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. 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. 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. For the covering abstract of this conference see ITRD number E216511.
Samenvatting