Smart Commute: has it helped cut gridlock?

By Dave Flaherty/The Oshawa Express

Every day, commuters from Durham spend hours of their time sitting in gridlocked traffic.

According to a study released by The Red Pine in 2017, Durham commuters face some of longest daily travel times to work in the entire GTA.

Drivers in Oshawa, for instance, endure an average of 170 minutes of commuting per day.

In an attempt to combat the daily gridlock on local roads, Metrolinx and GTA communities came together to develop the Smart Commute initiative in 2007.

The partnership aims to encourage residents to carpool, cycle, walk or use public transit as alternative means of getting to work.

Municipalities and Metrolinx fund the program through an equal partnership.

The budgeted amount for 2018 is $108,622, a small increase over $106,100 in 2017.

A 2015 progress report from Metrolinx claimed that 340 workplaces, representing approximately 730,000 commuters, had participated in the Smart Commute program in 2014.

The report also stated that based on surveys of participating workplaces, the Smart Commute resulted in a decrease of 2.4 million annual car trips and 40 million vehicle kilometres travelled, and 2.9 million more cycling trips.

Despite these claims, the quantifiable impact Smart Commute has had in Durham remains unclear.

Derek Davies, a planning analyst with the region, believes the program had garnered positive results thus far.

“I think it is a successful program. It’s kind of a per member basis, but the overall success is there. There are about 30 different members [in the Smart Commute Durham] with varying levels of success,” he says.

The region itself, along with all eight local municipalities, have participated.

Durham, UOIT, Lakeridge Health, the Municipal Property Assessment Corporation and Ontario Power Generation are among Smart Commute users.

Davies notes that there are private companies involved as well.

“It’s a great program to sell to companies. They see the benefits of it,” he says.

Davies notes that he hopes more detailed public information will be shared on the program’s achievements.

“I want to increase transparency and show how these impact statistics are measured,” he says.

To achieve this, region staff will develop a monitoring and evaluation program this year.

Quarterly surveys of participating workplaces will measure program’s success and customize the service to local needs.

For Davies, Smart Commute is a good fit for Durham because the municipality is able to direct its funding towards promotion and advocacy instead of infrastructure demands.

“You are able to do a lot with your budget. It’s about changing people’s behaviours,” he says.

Now a decade old, the program has grown drastically during that time.

The number of employees in the program has increased from 150 to 330.

“Where it is, it’s a really good point. It’s very innovative approach where we can customize projects across the region,” Davies says.

However, Davies says improvements are possible, particularly in providing opportunities for residents to adopt the practices Smart Commute promotes.

“The infrastructure just really isn’t there yet. We are always trying to make it better,” he says.

In addition to reaching out to local employers, Smart Commute Durham’s online tool connects residents with carpool options, transit routes, and bicycle user groups.

“It’s an all-comprehensive tool that was implemented at the end of 2014. The more people on it, the more useful it becomes.”

Oshawa Mayor John Henry, who often speaks about frustrations Durham commuters face, believes the program has “been excellent for the people involved.”

“Anytime you can put more people in the vehicle, it’s a great achievement,” Henry says.

But Henry admits issues still remain.

“We are still struggling with the struggles of trying to get people through, not just Durham Region, but the entire GTHA.”