Smart Commute Initiative Establishment of a Multijurisdictional Workplace-based Transportation Demand Management Program Serving the Greater Toronto Area and Hamilton

The amount of vehicular traffic in the Greater Toronto Area and Hamilton has been increasing for decades, with demand increases outpacing additional supply. As a result, traffic congestion has been swelling, and gridlock is projected to worsen by 45% over the next 30 years. In addition to increasing travel times, the additional congestion is already costing the regional economy $1.8 billion per year. Governments in the area do not have the financial resources available to add additional vehicular capacity, and the problem crosses numerous jurisdictions – provincial, regional and local. Shifting priorities for funding are also focusing more on public transit, which has a significant lag time for meeting current needs. In response, alternatives to increases in supply that can be implemented more easily have been sought. The Smart Commute Initiative was a multijurisdictional workplace-based transportation demand management program serving the commuting population of the Greater Toronto Area and Hamilton. Established in 2004, the Initiative formed and enhanced eight transportation management associations (TMAs) across the region, based on the successful experience of Ontario’s first TMA, Smart Commute Black Creek. A central coordinating body, the Smart Commute Association, was also established, thereby separating demand management functions into two tiers of program delivery. Smart Commute’s programming focused on enhancing the attractiveness of existing commuting alternatives, eliminating or reducing travel demand, and facilitating new transportation options for the GTA and Hamilton. Core services included commuter ridematching, an emergency ride home program, shuttle services, enhancing trip-end facilities for cyclists and carpoolers and assisting with the establishment of more flexible work arrangements such as telework and compressed work weeks. Marketing, media relations and special events complemented these improvements to transportation alternatives. Services were regionally standardized, with the flexibility to allow for local customization. Through careful monitoring at the workplace and regional levels, the impact of Smart Commute was measured before and after implementation, from May 2005 to March 2007. Changes in commuter awareness levels, modal shift, single occupant vehicle trips, vehicle kilometres travelled and environmental impacts were evident, and various forms of evaluation took place to investigate effectiveness of service delivery mechanisms.