMPASS Communications Centres
Sudbury
Bancroft
Thunder Bay
Ottawa
London
Toronto
Burlington
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Toronto
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COMPASS Cameras, Traffic
Monitoring and Fibre
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VMS/PVMS
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Other Deployments
Queue Warning
Traveller Information
Ramp Metering
RWIS
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New Central Region COMPASS
Transportation Management Centre
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WR Border Advisory System
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Collaborative project with Transport Canada, Michigan DOT, MTO, City of
Windsor, and Blue Water Bridge
Will provide passenger cars and commercial vehicles with accurate border
delay information for Sarnia and Windsor crossings
Information will presented through road side signs, web, and 511.
Sarnia is completed – work in Windsor pending
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401/403 Travel Time (WR)
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TC-64: Potential Solutions
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Traditional static TC-64 signs can be
costly to update, and can pose
safety concerns to workers tasked
with changing the signs on a daily
basis
Result is signs not consistently
being updated
Pilot project to test dynamic TC-64
signs that can be controlled
remotely to improve safety, and
message accuracy as traffic staging
changes
Can be bolted on concrete barrier
and is easily moved from one job to
another
Sign bolted to concrete barrier:
 6’x4’ display
 Future applications may include
queue end warnings
iCone – Traffic Monitoring System
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Combination of multiple vehicle speed detecting
sensors and PVMS used together to provide dynamic
and robust messaging for queues extending upstream
Initial sensor / PVMS placed upstream beyond longest
calculated queue length
Used successfully in Texas for large construction
projects
Has been deployed in Ontario in for significant closures
on Highway 427, Highway 9, and Highway 401
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UAV’s
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Surveying of new CCTV sites
would typically require bucket
trucks and lane closures.
Working with the OPP, the ITS
Program was able to complete 4
surveys in less than 2 hours, a
task that typically would have
taken 1 day.
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Road Condition Reporting Pilot
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Road condition reporting and highway
maintenance continues to be an issue
for the province and is facing
increased scrutiny from the public and
many other stakeholders.
This technology research project will
evaluate how tablets installed in road
patrols and operating the Context
Aware Vehicular and Information
System platform (CAVALIS), with
direct connection back to regional
Traffic Operations Centres, can
improve both the accuracy and
timeliness of road condition reporting
back to the public.
Last winter season, approximately 25
tablets were deployed in all 5 regions
of the province, and with the
assistance of our AMC’s and Ryerson
University, logged over 7,667
individual reports over 10 weeks
Understanding the Potential for Video
Analytics to Support Traffic Management &
Operations
E N T E R
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Swing Signs
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Is a secure, remote control
pivoting signage system, which
can support many sign types as
well as illumination options
Can be controlled at distances
up to 1.5km away, thereby
protecting workers
When not in use, the signs fold
flush with the median or
roadside barrier
Easy installs in approximately
20 minutes on portable concrete
barrier, standard jersey barrier,
or steel beam guide rail
Freeway Management Industry
Directions - ICM
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Efforts to date to reduce
congestion are often focused on
optimization of individual
networks
Transportation corridors often
contain unused capacity in one
or more of the following areas:
Freeway Management Industry Directions –
Active Traffic Management
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Current approaches are reactive
to incidents
Active traffic management:
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Works to understand the precursors to breakdown
Actively intervenes in the traffic
flow to delay or avoid
breakdown
Includes:
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Variable speed limits
Ramp metering
Managed lanes
Connected and Automated Vehicles
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Connectivity for Infotainment,
Convenience
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Connected Vehicle Eco Drive Project
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Demonstration project objectives:
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Demonstrate the viability and benefits of the connected vehicle based Eco
Driving in urban freight corridors
Prove to commercial fleets/shippers and municipalities that Eco Driving:
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Is operationally ready
Saves money and reduces emissions
Provide quality data, information and reports to inform municipalities, MTO and
Transport Canada in strategies, planning and actions
Strategies
Benefits
• Advise drivers ahead of signal phases –
adjust speed
• Green wave arterials – catch, maintain wave
• Inform drivers/vehicles at reds of remaining
durations – reduce idling
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• Reduced energy use: 20-35%
• Reduced noise
• Reduced pollutants
● CO2 20-35%
● CO 20-30%
● HC 15-20%
● NOx 55-60%
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Transformation of Transportation
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Eliminates collisions
Changes the make up of the road
Driver is now a passenger - free to use travel time productively
Environmental – reduced emissions, fewer vehicles
Business efficiencies – improvements to logistics, time, fuel, insurances, etc.
Revolutionizes public transport
Do we need
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Driver’s licenses?
Law enforcement?
Vehicle Insurance?
Enables Transport as a Service concept
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Mike Barnet, P.Eng.
Senior Project Engineer
Intelligent Transportation Systems Program
Ministry of Transportation of Ontario
(416) 235-5110