Vancouver . Calgary . Cambridge . Toronto . Richmond Hill . Ottawa

 

Current Year
Last Year
Archive

Transportation New

 
 

iTRANS News

December, 2006
iTRANS Opens its Doors in Cambridge


iTRANS Consulting Inc. is excited to announce the opening of a satellite office in Cambridge, Ontario in January 2007. The office provides a full range of traffic engineering and transportation planning services to all of iTRANS' public and private sector clients in southwestern and central Ontario, with the continued support of staff from our other offices, in Richmond Hill, Ottawa, Calgary, Vancouver and Washington, D.C.

Joining Dave Banks are Stewart Elkins and Darren Hardenbrook, providing a combined history of more than 60 years of experience in Transportation Planning.

See attached Cambridge Office (PDF)



December 2006
IDNR-TV Interview


On Monday, December 4, 2006 Dave Banks, P. Eng., Senior Consultant at iTRANS did a live half hour interview on the show Social Impacts on IDNR-TV (In Depth Natural Resources Television) which currently broadcasts to northern Ontario and northern Quebec. The topic of discussion was driving in the north in winter conditions and what safety issues/precautions drivers and pedestrians should be aware of in this environment. Based on his previous experience working for the Province of Manitoba Dave was an informed resource who could relate to the issues/conditions that drivers face in northern Ontario.

The interview focused on hazards found in the north and how people should prepare for travel in the winter. The discussion directly related to driving in winter conditions, human factors and the driving task, equipment quality, vehicle maintenance, etc. There was some discussion regarding Highway 69 and MTO's Action Plan for 4-laning Highway 69 between Parry Sound and Sudbury in the next 12 years. In addition Dave discussed driver behaviour on 2 lane roads where there is a lot of heavy truck traffic and some of the dangerous driving manoeuvres that some drivers undertake.

The interview wrapped up with a discussion on getting the message out to people on how to drive in winter. Dave spoke about the use of various types of media (i.e. radio, TV, brochures, posters, etc.) and the need to identify the issues properly and to identify the demographics of the target audience before preparing any type of media release to ensure efficient use of funding.

The show concluded with Dave providing website addresses to MTO and the Transportation & Health Association of Ontario (www.thsao.on.ca/publications/winter-driving.pdf) which has an excellent brochure directed at the types of drivers found in the north.

 


November 2006
Richmond Hill Transportation Master Plan Update


GTA in Brief - Insert published in NOVAE RES URBIS, Greater Toronto Area Edition - November 1, 2006 Richmond Hill Council approved an update of Richmond Hill's transportation master plan. iTRANS Consulting was retained in February to prepare the update. To read more, click on below link (see page 11).

See attached "Richmond Hill TMP Update"

 


June 2006
iTRANS is a platinum donor to the TAC Foundation Scholarships

iTRANS has recently become a platinum donor to TAC with an annual scholarship donation of $10,000 for the next 5 years. iTRANS is proud to be the first Consulting firm to sponsor a scholarship at the Platinum level. The winner of the TAC Foundation iTRANS Scholarship for 2006 is Dalia Said, a PhD Student at Carleton University. With this Scholarship, iTRANS continues with its commitment to sponsorship of students in the field of transportation studies.

Other scholarships that iTRANS sponsors includes the iTRANS Ontario Graduate Scholarship at the University of Toronto, valued at $15,000/year annually; the Dr. Michel Van Aerde National Graduate Scholarship Fund where iTRANS is a founding member of the CITE scholarship fund developed in memory of Dr. Van Aerde and a $400.00 award for academic excellence at Mohawk College.

The Program supports the educational needs of the Canadian transportation industry, by providing financial assistance to promising undergraduate and postgraduate students, and professionals returning to school, for studies in transportation related disciplines.

See attached clipping, which was published in the TAC News (Volume 32 - Summer 2006), or to learn more about the TAC Foundation, visit them at http://www.tac-atc.ca/english/educationandtraining/scholarships.cfm

To read more, click on below link TAC Foundation



June 2006
ITE- Update to Guidelines for the Design and Application of Speed Humps - ITE Recommended Practice

iTRANS has been awarded the ITE Update to Guidelines for the Design and Application of Speed Humps Project.

The ITE Traffic Engineering Council (TENC) is leading the preparation of the updated Recommended Practice to reflect changes in the state-of-the-practice and to provide a broader comprehensive summary of key considerations for speed hump design and application. The TENC has formed a Technical Advisory Committee to assist in the development of the update, which will work closely with iTRANS throughout the project.

