Canadian firm Esri is expanding its geographic information system (GIS) offering into the intelligent transportation systems (ITS) sector.

This move could help improve safety and urban mobility and enhance transportation infrastructure sustainability across Canada. GIS connects spatial data from numerous sources using location, improving decisions on how to increase transportation efficiency, safety and sustainability.

Leading this initiative is Daniel Kligerman, Esri Canada’s director of intelligent transportation. With over 25 years of experience with IoT, smart cities and the transportation technology industry, Kligerman plans to collaborate with municipalities, transportation agencies and private sector partners to develop effective ITS tailored to the needs of Canadian cities.

“Transportation concerns such as reducing traffic congestion, road collisions and carbon emissions are inherently spatial,” said Kligerman. “Intelligent transportation powered by GIS uses location to integrate real-time data from various ITS sensors and systems and visualise them as maps and digital twins, revealing patterns and insights that help planners and traffic managers make better decisions.”

GIS makes ITS smarter by improving mobility through providing real-time traffic insights, optimising routing, identifying congestion hotspots, analysing accidents and emergency response, and integrating public transport systems with traffic management to promote multi-modal transportation.

It can enhance road safety through enabling real-time incident management, safety hazards analysis for risk mitigation, better infrastructure design for pedestrian and cyclist safety, and enhanced safety planning and visibility of traffic conditions for better decisions and emergency response.

Promoting sustainability through optimising resource allocation, it can identify alternative routes or modes of transport to reduce carbon emissions, supporting eco-friendly initiatives such as bike lanes and electronic vehicle charging stations, and designing efficient public transport networks.

Esri ITS is built on the ArcGIS platform (www.esri.ca/en-ca/products/geospatial-platform/overview). This includes the Transportation GeoXchange, which facilitates the efficient exchange of insights, enabling collaborative, data-driven decisions.

Founded in 1984, Esri (esri.ca) provides GIS that empowers people in business, government and education to make informed and timely decisions by leveraging the power of mapping and spatial analytics. This helps organisations better manage their resources, plan their future, and collaborate within and beyond their organisation. Based in Toronto, the company serves more than 14,000 organisations from 13 offices across Canada.