Smart Commute Awards 2008

The recipient of the 2008 Regional Employer of the Year Award was selected because:

• of the impressive steps they have taken in just the last year
• of their quick response to the results of their employee survey that demonstrated that 84% of their employees were interested in trying an employer-provided vanpool
• of their commitment to tracking and evaluating their impacts
• of the staff time and resources that they’ve dedicated to the Smart Commute project even though transportation is not part of their core business
• they are integrating Smart Commute into a company-wide sustainability plan.

This employer has truly gone above and beyond to show its commitment to Smart Commuting!

The Smart Commute Champion Award was presented for the first time this year to recognize individuals who have gone above and beyond to make Smart Commute a success.

Champions play an integral role in the development and delivery of Smart Commute. They are the heart, soul and muscle of the program, and the catalysts for positive change.

They get things moving by raising the awareness about the program and inspiring management and senior executives to take on Smart Commute.

Once they’ve got the commitment and authority, champions roll up their sleeves and get to work. Inside their company or municipality, they are busy making sure that every aspect of the program is to put in place in a sustainable, coordinated and effective way.

Their names soon become synonymous with Smart Commute and sustainable commuting.

They also keep the program energized. The enthusiasm and dedication of champions shine through and become the lifeblood of the program. For this year’s winners, there could be no truer statement.

Congratulations to the Smart Commute Initiative Steering Committee on receiving the very first Smart Commute Champion Award:

• From Durham Region – Jeff Brooks
• From the City of Toronto – Greg Stewart
• From York Region – Loy Cheah
• From Peel Region – Wayne Chan
• From the City of Mississauga – Matthew Williams
• From Halton Region – Melissa Green-Battiston; and
• From the City of Hamilton – Jillian Stephen

MMM Group is located in the busy Highway 7 and Highway 404 business park corridor which borders both Markham and Richmond Hill, and where traffic congestion has been identified as the number one issue. MMM Group provides consulting services in project management, engineering, planning and geomatics to government and the private sector. They have approximately 640 employees.

From Smart Commute's inception, MMM Group has partnered with other stakeholders in the Smart Commute Markham, Richmond Hill business park to help create the local Smart Commute Markham, Richmond Hill Association. MMM Group is a founding member of Smart Commute Markham, Richmond Hill, a corporate sponsor and a leader in promoting sustainable transportation solutions.

A Senior Project Manager - and Associate Partner in the Transportation Planning Department - was also involved in the founding of Smart Commute Markham, Richmond Hill and continues to have a very active role on the organization’s Advisory Committee.

The MMM group staff have volunteered their time by hosting and attending many of SC Markham, Richmond Hill's after hours events such as the “Bike to Work Day Business Park Challenge” and a “Transportation Fair” at Buttonville Airport. They have helped to initiate pilot projects such as the “Lunch Express” and provide Smart Commute Markham, Richmond Hill with valuable employee feedback.

MMM has also developed their own Transportation Demand Management Plan for the firm’s Thornhill office. The Plan details a set of recommendations for both short and long term actions aimed at reducing the number of trips by single occupant vehicles to and from their office.

MMM Group has an active role in the local business community through their ongoing involvement in Smart Commute Markham, Richmond Hill, and is a leader in both promoting and practicing sustainable transportation in Markham and Richmond Hill.

Congratulations to MMM Group for winning the 2008 Smart Commute Employer of the Year Award for the Markham, Richmond Hill area.

Find out more about Smart Commute Markham, Richmond Hill. 

Husky Injection Molding Systems was founded in 1953 by Robert Schad as a small machine shop in a Toronto garage. Today, Husky is one of the world’s leading suppliers of injection molding equipment and services to the global plastics industry. John Galt, President and CEO, continues to lead by offering employees, “an impeccable reputation for integrity and social responsibility in a work environment that has been consistently rated as one of the best.”

One of Husky’s Guiding Principals is "practicing proactive environmental responsibility in energy efficient buildings, comprehensive programs to minimize waste and other highly visible practices to demonstrate their commitment to the environment.” Husky continues to provide environmental leadership and incorporate sustainability into their corporate culture starting with the design of their facility in Bolton which has a 94% waste diversion rate and each year generates in excess of $800,000 through recycling efforts.

Their environmental and social responsibility attracts the best people and has resulted in significant financial savings. Husky continues to be an important leader with Smart Commute Brampton-Caledon. They have partnered with us from our initial stakeholder meetings and continued their strong support as a member.

“Husky believes that by joining Smart Commute Brampton-Caledon, we can work with our employees to enable the use of sustainable modes of transportation and enjoy the many associated benefits.” - Karen Brar, Coordinator Environment, Health and Safety.

Husky involvement with Bolton is evident with their active participation in the Caledon Chamber of Commerce, boards and committees as well as participating in the development of Bolton by their efforts in the Community Improvement Design Workshop.

