IBM has exhibited a commitment to the principles of environmental stewardship for many years by initiating and promoting smart commuting practices among its employees. The company was a primary member of the Smart Commute Markham, Richmond Hill Steering Team and continues to be a member of the project's Advisory Committee. IBM has developed a world-wide mobile/teleworking network that results in thousands of tonnes of gas emissions saved globally and millions of vehicle kilometres saved.

IBM's Cycling Club in Markham - a 'bicycle users group' or B.U.G. - encourages employees to cycle to and from their workplace. The company hosts Earth Day employee drop-ins at all Markham locations, where Smart Commute kiosks and Earth Day booths are featured. IBM was one of York Region's first corporations to install shower facilities for its employees who commute to work by walking, running, jogging, cycling or roller-blading. It was also one of Carpool Zone's first corporate participants, using the website for employee carpooling to and from work and between its worksites. Globally, its Strategic Computer Solutions apply innovation - both inside and outside the IT industry - to building green solutions and improving the quality of the environment.

Find out more about Smart Commute Markham, Richmond Hill. 

In April of 2004, Region of Peel Council supported the municipal government's participation in the Greater Toronto Area and Hamilton Smart Commute Initiative. Not only did the Region of Peel take a lead role in establishing Smart-Commute Brampton-Caledon, but they also made a commitment to lead by example and demonstrate as a model employer the benefits of implementing Smart Commute initiatives for its organization and employees.

In June 2005, The Region of Peel launched its Employee Trip Reduction Program which encouraged Region of Peel employees to use sustainable modes of transportation and reduce the use of single occupant vehicles during the workday. Employees that drove to work alone and took trips between workplaces during working hours were targeted through the development of transportation demand management programs and services, and extensive communication and promotion of the program. All departments at the Region of Peel, including the members of the Employee Trip Reduction Program Committee, took an active role in making the program a success - ultimately reducing congestion, contributing to the environment, saving employees money and time, and enhancing employee wellness, productivity and organizational pride.

The Region of Peel's implementation of Carpool Zone was a tremendous success with 160 employees registered and 47 successful carpools presently formed and growing each day. The program has also grown to include preferential parking to registered carpool teams at various regional locations. As well, it now includes Emergency Ride Home, along with an improved telework policy, and the existence of more bike racks at worksite locations.

The Region of Peel has been a true champion for implementing Smart Commute initiatives, demonstrating that the collective commitment from its Council, management and employees can make a very positive contribution to the organization and its community.

Find out more about Smart Commute Brampton-Caledon. 

The Town of Newmarket is an employer of choice for the benefits and programs offered to employees. It is noteworthy to mention that since 2005 Town Council and Senior Management have fully supported the efforts of the Town’s Transportation Demand Management Committee for initiating the Smart Commute programs for employees, including annual financial assistance to deliver the Smart Commute Newmarket employee programs. Newmarket staff are committed to the Smart Commute programs and enjoy the benefits and rewards offered.

The Town uses a comprehensive communications plan through its intranet (TONI) to disseminate information about Smart Commute to all staff. This website is updated regularly with incentives, prizes, and information that encourage staff to keep their activities going when it comes to Smart Commute. The eleven TDM Committee members are the Smart Commute champions at the Town, responsible for research, brainstorming new ideas, program promotion, employee events and measuring successes. A detailed system tracking all activities and calculating the number of vehicle kilometre trips reduced on a monthly basis was set up. The Town is leading by example, and hopes that the residents of the Newmarket Community will follow their lead.

Newmarket employees also enjoy the benefits of a user group on Carpoolzone.ca to help encourage co-workers to commute together. There are three designated preferred carpool only parking spots located right at the front door of the Town’s office on Mulock Drive. Newmarket Council has also made a commitment to financially support the Transportation Management Association/Smart Commute Central York, further amplifying its commitment.

Since May 2006, the Town of Newmarket has hosted or participated in a number of events including Car Free Day, Earth Warrior Celebration, Earth Week Events, Spring Lunch Launch, Bike Tune-up Day, Urban Pole Walking Day, Walking/Running Day, Bike to Work Day and World Record Walk.

To promote and encourage the carpool program, staff will receive 1.25 times more for mileage reimbursement when carpooling to external business meetings.

The Town also conducted an Operations Feasibility Study to consider the scheduling of the town workers to work a 5-in-4 work week.  The study found that it would reduce the number of employee automobiles on the road by 10%. 