The objective of this assignment is to create an up-to-date reference document for speed humps, which includes the most current research and practical information available regarding the design and application of speed humps. It is important to include both the positive (e.g., low cost) and potentially negative (e.g., increase to emergency vehicle response times) attributes of the installation of various speed hump designs and characteristics. The new recommended document will include the issues currently addressed in the Recommended Practice with additional identified concerns.

Congratulations to Geni Bahar and Margaret Parkhill on this exciting achievement for the US office.

 


June 2006
iTRANS focuses on Teamwork

By Roy Green - Article published in York Region Business Times - Business of Month, June 2006

At iTRANS even the President undergoes an annual performance review. Tyrone Gan, founder and president of the Richmond Hill transportation consulting firm, is a firm believer in performance appraisals for each and every one of the company's 75 employees. "That means everyone, even me, get reviewed by their peers and not just one senior person", Mr. Gan said. "I get appraised by eight, nine even 10 people, it helps all of us grow and develop."

It's that employee-centric approach to doing business that landed iTRANS among the top 10 in 2006 listing of the 20 best small and medium employers in Canada in an annual review conducted by Queen's University, Hewitt Associates and the Globe and Mail.

To read more, click on below link Teamwork



June 2006
Reconfiguration to Aid Redevelopment -Six Points Renaissance

By Anne Marie Aikins - Article published in NOVAE RES URBIS, News of the City of Toronto - Friday, June 23, 2006

After nearly two decades in the making, the "Six Points" renaissance is another tiny step closer to reality this week as city staff presented a shortlist of preferred options for a major overhaul of the tangled west-end intersection.

Currently, the intersection near the Kipling subway station is a no-man's land of wide arterial roads where cars whiz by local plazas and quiet residential streets. Running north-south Kipling Avenue interrupts the east-west connections along Bloor and Dundas streets, resulting in a confusing tangle of loops and overpasses and a big waste of good land.

In 2003, city staff and consultant iTRANS Consulting Inc. launched a municipal class environmental assessment and have been considering a number of proposals to bring the area into conformity with the secondary plan.

Staff is now hoping to redevelop Six Points into an attractive pedestrian-friendly streetscape, with lots of opportunities for safe crossings and more space for new development. The environmental assessment is currently weighing a number of different options to deal with the problem intersection, narrowing the choices down from 33-initial design concepts to four options to reconfigure the road.

To read more, click on below link (see page 1 and continuation on page 6).

See attached "Six Points"

 


June 2006
TTC Approves Commuter Parking Expansion

City in Brief - published in NOVAE RES URBIS, News of the City
Toronto - Friday, June 23, 2006

The Toronto Transit Commission approved $5.8 million in funding for an additional 635-commuter parking spaces, and a feasibility study for the consolidation of parking lots at the Wilson station. The expansion is to support the TTC's ridership growth strategy objective of increasing available parking by 2,600 spaces over 10 years. The new spaces are to be located at Kipling, Kennedy and Islington stations. A recent study conducted by iTRANS Consulting Inc. included the identification of existing and new stations where opportunities for expansion of surface parking existed.

To read, click on below link (see page 10 - City on Brief) TTC Parking Expansion

 


June 2006
Transit system overhaul needed, consultant advises

By Richard Young - Article published in Northumberland Today - Local News - Wednesday June 28, 2006

The final public transit study calls for Port Hope to spend more than $1-million between now and 2015 on improving and maintaining the public transit system. Wally Beck of iTRANS Consulting Inc. presented the final report at last night's meeting of Port Hope council.

Existing services were reviewed as part of the study. It was determined the transit service could be utilized more often, if routes are improved and transit buses are added. During the next year, Port Hope should work to convert the current two-route loop into a one-route service that operates in two directions, Mr. Beck said. The plan calls for the purchase of a new conventional transit bus this year to replace an existing bus and the purchase of an additional bus in 2007. Both buses measure about 35 feet in length and should cost $330,000 each.

To read more, click on below link Transit System Overhaul

 


April 2006
Donna Howes joins iTRANS Consulting Inc.

Tyrone Gan, President of iTRANS Consulting is happy to announce that Donna Howes will be joining our Senior Management team as a Vice President, responsible for the iTRANS practice in BC. Donna brings 20 years of experience in transportation planning, engineering, operations, and design.

Donna Howes


April 2006
iTRANS has been ranked in the Top Ten as one of the best small to medium size employers in Canada

Today, the Globe and Mail announced the Top 20 Best Small and Medium Employers in Canada in its electronic newscasting medium;

Click here to open the report

iTRANS has been ranked in the Top Ten as one of the best small to medium size employers in Canada. The complete list of rankings is on the newscast.

The study was conducted by the Queen's Centre for Business Venturing, Hewitt Associates and The Globe and Mail. Next week, the Queen's Centre for Business will be sending out a national press release highlighting the winners in the Top 20.

