Smart Commute Initiative

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Smart Commute Initiative

• Implementing a Regional Workplace-based TDM
  Program through TMAs and a Two-tiered Structure

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• If we keep growing the way we have in the past
  spending money as the political winds blow,
  allowing sprawling developments to occur and then
  trying to catch up to it afterwards with the cost
  of servicing it, our economy will continue to
  pay a steep price.
• - David Caplan, Ontario Minister of Public
  Infrastructure Renewal, 2005
• Cost of traffic congestion in the GTA per year
• 5.5 billion (2006)

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Outline

• Background
• Two-tiered Model
• Customization and Consistency
• Local Implementation
• Results
• Lessons Learned

Ryan Lanyon Brian Shifman Project
Director Executive Director Smart Commute
Association Smart Commute - North Toronto,
Vaughan
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Background - Growth

• Greater Toronto Area and Hamilton
• Rapid population growth
• Six million residents
• Three million jobs
• 100,000 new residents per year
• Suburban growth and urban sprawl
• Automobile-oriented
• Increased traffic congestion
• Gridlock costing local economy 5.5 billion per
  year

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Background - Travel Demand

• Source MTO, GO Transit, Globe and Mail

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Background - Smart Commute

• Pan GTA and Hamilton
• Focus on employers in GTAH
• Outreach to overall commutershed
• Objectives
• Reduce SOV trips
• Reduce VKT
• Avoid GHG emissions
• Avoid CAC emissions

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Background Smart Commute

• Formal partnership
• Regions of Halton, Peel, York and Durham
• Cities of Hamilton, Mississauga and Toronto
• May 2004 March 2007
• Funding
• Transport Canada
• Municipalities
• Private sector
• Community funding

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Two-tiered Model
Smart Commute Association
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Two-tiered Model - Governance
City of Hamilton Halton Region City of
Mississauga Peel Region City of Toronto York
Region Durham Region
SC Hamilton SC Halton SC Mississauga SC
Brampton-Caledon SC North Toronto, Vaughan SC
Northeast Toronto SC 404-7 SC Central York SC
Durham
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Two-tiered Model - Governance
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Two-tiered Model - Responsibilities
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Two-tiered Model TMA Toolkit

• TMA Toolkit (available at smartcommute.ca)
• TMA Feasibility and Planning Study
• Branding Tools
• Business Case
• Baseline and Monitoring
• Ridematching and Carpooling
• Emergency Ride Home
• Cycling and Walking
• Transit
• Alternative Work Hours
• Commuter Challenge
• Incentives and Promotions

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Customization and Consistency

• One-size-fits-all does not work
• Local context
• Local ownership

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Customization and Consistency

• Delivery models
• Municipal government (three TMAs SCA)
• Incorporated non-profits (four TMAs)
• Board of trade or chamber of commerce (two TMAs)
• Centralized services
• Carpool Zone
• Emergency Ride Home
• Media and contacts

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Customization and Consistency

• Templates
• Economy of scale
• Provide a basis
• Assistance with customization
• Comparison across TMAs

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Local Implementation Smart Commute North
Toronto, Vaughan (NTV)
CH2M HILL

• Not-for-profit public-private partnership
• Works with multiple partners to implement TDM
  solutions in North Toronto Vaughan
• Programs target the 52 of trips by GTA residents
  in peak travel (work-related trips)
• A customized suite of workplace TDM programs
  facilitates switch to alternative daily commute
  modes

ING DIRECT
Dillon Consulting
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Smart Commute NTV Background

• BCRTMA (01) ? Smart Commute Black Creek (03) ?
  Smart Commute NTV (05)
• BCTRMA First TMA in Ontario
• Originally centred around York University
• Smart Commute NTV two projects
• TDM Success at York University
• Modal split shift from 70 SOV in 1999 ? to 60
  alt. modes (transit, carpool, walk, bike) in 2006
• Deferral of plans to build (min) 2 parking
  garages - 80M savings
• 144 increase in bus service to campus

