One of North America’s largest and most successful traffic safety programs is being continued and expanded with support from its German technology partner.
A new contract between Traffipax, the Canadian subsidiary of Jenoptik’s Traffic Solutions division, and the City of Toronto, the capital of the Canadian province of Ontario, will continue from 2017 onwards, following 10 years of successful cooperation. The contract was signed in June and will run for a period of five years starting on January 1, 2017. It also includes an optional extension for another five years. Negotiations will be started soon with seven other municipalities in Ontario.
In Toronto, Jenoptik will install 79 new digital red-light camera monitoring systems by the end of this year. Under the new series of agreements, the scope of supply is expected to increase to about 250 systems, with the other municipalities participating. These systems will be used for replacing equipment at existing sites, as well as establishing additional ones. The company says the contract value for the first five years, is expected to total an amount in the €14-16m (US$15.5-17.7m) range.
Back in 2006, Jenoptik was awarded a 10-year contract for the existing program in the Greater Toronto Area, establishing and operating more than 200 red-light systems, which will now be modernized. This extensive program will run until the end of December 2016, and is operated out of Traffipax’s location in Toronto. The new red-light monitoring systems will start operation on January 1, 2017. The camera systems will be manufactured at the main location of Jenoptik’s Traffic Solutions division in Monheim on the Rhine in Germany. Traffipax will again take care of all installation, operation and service agreements. Jenoptik will also provide the software for a modern and centralized back office system, which will enable government authority employees to evaluate the incidents captured.
The new equipment being deployed will use an Ontario-specific variant of the company’s latest digital TraffiStar SR520 camera system, which allows a combination of speed and red-light monitoring at intersections. The systems work on the basis of proven induction loops that are embedded in the roadway, with two loops covering each lane. They allow monitoring of up to four traffic lanes at a time. All systems will be equipped with SmartCameras designed and manufactured by Jenoptik, which can take high-resolution images and capture at least two pictures to document incidents occurring at an intersection. As with the current scheme, the Canadian cities and municipalities involved do not intend to make any money from the program. Jenoptik is keen to point out that its contract is solely based on the quality of the services provided, and is completely independent of the number of violation events recorded.
“Our combination of optical technologies, software, operation and service allows us to offer our customers complete solutions for more traffic safety,” commented Jenoptik’s president and CEO, Michael Mertin. “The new order reflects the confidence of our Canadian partners in the competence of our technology.”