The Globe and Mail will have a full feature article on the Top 20 Best Small and Medium Employers in Canada study in its Report on Small Business magazine planned for publication on Tuesday April 25th.

iTRANS is celebrating its 10th year as a Consulting Engineering firm that focuses exclusively on Transportation Planning. This recognition is a great affirmation of our commitment over the years to making this a great place to work for staff. Our staff are proud of the work they do and enjoy the people they work with and the environment and learning culture we have developed.

Congratulations to us all.


March 2006
Costs of Congestion Study released by Minister of Transport

Toronto, 22 March 2006. The Minister of Transport, Infrastructure and Communities, the Hon. Lawrence Cannon, announced the findings of a key research study on urban congestion and its impacts. The study, directed by David Kriger of iTRANS, developed new methods to quantify congestion and estimate its costs in Canada's nine largest urban areas. Using data from the transportation models of each of the nine urban areas, the study found that recurrent congestion - that is, congestion caused by the daily build-up of traffic - costs between $2.3 billion and $3.7 billion annually. Over 90% of these costs are attributable to the driver's time lost due to delay, with 7% attributable to increased fuel consumed under congestion and another 3% to increased greenhouse gas emissions. The study looked at the Québec City, Montréal, Ottawa-Gatineau, Toronto, Hamilton, Winnipeg, Calgary, Edmonton and Vancouver metropolitan areas which, together, are home to over half the country's population. The study developed new methods to quantify systematically congestion and its impacts, which urban authorities have started to apply in their planning, evaluation and cost-benefit analyses for new transportation infrastructure. Although it focused on road congestion, the study was careful to examine the impacts of congestion on transit as well. For more information, please contact David Kriger, Vice President of iTRANS, at dkriger@itransconsulting.com. See also the Transport Canada media release at http://www.tc.gc.ca/mediaroom/releases/nat/2006/06-h006e.htm


February 2006
Human Factors & Explicit Road Safety - March 27 & 28, 2006

iTRANS Consulting Inc. and Human Factors North Inc. are pleased to announce that they will be offering a two day workshop entitled "Human Factors and Explicit Road Safety".  The course will be held at the Clarion Resort, Pinewood Park Inn, 201 Pinewood Park Drive, North Bay, Ontario on March 27 & 28.

Download Course Brochure

Download Fax Registration Form

Download MS Word Registration Form

For further information please e-mail hfn@hfn.ca 


January 2006
We're growing again! iTRANS expands its Ottawa office

iTRANS Consulting Inc. is excited to announce the opening of its newly expanded Ottawa office in February 2006, The office will provide a full range of traffic engineering and transportation planning services to all of iTRANS' public and private sector clients in the National Capital Region, eastern Ontario and western Québec, with the continued support of staff from our other offices.

As a new corporate Vice President, Jim Houghton, P.Eng., will be moving from the Richmond Hill head office to manage the office in Ottawa. Jim is a traffic engineering specialist with 23 years experience in all aspects of traffic and transportation engineering in both the public and private sectors. In moving to Ottawa, Jim will be returning to the city where he started his engineering career with the former Region of Ottawa-Carleton.

David Kriger P.Eng., MCIP, Vice President of iTRANS, will continue to be based in the Ottawa office, with overall responsibility for the company's practices in sustainable transportation planning, freight planning, travel demand modeling and surveys, and toll traffic and revenue forecasts and audits.

For career opportunities in Ottawa, please send resumes to humanresources@itransconsulting.com . For other information, please email itrans@itransconsulting.com .

January 2006
Human Factors & Explicit Road Safety - January 30 & 31, 2006

Over 30 people attended the two day workshop "Human Factors and Explicit Road Safety" on January 30 & 31.  In attendance were various municipal participants.  The course was well accepted and feedback was excellent.

December 2005
Dave Banks joins iTRANS

Tyrone Gan, President of iTRANS Consulting Inc. in Richmond Hill, Ontario, is delighted to announce that Dave Banks has joined the iTRANS team as a Senior Consultant. With over 34 years of experience in the transportation industry, Dave is well known throughout the transportation industry and brings to iTRANS a broad range of knowledge in traffic engineering, traffic operations, transportation planning, cycling facility planning and design, and road safety. Dave will be joining Chris Philp, Vice President, Geni Bahar, Vice President, and Ray Bacquie, Vice President to enhance iTRANS as a leader in transportation engineering and road safety across Canada.

Dave Banks


September 2005
Elizabeth (Liz) Szymanski joins iTRANS

Tyrone Gan, President of iTRANS Consulting Inc. is pleased to announce that Elizabeth (Liz) Szymanski has joined the iTRANS team as its newest Project Manager.