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• Form Employer Partnerships
• Enbridge Gas Distribution
• ING Direct
• sanofi pasteur
• City of Vaughan
• York University
• North York General Hospital
• Achieving Success
• Collaboration between key stakeholders
• Strong Champions
• Joint Advocacy
• Service Improvements (e.g., HOV, BRT, LRT,
  cycling lanes)
• Community Outreach (e.g., social marketing,
  events)
• Long term commitment

Bike event at York University
Unlock Gridlock fair at Enbridge
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Adding green value to business

• 77 of consumers believe that companies dont pay
  enough attention to their environmental
  responsibilities
• 72 of consumers are skeptical of companies
  claims of being environmentally conscious
• Smart Commute programs directly connect
  businesses to a strong environmental message

Members of the Vaughan Chamber of Commerce with
Ontario Transportation Minister Donna Cansfield
at Smart Commute NTVs Getting Vaughan Moving
event
Source Marketing/Ipsos Reid poll, 2007
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Employee Support for Smart Commuting

• 60 say job satisfaction is tied to daily
  commute
• 35 are interested in transit
• 50 are interested in carpooling
• 40 are interested in telecommuting

Short Trips - Opportunities for Walking and
Cycling

• 3 live within walking distance from work
• 23 live within cycling distance from work

-Results from employee surveys at nine of Smart
Commute NTVs partners (1400 respondents)
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Local Implementation

• Monitoring and Evaluation
• Employee surveys
• Site assessments
• Vehicle counts
• Program measurables
• Participant feedback
• Overall strategic directions
• SCA workplan
• Development of new tools and services
• Research needs

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Benefits of Two-Tiered Structure

• Critical mass of carpoolers in one system
• Access to greater resources
• Coordination across region allows for sharing
• Eases staff training and creates greater
  stability
• Programs customized to local conditions

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Results Across GTAH

• Reduced or eliminated (2004-07)
• 17,400 tonnes of GHGs
• 100 tonnes of CAC
• NOx, SOx, PM2.5, PM10, TPM
• 75,750,000 VKT
• 1.27 million SOV trips

Cars off the Road
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Lessons Learned

• SCA Development
• 9 months staffing (5 FTEs)
• 9 months ridematching service
• 24 months TMA Toolkit
• TMA development
• 6-12 months Municipal approval to begin
• 4-16 months Investigation of feasibility
• 6-9 months Agreement with host org (concurrent)
• 6-12 months Stakeholder commitment to launch

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Lessons Learned

• Employer Implementation
• 2-9 months Recruitment of employer
• 2-9 months Commitment and baseline
• 3-12 months Measurement, analysis and approval
• 3-6 months Planning, launch of core program
• On-going
• Implementation, continued promotion, additional
  programs
• Results must be achieved to ensure continued
  support
• Champions at worksite should be expanded

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Lessons Learned

• Two-tiered structure
• Regional tier developed earlier
• Need to show value to existing TMAs
• Central point of contact
• Smart Commute Association
• Local Smart Commutes
• Establish ground rules
• Memorandum of Understanding (MOU)
• Governance framework, accountability

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Lessons Learned

• Secure buy-in for deliverables
• Roles and responsibilities
• Implementation methods and services
• Monitoring and reporting
• On-going communication
• Ensure all partners are up-to-date
• Engage through in-person meetings
• Partnership requires travel

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Lessons Learned

• Other Lessons
• Ensure that distribution of funding is simple and
  transparent
• Ensure fairness in funding structures across all
  partners
• Create employer workplans
• Plan for hurdles such as liability concerns
• Address issues that span boundaries
• Employers with multiple locations in more than
  one TMA

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Conclusions

• Successful implementation across jurisdictions
• Partnership
• Cooperation
• Two-tiers of program delivery
• Value for businesses
• High satisfaction with services
• Tangible and intangible benefits
• Support of Ontario Chamber of Commerce

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Conclusions

• Smart Commute continuing
• Minor adjustments to structure
• Alignment with GTTA
• Continued learning

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Questions?

• Ryan Lanyon Brian Shifman
• Project Director Executive Director
• Smart Commute Association Smart Commute NTV
• ryan_at_smartcommute.ca brian_at_smartcommutentv.ca
• 416-338-0498 416-650-8059
• 866-658-9890