The Town of Newmarket realized results right away, such as a 12% reduction in cars in their parking lots the first year. The Town eliminated over 1000 automobile trips in the first 5 months. Participants have reduced their total driving kilometers by an average of 11%. These efforts resulted in an elimination of 11.7 tonnes of CO² of emissions in the first five months, and employees logged an average of 22 minutes of physical activity per week.

York Region has set the standards for on-going participation in Smart Commute activities company-wide from the beginning of the program in 2006. As one of the founding partners, York Region has provided many opportunities for its employees to reduce their number of single vehicle commutes by providing outreach opportunities, incentives, transit discounts, preferred parking for HOV, health and wellness initiatives, as well as partnering with other stakeholders to promote the Smart Commute message to all members in the community.

As a Top 100 Company in Canada, the level of participation is in keeping with its strategic vision of a 'Framework for Excellence'. York Region's plan shows the base of its pyramid is 'individual employee performance and development'. Participation in Smart Commute is in keeping with its focus to continue to achieve its recognition as a Top 100 company as well as enhancing the lives of the people who help make York Region a great employer.

Beginning with York Regional Council, leadership has been demonstrated through Council's support as the corporate host of the Smart Commute initiative. Policies and programs have been adopted to encourage employees to consider alternative modes of transportation. Regional Council has authorized continuing funding support of the initiative and transportation management association's (TMA's) activities.

The Region has developed a phased Employee Trip Reduction program for all employees and has continually adopted polices which apply Travel Demand Management (TDM) measures. York employs a full time TDM co-ordinator within the Planning department who assists in implementing the various programs and events.

Over the past year, York Region and its employees have participated in the following events - World Record Walk, Commuter Challenge, Bike to Work Day, and Earth Week.

The overall goal of these events/activities was to maximize employee participation and bring awareness of the benefits associated with the use of alternative modes of transportation - among them, more liveable communities.

In May of 2006, York Region launched the first phase of the Employee Trip Reduction program which included the following services:

• Carpoolzone.ca user group was launched and implemented which included registering for preferred carpool parking spots at the Administrative Centre (30 registered carpools)
• Designated carpool parking spots for three locations: Admin. Ctr, Bales location and South Service Ctr Richmond Hill
• An ERH Policy for regional staff
• Newly designed outdoor and indoor bike storage facilities at four regional locations plus incentives to staff for riding to work
• Compressed work week, flex time.
• 50% off transit tickets for employees

Results of the York Region Smart Commute program:

• A 10% drop in the number of persons driving alone. Results of 2006 survey were 90% SOV where 2007 was 80%
• 2007 survey showed 29% of staff had made a change to their SOV commute
• Regional policy adopted and established funding to ensure employees have 100% confidence in taking transit or carpooling because they have an Emergency Ride Home

Find out more about Smart Commute Central York. 

Hamilton Health Sciences has shown its leadership in offering sustainable transportation for its hospital employees. The HHS-Smart Commute committee was born out of the need to find solutions to the hospitals' parking crises. After reviewing the costs of building additional parking towers, this group of HHS volunteers knew they would have to be innovative.

In 2005, Hamilton Health Sciences made a commitment to promoting sustainable ways of commuting to work by supporting the work of Hamilton Health Sciences - Smart Commute. For nearly two years, these committed HHS-Smart Commute volunteers worked tirelessly to facilitate sustainable commuting options.

First, the Carpool Zone was put into place. To further entice staff, carpoolers were given the opportunity to designate any parking spot as their own. An Emergency Ride Home program was developed to put sustainable commuters' minds at ease. Negotiations brought HHS reduced bus passes. AT the time of this writing, the Human Resources department is finalizing an agreement with the Hamilton transit authority HSR to offer significantly discounted bus passes. Half of these are offered to those who turn in their parking pass, and the other half are offered to current transit users.

A secure bike shelter was built at each of the four main hospitals located across the city, accommodating nearly 400 bikes. In addition to security cameras, entrance to these shelters requires programmed hospital I.D. badges.

HHS participated in the Commuter Challenge in 2006 and 2007 and has accepted challenges of rival organisations within the city. During the week of the Commuter Challenge, environmental education material is emailed to all staff making them aware of their potential impact on reducing vehicle emissions by choosing sustainable modes of transportation.

Telework has been in place in Health Records section of HHS for several years, and now is in progress in other departments. As well, managers are no longer required to travel to different hospital sites each month to attend the CEO's meeting. Now this is all done by teleconference, significantly reducing monthly emissions.

The Smart Commute initiative has received support from HHS's most senior executives including Gayle Holmes, Assistant Vice President, Human Resources (now retired) and from Murray Martin, Chief Executive Officer.

