Reinventing the Commute

Reinventing the Commute How Employers are Greening the Trip to Work

“ Smart Commute makes smart sense!
“ The Brampton Board of Trade is pleased to support this initiative which will help make commuting easier, healthier and more enjoyable for many residents.”
Gary Collins
CEO, Brampton Board of Trade

Outline
Background
Employers: WIFM?
Get with the Program
Effective Congestion Relief
Corporate Leaders
Greening the Trip to School
What the Future Holds
Ryan Lanyon Team Lead, Smart Commute Metrolinx November 19, 2009

Background
Initiative to take action on congestion and climate change through transportation efficiency
Provincial-municipal partnership

Background
GTHA - Metrolinx
2001: BCRTMA / NTV
2004: 404-7
2005:
Mississauga
NE Toronto
2006:
Brampton-Caledon
Halton
2007:
Central York
Durham
2008: Toronto-Central
2009: Airport?

Background
Local Smart Commutes are membership-based

Employers: What’s in it for me?
Solve Transportation Challenges
Parking shortages
Site expansion or relocation
Lack of access or options
Localized congestion
Employee Benefit
Employer support and subsidies
Reduced stress
Increased retention and productivity
Smart Move: Two thirds of employees feel the commute affects their job satisfaction

Employers: What’s in it for me?
Corporate Image
Positive association
Environmental stewardship
Community involvement
Environmental Benefits
Reduce GHG emissions
Reduce CAC emissions
Smart Move: Employers contributed 8% of the program costs in 2008-09

Determine needs
Sell the employer
Assess the current situation
Create a plan to improve it
Implement the plan
Monitor results
Evaluate the plan
Reassess needs

Smart Commute Solutions
Active transportation
Bicycle parking
Cycling skills workshops
Transit
Discounted transit passes
Shuttles
Carpooling
Ridematching
Priority parking

Cobourg Stratford Elmvale Welland Carpool Zone Users Mississauga - Inbound

Smart Commute Solutions
Vanpooling
Alternative work arrangements
Telework
Compressed work weeks
Emergency Ride Home
Special events
Bike to Work Day
Clean Air Commute
Carpool Week

Primary Mode Shift
2006 2005 2008 Bike Walk/Jog Car/vanpool Public Transit Drive alone

Driving less
100 million km of car travel eliminated
Fewer trips
1.8 million trips by lone drivers eliminated
Fewer cars
+15,000 cars removed
7.8 million litres of gas
Cars Off the Road

Climate change
24,000 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions reduced
Enough to fill the Rogers Centre about eight times
Air Quality
135,000 kg of air pollution avoided
Equivalent to smoking more than 4 billion cigarettes

Corporate Leader
Hatch Ltd.
Launched - January 2007
Carpool incentive
Reserved parking
Cycling subsidy
Emergency Ride Home
Transit discounts - 2010

Corporate Leader
Hatch Ltd.
Smart Commute Mississauga Employer of the Year
36% of staff have changed their commute
13% decline in commuters who drive alone
Carpool Zone – 246 users and 35 carpools
Eliminated 7,800 trips and 309,000 km of car travel
Eliminated 38,000 kg of total emissions
Reduced parking demand by 20 spots per day
Deferred construction of parking which saved “several hundred thousand dollars”

Corporate Leader
York University
Improved transit service, particularly from suburbs
30% more York University commuters NOT driving
3,000 fewer cars each day
144% increase in transit service
68 tonnes of GHG emissions avoided per day; roughly 12,000 tonnes per academic year
$80 million saved by not building two parking garages

School Travel Planning
Active and Safe Routes to School
Smart Commute
Site improvements
Pilot Project
Transport Canada ecoMobility funding
2009-2011
30 schools in Hamilton and Peel

Lessons to be learned
What works?
Who can change their behaviour?
What are the differences between AM and PM trips?
What’s the distance at which behaviour changes?
What are the primary motivations in mode selection?
How does the modal choice of parents affect children?

Greening the Trip to School I'm interested in considering alternatives to the way that my child currently travels. It is important to me that my child gets to and from school in an environment-friendly way.

Greening the Trip to School Overall Live within 1 km of child’s school Live between 1 and 2 km of child’s school Live more than 2 km from child’s school

What the Future Holds
Increased outreach
Additional options
Vanpooling?
Telework
Travel Planning
Workplace
Personal
Special events

Thank you! Ryan Lanyon Team Lead, Smart Commute Metrolinx [email_address] 416-874-5933 www.smartcommute.ca

Reinventing the Commute

by ryan_lanyon

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