An Intelligent Transportation Systems Plan for Canada: En Route to Intelligent Mobility

Rapid changes in technology and the proliferation of the information age are having profound impacts on society and the economy. Choices related to how, when, where and why we travel are influenced by technology and are now
greater than ever before. We rely heavily on the ground transportation system and take for granted that it will enable us to travel wherever we need to go in a safe, timely and predictable manner. Use of the ground transportation system is
greater than ever before, and escalating growth in travel and shifts in travel patterns point to the need to improve the management and operations of the existing system. To ensure the high level of mobility demanded by today’s
global society and scheduled economy, there is a need to modernize and optimize the ground transportation system, in part by taking advantage of the advances brought on by the information revolution.
 
To this end, the future of Canada’s ground transportation system must be connected to the knowledge economy through investments in innovation. As for other sectors of the economy, investments in knowledge and innovative
technologies are key to enhancing the long-term productivity, efficiency and sustainability of Canada’s transportation system. The application of new and emerging technologies known as Intelligent Transportation Systems can go a
long way in addressing the many challenges confronting transportation in Canada. In the same way that the information highway is transforming our society and economy, ITS can transform the way in which we build, manage
and operate the ground transportation system.