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Showcase Proposals - Proposal Summaries
Greater Toronto Area and Hamilton
Smart Commute Initiative
The Greater Toronto Area municipalities and the City of Hamilton propose a new organization to promote transportation demand management practices and reduce greenhouse gas emissions from transportation across the region.
Background
Over the next 20 years, the population of the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) and the City of Hamilton will grow to seven million people. A 55 percent growth in auto travel is expected over the same period, increasing the burden on the region’s strained transportation systems.
This showcase proposal is based on recent GTA experience with a transportation management association (TMA) pilot project. It recognizes the vital role of employers, developers, institutions, community groups and individuals in creating a more sustainable transportation system.
This showcase would implement a system of regional and local transportation demand management (TDM) measures that reduce auto use and dependency by:
- Improving alternatives to single-occupant vehicle use
- Encouraging use of less-congested travel times and routes
- Enabling reductions in trip volumes and lengths
The showcase would form the Smart Commute Association as a new non-governmental organization to oversee regional activities, while creating a series of TMAs to act in local areas. This governance model would demonstrate the benefits of TDM services that are centrally developed and branded, but delivered at both regional and local levels to maximize benefits.
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GTA Smart Commute Association
The new Smart Commute Association would oversee TDM initiatives in the GTA, led by a board of directors with regional and municipal partner representatives. It would benefit from the input of an advisory committee of representatives from local transit agencies, businesses, TMAs and other non-governmental organizations.
A working group to support the day-to-day administration and delivery of TDM initiatives would include municipal staff, as well as the executive directors of the Smart Commute Association and all showcase TMAs.
Click here to see a picture of the Governance Structure of the Smart Commute Association
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Transportation management associations
(TMAs)
The showcase would complement the broad focus of the Smart Commute Association with the local presence of up to 10 TMAs throughout the GTA and Hamilton. Local TMAs would tailor regional TDM initiatives to meet partner and stakeholder needs, generate funding and share information with local governments. Each TMA would have a board of directors with representatives of area employers, property managers and other stakeholders.
The following potential TMA locations would be in addition to an expanded Black Creek Regional
TMA:
- Consumers Road Business Park (Toronto)
- Downtown Toronto
- Markham-Richmond Hill
- Newmarket-Aurora
- Mississauga
- Brampton
- Durham Region
- Halton Region
- Hamilton
- Pearson International Airport
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Regional TDM initiatives
The Smart Commute Association would deliver some services directly to the GTA, and create “program modules” for other services to be delivered by local TMAs. Modules would address issues including employer-based transit fare sales, site design and development review, alternative work hours, telecommuting, cycling, parking management, car sharing, shuttles and vanpools.
Key regional services offered by the association would include an Internet-based ridematching service for prospective carpool drivers and passengers, as well as research and progress monitoring.
The association would also develop core marketing and outreach materials to support the following
GTA-wide activities:
- Building a successful brand for the Smart Commute Association
- Advertising the ridematching service
- Encouraging employers to offer and promote TDM measures
- Educating the public about travel options and the environmental impacts of driving alone
- Providing incentives for behaviour change
- Involving potential partners in special promotion and learning events
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Local TDM initiatives
Local TMAs would customize and deliver programs offered by the Smart Commute Association, and would promote regional branding and customer service strategies.
They would work with employers to deliver site audits, surveys of employee travel patterns, commuter incentives, special events and parking management assistance. TMAs would also act as local hubs for coordinating TDM activities and advocacy on behalf of their members and partners.
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Expected benefits
This showcase would result in an estimated reduction in greenhouse gas emissions of 20,000 tonnes annually. Other social benefits would include fewer air emissions, reduced congestion and delay to people and goods, improved public safety, enhanced accessibility and mobility options, resource conservation, and support for efficient land use through reduced infrastructure costs and space requirements. Participating businesses could reap additional benefits including reduced parking costs and improved employee recruitment, retention and productivity.
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Impact assessment
Showcase impacts on travel behaviour would be measured primarily through a regional travel survey (scheduled for 2006), region-wide cordon counts (next scheduled for 2004), and before-and-after commuter surveys in workplaces. These tools would help to quantify changes in vehicle-kilometres travelled, trip lengths, modal shares, automobile occupancies, and time-of-day travel demand profiles.
Additional tools to monitor public awareness, participation and satisfaction related to showcase services would include:
- Attitude and opinion surveys
- Feedback on Web site, special events and the ridematching service
- Employer and employee feedback on TMA activities
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Partners
The contributing partners in this showcase would include:
- Region of York
- Region of Peel
- Region of Halton
- Region of Durham
- City of Toronto
- City of Hamilton
- Town of Markham
- Town of Richmond Hill
- City of Mississauga
- City of Vaughan
- City of Newmarket
- City of Brampton
- City of Burlington
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Cost
The proposed showcase cost of $7.7 million is divided as follows:
- Smart Commute Association administration — $1.4 million
- Surveys, marketing and outreach — $0.4 million
- Development and operation of TMAs — $4.4 million
- Ridematching, vanpooling and other programs — $1.4 million
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Contact person
Loy Cheah, P. Eng.
Manager, Transportation Planning
Infrastructure Planning Branch
Transportation and Works Department
The Regional Municipality of York
17250 Yonge Street
Newmarket, ON L3Y 6Z1
Tel: 905-764-6345 (or 1-877-464-9675) ext. 5024
Fax: 905-895-0191
E-Mail: loy.cheah@region.york.on
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Note: This information reflects the proposal as submitted by the applicant, and does not reflect the views of Transport Canada.
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