Husky introduced a corporate bicycle program for their employees to travel from one manufacturing facility to another at their Bolton campus. Brightly coloured orange bikes encourage employees to cycle to meetings and peddle for exercise and better health. Husky is involved with Carpool Zone, Clean Air Commute, Earth Day, and cycling initiatives to promote a better environment in their community. Participation in Carpool Zone has resulted in significant savings for individuals and the environment.

Find out more about Smart Commute Brampton-Caledon. 

Pearson Canada is an international media company, home to respected and renowned publishing brands including Penguin, Viking and Prentice Hall. In the GTA they employ 650 people.

Pearson Canada stands out for their commitment to sustainable health and wellness programs for their employees and their community. Pearson has demonstrated a true passion for embracing and implementing the concepts of transportation demand management through the Smart Commute program.

Pearson began their Smart Commute journey through the commitment of dedicated people on an environmental committee supported by their management. They produced their own staff survey of commuter habits and attitudes. They put in place transit discount purchasing and an emergency ride home program, installed bicycle racks, put up carpooling parking signs, and offered incentives to staff to encourage them to make use of all these great initiatives. With the addition of Smart Commute came Carpool Zone giving employees a better way to find a ride match.

Pearson has a dedicated team to support Smart Commute, they always enthusiastically participate in our event days, and they have a culture within the company that demonstrates they just plain “get it”!

Find out more about Smart Commute Central York. 

It comes as no surprise that a leading-edge designer of aircraft landing gear took a leading-edge approach when it decided to introduce a TDM program at its Canadian head office. When this company was approached to become a member of the Smart Commute Durham program - their first official member - the answer from Messier-Dowty was a resounding “Yes!”.

Under the leadership of the Vice President of Human Resources, Messier-Dowty staff have worked incredibly hard to make the Smart Commute program part of its everyday work culture. A special feature in the company’s spring newsletter “Touchdown” confirmed that the Smart Commute program was in keeping with its goal of offering its employees a safer and greener community.

As an employer, this company represents the ideal “model” for the type of employer we seek when promoting the Smart Commute initiative. They recognize that new programs require education, promotion and support from the leadership team in order to achieve success.

This is demonstrated by the warm welcome that Smart Commute Durham always receives, whether it has been to provide lunch ‘n’ learn sessions for the Carpool Zone or for the enormously successful “Bike to Work” event, which drew over 400 employees.

As program providers, working with the employees of this company has been a pleasure and we look forward to continuing our working relationship.

Messier-Dowty is a member company of the Safran Group, a world-wide maker of aircraft landing equipment, including that for the new Boeing Dreamliner 787, and is the first ever Smart Commute Durham Employer of the Year.

Find out more about Smart Commute Durham. 

In December 2006 the Town of Oakville announced its participation in Smart Commute Halton and by June 2007 the Smart Commute Program was officially launched in Oakville at Town Hall. The Town’s program includes a wide variety of initiatives including the Carpool Zone, dedicated carpool parking spaces, discounted monthly transit passes, bike lockers, and an emergency ride home program - all of which have been very successful. The Town of Oakville is also committed to the expansion of the Smart Commute program to the private industry sector in partnership with Halton Region and is already assisting a number of outside organizations.

The Town of Oakville has become a role model within the Region and has illustrated what it means to lead by example.

Find out more about Smart Commute Halton. 

The City of Hamilton was recognized for its work on several initiatives including its mandate to create, administer and implement trip reduction programs for its residents, businesses and staff.

As part of the City of Hamilton’s commitment to being recognized as a leader in environmental matters and innovation excellence in Canada, they work closely with stakeholders to encourage individuals to reduce the number of single occupant vehicles on the roads and pursue other forms of sustainable transportation including walking, cycling, carpooling and public transit - or a combination of these modes.

City Council’s approval of the Transportation Master Plan in 2007 provides clear principles and directions that the City has set out for itself. 

Key documents approved by City Council demonstrate the on-going support for immediate, short-term and long-term changes to will make the City of Hamilton a great place to live and raise a family, work and enjoy the numerous leisure activities through the community.

The City’s work plan includes the following tasks to address the goals that have been established:

• Further promotion and utilization of discounted transit passes
• Interest-free loans to employees to purchase bicycles for commuting
• Provision of secure bicycle parking facilities
• Subsidized secure bike parking fees
• Emergency Ride Home policies
• Telecommuting policies
• Planning for a Rapid Transit network for the City
• Improved inter-regional transit connections
• Continued participation in recognized events to raise public awareness of sustainable alternative transportation options

Congratulations to the City of Hamilton on receiving the 2008 Smart Commute Employer of the Year Award for Smart Commute Hamilton.

Find out more about Smart Commute Hamilton. 

The City of Mississauga has been a partner in the Smart Commute initiative since the inception of the project, has participated on the Steering and Technical Committees for the entire initiative, and has provided similar support for the local transportation management association.

