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October 14, 2015 Ontario Becomes the First Province to Pilot the Self-Driving Vehicles Ontario Good Roads Association (OGRA) is pleased with the October 13th, 2015 announcement by Ontario Transportation Minister Steven Del Duca, making Ontario the first province in Canada to pilot the testing and deployment of self-driving vehicles (and related technologies), starting January 1st, 2016. “This pilot will enable those companies to conduct research and development in Ontario rather than in competing jurisdictions as well as to support opportunities to bring automated vehicles to market,” he said from the University of Waterloo. Del Duca was joined at the university by Brad Duguid, the province's Minister of Economic Development, and local MPPs Daiene Vernile (Kitchener Centre) and Kathryn McGarry (Cambridge), as well as Dr. Feridun Hamdullahpur, the university's president. Del Duca also said driverless vehicles will increase safety on roads by reducing the number of distracted drivers and easing congestion. They also will reduce greenhouse gas emissions, help the movement of goods and services and increase opportunities for research and development. Brad Duguid said the move is crucial to keep Ontario at the forefront of automotive innovation. “We have done well in today's auto sector, but that sector is in a state of disruption here in Ontario, and we need to make sure that Ontario continues to lead,” he said, “The change is going to be a lot faster than people thought it would be.” OGRA Executive Director, Joe Tiernay praised the initiative, saying “OGRA has been keeping a close eye on this particular sector and are very pleased with Minister Del Duca’s plans for self-driving vehicles in Ontario”. He further said, “With proper planning and logistics, Ontario can become a leading source for all sorts of self-driving vehicles and technologies not only in Canada, but across the globe”. OGRA’s Ongoing Support for Self-Driving Vehicles in Ontario In July 2015, OGRA released a white paper “The Roadmap of Self-Driving Vehicles in Ontario”, which identifies how a systematic integration of self-driving as well as connected vehicles can be implemented in Ontario (click here or visit http://www.ogra.org/services/technicalservices/intelligent-transportation- system-its-.html). OGRA will also be running an Information Room on self-driving and connected vehicles at the upcoming, 2016 OGRA|ROMA Combined Conference in February 2016 (link). The mandate of the Ontario Good Roads Association is to represent the transportation and public works interests of municipalities through advocacy, consultation, training and the delivery of identified services. Ontario Good Roads Association 1525 Cornwall Road, Unit 22 Oakville, ON L6J 0B2 PHONE: 289-291-OGRA (6472) FAX: 289-291-6477 .

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