With commitment from Gayle Holmes and the Human Resources department, the Smart Commute initiative received critical financial support for all of the TDM alternatives now available to HHS employees. In addition, Gayle Holmes was a voice at the executive level for ACE and Smart Commute initiatives. Murray Martin could always be counted upon to lend his influential support by communicating Smart Commute initiatives. HHS is also very committed to its role as a commuter leader. Murray Martin is always willing to hop on a bike or squeeze into a Smart Car in order to promote the Commuter Challenge! Finally the true leadership of this initiative came from a group of committed and dedicated volunteers who because of their own personal values and passion brought Smart Commute alive at HHS!

Find out more about Smart Commute Hamilton. 

Hatch is the showcase for all companies in Mississauga who are interested in launching and supporting a successful TDM program. Hatch has not only initiated a carpooling program, and an Emergency Ride Home program, but they have also created a financial incentive program whereby all carpoolers, cyclists and pedestrians receive financial compensation when they choosing sustainable transportation alternatives to get to work rather than driving alone. The Smart Commute program at Hatch has been able to:

• Sign up 250 CPZ users
• Form more than 35 carpools resulting in an average of 10 parking spots saved per day at its head office
• Reduce 100 tons of CO² emissions

What's most impressive is that all of this was achieved in less than 12 months.

The program has also impacted their bottom line. By reducing the demand for parking, Hatch has been able to defer the expansion of their parking facilities, a savings in the hundreds of thousands of dollars.

The success of the program is largely due to support from the highest levels in the company, and the tremendous efforts of the sustainability committee in launching the program and in continuously exploring ways to grow and improve the program.

Find out more about Smart Commute Mississauga. 

York University took a leadership role as a founding member of the BCRTMA in 2001, the first TMA in Ontario and first University-based TMA in Canada - now Smart Commute North Toronto, Vaughan (NTV). Today York University remains Smart Commute NTV's 'largest partner', with a community of almost 67,800 students, staff and faculty, and it is still the home base for our operations. The accomplishments of York University demonstrate the impact that TDM can have with the right leadership and commitment, the help of champions and stakeholder collaboration.

In 1999, 70% of commuters were driving alone to York University, while only 30% were using alternative modes, such as transit, carpooling and cycling. Today, 60% of commuters are using alternative modes to Keele Campus, due to the drastic improvement of services. These include a 144% increase in bus service to campus, the addition of express bus services for interregional travel, a GO train stop near campus and an accompanying shuttle bus to Keele Campus, shuttle services between York's Glendon and Keele campuses, and other additions. These improvements have enabled York University to defer plans to build two large parking structures, at a savings of about $80 million. Improvements have reduced CO² emissions by 44,000 tonnes (as compared to 2001-02 levels).

In addition to transit services at York University, Smart Commute and York have a Bicycle User Group (BUG) with nearly 300 members, and an improved cycling infrastructure. Events on campus have helped foster a cycling culture. The University also has an active Carpool Zone subgroup in partnership with Smart Commute NTV, which saw 200 people sign up in the first 2 weeks of promotions, and an Emergency Ride Home program for staff and faculty. Car-sharing also became available on campus starting this Fall, through a partnership between York University and Zipcar.

Finally, York University, Smart Commute, and many others have advocated for a subway extension from Downsview through Keele Campus for many years. Smart Commute North Toronto, Vaughan congratulates Nicole Arsenault and the York community on getting the funding and approval for this project and we look forward to welcoming the subway to York.

Find out more about Smart Commute North Toronto, Vaughan. 

A partner of Smart Commute NTV since 2006, Enbridge Gas Distribution has continually shown its commitment to 'smart commuting' and has achieved some impressive results to date. Enbridge hosted the Unlock Gridlock in September of last year - a sustainable transportation fair that launched 'smart commuting' in northeast Toronto by showcasing TDM programs at a number of area workplaces, including Enbridge's popular vanpool program. As well, they participated in the Clean Air Commute, winning the award for Highest Overall Company Participation Rate, and showed impressive participation at the World Record Walk this October (Enbridge had almost as many participants as all of Nova Scotia!)

Smart Commute North Toronto, Vaughan especially commends Enbridge on continually expanding its employee vanpool program which now features four vanpools carrying 35 passengers from destinations like Barrie and Pickering. These vanpools have reduced vehicle kilometres travelled per week by over 24,000, and reduced nearly 5.6 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions per week. Enbridge has parking constraints which cause them to lease parking spaces from a neighbouring business – the savings from the first two vanpools alone are $19,000 per year in parking spot lease costs.

Find out more about the Smart Commute Northeast Toronto project of Smart Commute North Toronto, Vaughan.