During her 11 years of service for the pubic and private entities, Liz has amassed an in depth understanding of the issues faced by the transportation industry. Her expertise is supported by unique analytical and problem solving skills applied creatively to a variety of transportation projects. Liz will further reinforce our Transportation Planning and Sustainable Transportation teams and will work closely with Tyrone and David Kriger on transportation planning, multimodal demand forecasting, green house gasses (GHG) forecasting and goods movement projects.


September 2005
Dave Roberts appointed Vice President

Tyrone Gan, President of iTRANS Consulting is pleased to announce that Dave Roberts has been appointed Vice-President of iTRANS , responsible for leading and enhancing the firm's transit practice.

In recent years, Dave has managed multi-faceted transit studies, service designs, functional facility designs and transit operational reviews across Canada and internationally . He was formerly Executive Director of the Ontario Urban Transit Association (OUTA) and worked at CUTA in the areas of transit policy research, advocacy and technical research for transit systems. Dave also managed the Transit Planning Department for the Greater Vancouver Regional District and other transit agencies in Vancouver.


September 2005
iTRANS Toastmasters Club is Formed

iTRANS has recently formed the iTRANS Toastmasters Club (#740550), the latest of the over 10,000 Toastmaster clubs worldwide. The iTRANS Toastmasters Club is a company initiative to help employees improve their public speaking, communications, and leadership skills. Today's transportation professionals need, not only technical skills, but communication and leadership skills in working with the public, other professionals, and peers. The development of the club is just one of the many professional development opportunities staff at iTRANS.

See details


August 2005
TAC Announces today, that Transverse and Centreline Rumble Strip - Publications Released!

Synthesis of Practices for the Implementation of Centreline Rumble Strips
Centreline rumble strips (CRS) are applied along the centre of undivided roadways and generally used to prevent head-on collisions. The purpose of this publication was to review and synthesize current literature and practices on CRS's in North America and internationally and to recommend an appropriate update to TAC's Geometric Design Guide for Canadian Roads.
The report:
* Reviews current practices, including design elements and documented issues;
* Outlines conclusions based on the literature, including recommendations for design elements and application guidelines;
* Presents potential future research topics; and
* Provides appendices containing design drawings from several jurisdictions and the provincial and state CRS policy documents reviewed.

Best Practice Guidelines for the Design and Application of Transverse Rumble Strips

Transverse rumble strips (TRS) are used to warn drivers of an imminent and unusual change in the driving environment that requires greater driver
awareness, such as approaches to stop controlled intersections, roundabouts, work zones, etc. Roadway officials have installed TRS for many years but there are currently no Canadian guidelines available. TAC recognized the need for cohesive guidelines that could be applied on a national level and initiated the creation of this document as a solution.
The report:
* Describes the background knowledge about the use of TRS in North America and the United Kingdom;
* Guides the user through a network level screening for the identification of candidate sites for the installation of TRS treatments;
* Focuses on the selected site assessment process, design configurations, installation, maintenance, environmental impact and costs of permanent TRS installations;
* Summarizes the key findings and provides conclusions; and
* Provides appendices offering the survey questions and summary of results, findings from the literature review and design configurations from different agencies.

Both rumble strip projects were conducted by iTRANS Consulting Inc.

More information or to obtain a copy, visit http://www.tac- atc.ca/english/informationservices/tacnews/fall2005-6.HTM

June 2005
Dave Roberts joins iTRANS
Tyrone Gan, President of iTRANS Consulting Inc. in Richmond Hill, Ontario, is delighted to announce that Dave Roberts has joined the iTRANS team as a Senior Transit Consultant. With over 30 years of experience in the transit industry, Dave is well known throughout the transit industry and brings to iTRANS a broad range of knowledge in transit planning, transit service design and urban transportation policy. He will be joining Wally Beck, Senior Consultant of Public Transportation and David Kriger who leads iTRANS' Sustainable Transportation practice, to enhance iTRANS as a leader in transit consulting and innovation across Canada.

In recent years, Dave has managed multi-faceted transit studies, service designs, functional facility designs and operational reviews across Canada and elsewhere. He was formerly Executive Director of the Ontario Urban Transit Association (OUTA) and worked at CUTA in the areas of transit policy research, advocacy and technical research for transit systems. Dave also managed the Transit Planning Department for the Greater Vancouver Regional District and other transit agencies in Vancouver, and is looking forward to opening up a Vancouver office of iTRANS in his native Vancouver in 2006.

