Weather hazards and changing road conditions in Ontario, Canada

Time-slices per decade have been mapped for changing road development patterns, especially the changes from secondary to paved and multi-lane roads. Ontario shows a departure in 1965 to today, between the number of vehicles and the road infrastructure capacity to meet increasing vehicle demands. Within this context of changing road conditions, weather hazard related accidents have been examined, including the transition between declining railway and increasing "just-in-time" truck traffic volumes. Severe weather-based morbidity, mortality and property damage have been analyzed and mapped to first identify high risk and vulnerable regions. In specific areas, road weather watch programs have been established with the Amateur Radio Emergency Services (ARES), as trained weather observers, to report on road-specific severe weather conditions for the benefit and safety of the traveling public. This paper will also discuss fixed road sensor networks and the opportunities for "untrained" cell phone road weather observer programs as part of our Sustainable Communities initiatives.