Dynamic Curve Warning Challenge – Canada

The Region recognizes the opportunity of working with businesses of all sizes – including entrepreneurs, small and medium enterprises, and start-ups – to meet the current and emerging needs of the community. The Durham Regional Technology Development Site (Durham RTDS) enables the Region to find businesses to innovate and collaborate with, to achieve solutions that are not just for the municipal sector but built with the municipal sector.

The Durham RTDS is funded by Ontario Centre of Innovation (OCI) as part of the Ontario Vehicle Innovation Network (OVIN) program.

The Challenge

• The Challenge Durham Region is working to create safer roads for drivers, pedestrians, and cyclists through the Durham Vision Zero Strategic Road Safety Action Plan.
• This challenge is data informed. They know that collisions caused by turning movements are the most common types of collisions at intersections in the Region—representing approximately one third of all fatal and injury collisions at intersections.
• Given the horizontal curve configuration of a ‘county curve’, the skewed intersections inherently have a greater number of vehicle conflict points and atypical manoeuvres when compared to the more conventional intersections. These conflict points are prevalent at the local access road intersections that are unique types of conflicts and operational issues. These conflict points are differentiated by the paths drivers must maintain to access the local roads. Potential issues at the intersections include, but not limited to, conspicuity, driver expectancy and driver workload challenges.
• Chosen Locations:
  • Regional Road 23 (Beach Road) and Commodore Road, Brock Township
  • Regional Road 23 and Thorah Park Road, Brock Township
  • Regional Road 23 and Beach Road/Thorah Concession 1 Road Brock Township
• The ideal solution would be able to:
  • Factor in the speeds of vehicles approaching and entering the curve
  • Factor in road and weather conditions
  • Interface with third party navigation systems
  • Notify drivers of potential conflicts and hazards
  • Provide remote monitoring and data collection for:
    • Traffic volume and operating speeds
    • Near misses
    • Driver behaviour

Intended Outcomes

• The Region of Durham anticipates that a successful challenge applicant will work in collaboration with municipal staff to test and evaluate a technology for its ability to increase driver awareness of pedestrians and cyclists and improve safety of signalized intersections.
• Potential for:
  • 6–12-month pilot project using Regional infrastructure
  • 6–12-month research and co-development with municipal staff

Criteria

• The Successful Applicant will work alongside the relevant Regional department(s) and other end users for an estimated period of up to 12 months to demonstrate the proposed solution.

For more information, visit Durham Regional Technology Development Sit.