Dave Roberts


March 2005
Tomasz Kroman joins iTRANS
Tyrone Gan, P.Eng., President of iTRANS Consulting Inc. is pleased to announce that Tomasz Kroman, P.Eng., has joined the iTRANS team as its newest Vice President. With over 25 years of experience in transportation planning, traffic engineering and transportation design, Tomasz will be responsible for leading iTRANS in the development and overall management of our Transportation practice in Alberta. Tomasz will be based out of Calgary - iTRANS' newest office. He will be working with Tyrone, a former Manager with the City of Calgary Transportation Planning Department, to provide our Alberta clients with the high quality of service, and the Insight, Integrity and Innovation demonstrated by iTRANS on projects across Canada.

Tomasz has been involved in the planning, design and construction of a wide variety of transportation projects throughout Alberta over the years. This includes planning and detail design of urban and rural highways; freeways and interchanges; and parking facilities. Projects have included Functional Planning Studies of Highway 11 through Rocky Mountain House, Highway 9 South of Irricana, Highway 2/Highway 7 Aldersyde Interchange, Cominco Interchange, Shaganappi Trail Extension, Crowchild Trail /Shaganappi Trail Interchange, Whitemud Freeway, Design Project including; Dalhousie Park and Ride Facility, 194 Avenue South/Highway 2 Intersection, Crowchild Trail/Shaganappi Trail Interchange, St Albert Trail, Road Needs Studies, and Traffic Impact Assessments

Tomasz Kroman


March 2005
Joseph Arcaro joins iTRANS
Tyrone Gan, President of iTRANS Consulting Inc. is pleased to announce that Joseph Arcaro has joined the iTRANS team as its newest Vice President. With close to 20 years of consulting experience in transportation planning and design, Joseph will be strengthening and developing the highway planning and municipal road design. He will also join Ray Bacquie, Vice President in expanding our municipal road and highway Environmental Assessment Practice.

Joseph has been involved in the planning, design and construction of a wide variety of transportation projects over the years. This includes planning and detail design of urban and rural highways; freeways and interchanges; and airport and parking facilities. Projects have included the Highway 35 Widening/Rehabilitation in Minden, Highway 7 improvements in Lindsay, Highway 400 NBL bridge rehabilitation at Highway 12 in Waubashene, and a number of Highway 407ETR projects, most recently the Markham By-pass interchange.

Joseph Arcaro


October 2004
Please visit our display at the 2004 IMSA Traffic Expo. The Expo will be held in Burlington on October 27, 2004 at The Holiday Inn, 3063 South Service Road. The Expo runs from 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM
We will be showcasing our traffic signal services and expertise including iTRECTM, a GPS based travel time package. You can download the demonstration version of iTRECTM by clicking on the following link:
Download iTREC Demonstration Software

October 2004
iTRANS vice-president Geni Bahar was identified in the latest newsletter of the Institute of Transportation Engineers' Transportation Safety Council as playing a lead role in updating the Safety Action Plan of Washington-based ITE. Ms. Bahar serves on the executive committee of the TSC. She stresses in her newsletter update that the ITE International Board of Directors has identified safety as a "mega-issue" for ITE, and that ITE has asked the council to develop a white paper on the issues of safety. A draft framework for the white paper has been provided to ITE staff, and the goal is to complete the document for the International Board meeting in late 2004.

October 2004
iTRANS will be attending the 2004 APTA (American Public Transportation Association) meeting on Oct 10th through to the 13th in Atlanta, Georgia.

September 2004
iTRANS presented several papers/presentations at the TAC Annual Conference that was held in Quebec on September 19th through to the 22nd. Please visit our papers page to obtain a copy of the below papers/presentations that were presented:

  • "Highway Signing for Drivers' Needs" - iTRANS co-presented with Dr. Alison Smiley of Human Factors North.

  • "Development of Modal Share Targets for Ottawa's Transportation Master Plan" - iTRANS co-presented a paper with Dr. Mona Abouhenidy of the City of Ottawa, and Don Shephens of McCormick Ramkin Corporation (formerly with City of Ottawa).

  • Planning Process for Urban Goods Movement - Paper presented by David Kriger.

  • Human Factors and Safety Impacts of Delineation Countermeasures on Two-Lane Rural Roads - iTRANS co-presented with Dr. Alison Smiley of Human Factors North, and Dr. Bhagwant Persaud, Ryerson University.


September 2004

Geni Bahar, Jim Houghton, and Maurice Masliah of iTRANS Consulting will be in Overland Park, Kansas October 19-20 to facilitate the Comprehensive Highway Safety Plan Peer Exchange Meeting. Over 40 States and 130 participants are scheduled to be in attendance in order share ideas, successes, and develop potential solutions to problems in developing comprehensive safety plans. The development of comprehensive plans has expanded beyond the pilot states [link to lifelines] implementing variants of the Integrated Safety Management Process, NCHRP Report 501, into a national effort in reduce the number of deaths and injuries on highways.
Link to Lifelines


July 2004
Sustainable Transportation

David Kriger presented a poster entitled "What Makes a Transportation Master Plan Sustainable?" at the Transportation Research Board's conference on Integrating Sustainable Transportation, Baltimore, MD, July 11-12, 2004. To obtain a copy, please visit our Papers page.