The leadership and support for transportation demand initiatives in the City of Mississauga is evident at many levels. The Mayor of Mississauga publicly demonstrated her support for alternative transportation by riding her bike to work on international Car Free Day!

Aside from being a key partner in the planning and execution of a public Car Free Day event, the City also supports many initiatives that promotes sustainable transportation options for commuters including the universal transit pass for University of Toronto at Mississauga students and, most recently, transit discounts for Smart Commute Mississauga member organizations.

The City of Mississauga has also been extremely busy developing its own internal trip reduction program for staff. This year, the City hired a dedicated staff person to manage the program which includes:

• investments in workplace facilities like showers, and secured bike storage facilities that promote active transportation
• investment in a bike-share fleet for city staff in the city centre
• the deployment of an alternative work arrangements policy in the Spring of 2008 that permits telework, compressed work weeks, job sharing, a carpooling program, and a calendar of events and promotions targeted to city staff

Find out more about Smart Commute Mississauga. 

Sanofi pasteur has been a key partner of Smart Commute North Toronto Vaughan since 2005, demonstrating a strong and ongoing commitment to workplace TDM.

Sanofi pasteur is the largest vaccine company in Canada, providing important and superior vaccines to Canadians for the prevention and treatment of infectious diseases, common illnesses and cancers. The company has been operating at their Steeles and Dufferin location since 1917.

Over the past 3 years, sanofi pasteur has successfully implemented an increasingly popular TDM program for employees: in this year alone, Carpool Zone registrations doubled, and participation in Clean Air Commute increased four-fold.

In the past 12 months, sanofi pasteur has sought to increase its commitment to smart commuting by investigating and piloting bolder transportation demand management initiatives.

In partnership with Smart Commute, sanofi pasteur is investigating the potential for an employee vanpool program. A vanpool program has been successfully implemented at their Swiftwater, Pennsylvania location in the US, and the Health, Safety and Environment team have recognized the potential for a similar program here in Toronto.

Sanofi pasteur also invested in a week-long pilot shuttle bus service between Downsview Subway Station and their worksite, as part of Clean Air Commute week. Employees were encouraged and supported to leave their car at home and use the TTC. During the course of the week more than thirty rides per day were taken on the shuttle.

Investing in this kind of service, in spite of the current economic climate, demonstrates the leadership and commitment shown by sanofi pasteur.

Find out more about Smart Commute North Toronto Vaughan. 

Direct Energy is one of North America’s leading integrated energy companies.

Direct Energy’s focus on climate change action, reducing its carbon footprint from operations, and improving employee job satisfaction, led Direct Energy to partner with Smart Commute Northeast Toronto this past year and going forward.

Over 500 DE staff responded to the Smart Commute survey at its three Greater Toronto Area worksites. Direct Energy quickly responded by bringing in programs staff are interested in. Highlights include:

• Popular Carpool Zone: 57 registrants, 9 carpools by September '08.
• Ramped up Clean Air Commute activities: nearly 200 staff participated in '08.
• Direct Energy staff can access great amenities provided by property manager Epic Realty: carpool and hybrid priority parking, ZipCars, employee shuttle buses and more.

A dedicated green team at Direct Energy helped move forward smart commuting in the past year, integrating transportation demand management into company-wide sustainability plan.

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

Smart Commute is an important component of the City of Toronto’s efforts to reduce traffic congestion and improve the environment. In fact, Smart Commute is included in the Climate Change, Clean Air and Sustainable Energy Action Plan and the Sustainable Transportation Initiatives plan, which were unanimously supported by Toronto City Council.

In 2001 the City co-founded the Black Creek Regional Transportation Management Association (now called Smart Commute-North Toronto, Vaughan) and in 2004, took this commitment one step further by co-founding the Smart Commute Initiative.

A year later, the City of Toronto launched its own internal program for employees – City of Toronto Smart Commute (COTSC) as a pilot at its North York Civic Centre and saw the following successes when it expanded the program to its 397 work sites and more than 21,000 employees:

• 16% modal shift away from single occupant vehicles and towards more sustainable options at the North York Civic Centre.
• Comprehensive cycling and walking programs.
• 4,000 users of TTC VIP Metropass program.
• Tripled the number of City work sites that participated in the 2008 Clean Air Commute.
• Working with City Planning to update TDM Guidelines for development applications.

Planned activities for 2009 will lead to significant uptake of programs like Carpool Zone and alternative work arrangements.

Given the success of these programs and the growing need of transportation demand management, the City of Toronto recently launched another chapter of Smart Commute, Smart Commute Toronto – Central that will service employers and property managers in downtown Toronto.

The newest Smart Commute transportation management association has had overwhelming interest from downtown businesses with a waiting list of more than 30 companies.

Find out more about Smart Commute Toronto.