July 2004
Goods Movement

David Kriger also made a presentation entitled, "Moving Goods: Urban Challenges or Urban Solutions" at the Canadian Institute of Planners Annual Conference, Toronto, July 11-14, 2004. To obtain a copy, please visit our Papers page.


February 2004
An Introduction to Road Safety Science Training Course

The Introduction to Road Safety Science course scheduled for March 2 - 4, 2004 has been postponed until the fall. When a date has been confirmed, it will be posted here, along with registration materials. For general information on course content, please feel free to download the brochure. This course is intended for transportation professionals including traffic engineers, highway designers and traffic technologists. Similar material has been offered in previous courses to MTO employees in 6 regions, to the Consulting Engineers of Ontario, and other Regional Municipalities in Southern Ontario. Evaluations have shown a high level of satisfaction with the course presentation.

Download Course Brochure

For further information please e-mail gbahar@itransconsulting.com  or asmiley@hfn.ca 


January 2004
Paul Allen - President of Canadian Association of Road Safety Professionals (CARSP)
Effective January 1, 2004, Paul Allen, of iTRANS was appointed the President of the Canadian Association of Road Safety Professionals (CARSP) for a two year term. CARSP is made up of a broad range of Canadian road safety professionals, with common objectives, and has grown considerably since its modest beginnings in the mid-eighties. The membership has grown to approximately 300 members.
 

The ultimate purpose of CARSP is to help improve road safety by not only disseminating road safety information, but by promoting the field itself and thereby adding cohesiveness to Canada's road safety community. Over the next two years he will be working with the CARSP Board of Directors to elevate the profile of the organization through strategic partnerships, campaigns, our multi-disciplinary road safety conference, new research initiatives, and through the introduction of unique services for our members and the public at large.
 

Prior to iTRANS, Paul managed road safety and loss prevention programs for two public auto insurance companies in the West - The Insurance Corporation of British Columbia (ICBC) and Manitoba Public Insurance (MPI). In his later years at ICBC he was responsible for managing the corporation's provincial speed management strategies (1998-2000), and at MPI between 2000 and 2003 he was responsible for managing MPI's road safety department and which included auto crime countermeasures.

Congratulations to Paul, from all of us at iTRANS.


September 2003
Human Factors and Explicit Road Safety

iTRANS Consulting Inc. and Human Factors North Inc. are pleased to announce that they will be offering a two day workshop entitled "Human Factors and Explicit Road Safety". The course will be held in Vancouver BC on October 16th & 17th, 2003.

Course Outline   Registration Form

For further information please e-mail gbahar@itransconsulting.com  or asmiley@hfn.ca


July  2003 

Springdale Transportation Cap

iTRANS had the opportunity to provide transportation advice and expert testimony on behalf of the City of Brampton and Region of Peel related to development controls in the Springdale community. After a 6-week hearing of the Ontario Municipal Board, the Board recently ruled in favour of the City of Brampton and Region of Peel in upholding development controls for the Springdale community.


June 2003

Canadian Multidisciplinary Road Safety Conference XIII
Safety Specialist, Margaret Parkhill, EIT, attended the Canadian Multidisciplinary Road Safety Conference XIII in Banff, Alberta. iTRANS co-wrote a paper with City of Ottawa staff regarding the Integrated Road Safety System developed by iTRANS currently being launched in Ottawa. 

"Establishing an Integrated Road Safety System in Ottawa" (PDF Format)


June 2003

Senior Researcher Maurice Masliah will be discussing the Integrated Safety Management System (ISMSystem) at the 2003 Governors Highway Safety Association in New Orleans, Louisiana on August 27th. The ISMSystem research was led by iTRANS Consulting and will be proposed as part of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials' (AASHTO) Strategic Highway Safety Plan


March 2003

Sustainable Transportation

iTRANS is active on several exciting Sustainable Transportation initiatives, which aim to balance auto use with more environmentally-friendly alternatives, to aid Climate Change and improve air quality. They differ from traditional transportation plans, because they require different analytical techniques, partnerships and strategies to address a whole new set of questions (for example, how the public and private sectors can work together to achieve common goals, and how to achieve economic and environmental sustainability together). Led by David Kriger, Vice President, iTRANS' work in sustainable transportation ranges from policy planning to the assessment of emission-reduction and the quantification of their impacts.

Recently, iTRANS was part of a team that developed a Sustainable Transportation Plan for Québec (Environment Canada, 2003), which identified over 40 actions and priorities. This was the first Province-wide sustainable transportation plan in Canada, covering all modes: urban and inter-urban, passenger and goods, public and private.


Wally Beck joins iTRANS

Wally Beck joins iTRANS as Senior Consultant, Public Transportation. With 27 years of experience in the public transportation industry, Wally brings in-depth and hands-on experience in all areas of public transit operations, planning, administration, and land use policy development with experience in Canada and overseas. His long-term tenure as the former Director of Kitchener Transit is complemented by several years as a consultant in the transit and information technology sectors. 


Elizabeth Szymanski joins iTRANS

We are pleased to announce that Elizabeth Szymanski has joined our transportation planning team. Elizabeth's experience with travel forecasting, long range planning, traffic engineering as well as her passion for sustainable transportation will complement our team of exceptional professionals. Elizabeth brings in over 8 years of experience gained through projects conducted for public agencies and the consulting industry. She will enhance our practice in travel demand and mobility management, demand forecasting, modeling and transportation planning services offered by iTRANS. 


December 2002

iTRANS is very happy to announce that David Argue, P.Eng., has just been certified by the PTOE

iTRANS is very happy to announce that David Argue, P.Eng., PTOE has just been certified by the Professional Traffic Operations Certification Board (which is part of the Institute of Transportation Engineers) in Washington as the first Professional Traffic Operations Engineer (PTOE) in iTRANS. As stated in the ITE website: Certification as a Professional Traffic Operations Engineer is a powerful demonstration of knowledge, skill, and ability. In today's world where competition is a fact of life, certification as a PTOE is a mark of excellence. The PTOE certification provides assurance that the holder possesses a high level of competency in the areas of standards, recommended practices, and the policies and procedures necessary to operate effective and efficient traffic facilities.


November 2002

iTRANS releases iTREC GPS Data Recorder and Analyst Software Packages.

iTRANS has developed two software packages to assist road authorities, transit agencies and other transportation professionals to quickly and easily collect, analyze, and report travel time information. The software packages are called iTREC. The travel time required to traverse a route between any two points on a roadway, is a fundamental measure in transportation. 

iTREC integrates Global Positioning System (GPS) hardware with most any Microsoft Windows based PC laptop computer to record position and time data. Traditional travel time studies are labor intensive requiring both a vehicle driver and a passenger for data collection and recording. However, using the iTREC software with a GPS receiver for data collection has the following advantages:

  • Reduction in staff requirements, no passenger is needed during vehicle data collection for recording information

  • Fewer errors, since data collection is automated missed checkpoints or incorrectly logged data is significantly less likely

The iTREC analysis software calculates speed, direction, delay, number of stops and other useful evaluation measures. iTREC can be used to quickly and efficiently evaluate the levels of service along roadways, compare travel times along different routes and generate the effectiveness for roadway changes such as road reconstruction, signal timing changes, ramp metering, traveler information systems, bus priority systems or the effects in overall growth of traffic.

Integrated within iTREC is a Geographic Information System (GIS) for selecting, analyzing and displaying time travel information; third-party GIS software is not required. ITREC simplifies all stages of time travel studies through a user-friendly interface allowing anyone to quickly and easily compare "before and after" scenarios, and generate valuable reports in a graphical format.

Download The Demo


October 2002

iTRANS is pleased to announce that due to our growth and expansion, we are moving to a larger facility within our current office tower .

As of November 1, 2002, iTRANS Consulting will be relocating from Suite 608 to Suite 300 at the existing address at 100 York Boulevard, Richmond Hill, ON L4B 1J8. All current telephone and fax numbers will remain the same, However; the prefix 5 will be added to the beginning of all extensions (Eg. 224 now becomes 5224).


September 2002

David Kriger joins iTRANS

iTRANS Consulting is delighted to announce that David Kriger has joined iTRANS Consulting as Vice President. With 20 years experience in consulting and government, David brings to iTRANS broad experience in transportation planning across Canada, as well as in the United States and overseas. Based in Ottawa, David will lead iTRANS in Sustainable Transportation studies, transportation planning research and education / training in Canada and around the world. In addition, David will enhance our practice in travel demand forecasting and modelling, transportation master plans, and toll highway traffic and revenue studies.


Jim Houghton joins iTRANS

iTRANS Consulting is delighted to announce that Jim Houghton, P. Eng. has joined iTRANS as a Senior Project Manager. Jim was formerly the Principal of Houghton Traffic Engineering (HTE), providing traffic engineering services to clients in the Toronto area. With over 19 years experience in the consulting industry and in the public sector, he will have an important role in expanding the traffic engineering and road safety services offered by iTRANS to clients.


June 2002

Fundamentals of Highway Safety Improvement

iTRANS in collaboration with Human Factors North and the Midwest Research Institute has been commissioned by the U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Highway Administration to produce a course titled "Fundamentals of Highway Safety Improvement". The Fundamentals of Highway Safety Improvement course replaces and expands upon the 21-year old "Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP)" and "Engineering Studies" courses. The new course include both an instructor's manual and a student's reference manual intended to provide guidance to State and local agencies for developing and implementing a highway safety improvement program which best suits their capabilities and needs. The four specific crash types covered by the engineering studies portion of the course are run-off-road, head-on, intersection, and pedestrian type crashes. The course and manuals will be beneficial to Federal, State, and local municipal highway engineers and other professionals involved in a highway safety improvement program. The pilot course will be delivered in Winter 2002/2003 by Geni Bahar and Dr. Alison Smiley.


June 2002

2002 Access Management Conference in Austin Texas

iTRANS Consulting has provided support to the Regional Municipality of Durham in corridor management by developing their Access Management Policy and Guidelines. The findings of the study were presented at the 2002 Access Management Conference in June which was held in Austin, Texas. Ray Bacquie co-authored the paper presented by Gene Chartier, Manager of Planning and Design at the Region of Durham.

The presentation outlined the access management philosophy and safety context and highlighted the network safety screening tool developed for the Region by iTRANS. The presentation also identified the legislative authority in Ontario and how that is translated into the key elements of the guidelines.

Durham Access Study


June 2002

Dr. Michel Van Aerde National Graduate Scholarship

iTRANS recognized as one of the Founding Partners

In August 1999, the Canadian transportation engineering profession lost one of its academic leaders. Michel Van Aerde died suddenly at the age of 39. As a researcher and teacher, he was recognized as an international authority in the field of transportation engineering.

A scholarship in honour of his memory was established this year. The aim of this award is to encourage students to obtain Ph.D. degrees in transportation engineering. iTRANS being committed to transportation engineering, generously donated to the establishment of the fund.

As a Founding Partner of the scholarship, iTRANS was recognized at this year's, Canadian Institute of Transportation Engineers (CITE) Annual Conference held in May, 2002 in Ottawa. On behalf of his family, Michel's young son, Eric acknowledged the establishment of the scholarship and its Founding Partners. Tyrone Gan, the President of iTRANS accepted a plaque in recognition of iTRANS' contribution to the scholarship. 

iTRANS received the following letters from the University of Waterloo and from the family of Dr. Michel Van Aerde in recognition of their contribution to the scholarship fund.

Letter from University of Waterloo

E-mail Thank-you


April 2002

An Introduction to Road Safety Science Training Course

iTRANS Consulting Inc. and Human Factors North Inc. were pleased to announce that they offered a course entitled An Introduction to Road Safety Science in April with 35 people in attendance. This course was intended for transportation professionals including traffic engineers, highway designers and traffic technologists. Similar material has been offered in previous courses to MTO employees in 6 regions, to the Consulting Engineers of Ontario, and other Regional Municipalities in Southern Ontario. Evaluations have shown a high level of satisfaction with the course presentation. Next Course will be held on March 4-6, 2003. Location TBA. We will keep you up-to-date when information is available.


April 2002
iTRANS Proudly Sponsors the ITS Canada Annual General Meeting

Congratulations to the coordinators of this year's ITS Canada AGM (March 25 and 26 in Toronto). It was a very successful conference with some interesting presentations and timely information. With the recent inauguration of the Transportation Systems Group at iTRANS, sponsorship of the ITS Canada AGM was a unique opportunity to announce the expansion of our services into the ITS industry.

iTRANS acknowledges the efforts and initiatives of ITS Canada in defining the industry and providing a strong voice in the decisions that affect our business both domestically and internationally. However, the success of these initiatives relies on input from a wider range of municipal representation. Please get your municipality involved.

For more information, please check the website at www.itscanada.ca


April 2002
iTRANS supports Ontario Good Roads at record setting "Operations Course"

The first ever Ontario Good Roads Association (OGRA) "traffic operations course "Municipal Operations and Traffic Safety" was held the week of March 4 in Toronto. iTRANS covered a full two days worth of topical material at this course. On Monday, Chris Philp presented "Incident Management Strategies" during the morning and "Traffic Signal Systems - An Element of ITS" in the afternoon. On Wednesday, Geni Bahar co-presented with Dr. Alison Smiley (of Human Factors North) on "Principles of Road Safety Engineering and Human Factors"

Attendance set a record for a first-ever OGRA course. Congratulations to Zoran Postic of York Region and Mike Parks from the City of Brampton for organizing such a great course!

 

©Copyright 2007 iTRANS Consulting Inc. All Rights Reserved.