While it's estimated that 85 per cent of commuters in the GTA drive to work alone, Smart Commute is out to change that. Created in 2004 with the financial backing of Transport Canada, Smart Commute is a partnership linking the cities and regions of the GTA and Hamilton. Essentially a matching service, employers are encouraged to sign up for the program, which in turn allows commuters to co-ordinate work schedules, locations and personal preferences in order to share the commute. The public is also free to sign up at the Smart Commute website, whether they drive or not.
For Sean Ballaro of Hamilton, there are many more factors involved than just managing his 85 km trek to work every day. As supervisor of traffic operations for Peel Region, his job entails everything from traffic engineering to environmental and planning services.
"Nearly all the complaints I field every day – and I field a lot of complaints – are about gridlock. Taking cars off the road is a huge deal," he says.
Since 2004, Smart Commute says it has removed 10,000 cars a day from local roads. This translates into 1.3 million saved trips by lone drivers, and Smart Commute's project director, Ryan Lanyon, estimates the organization gets 60 to 80 new people registering every week.
The air pollution removed since 2004 is no small consideration either – 100,000 kilograms, with greenhouse gasses reduced by 17,400 tonnes.
There are as many configurations of commuting situations as there are carpoolers. For some, like Zichao Li, 26, of Toronto, he does all of the driving in his car, and others chip in for the benefit of a comfortable ride to Waterloo, where he works at the university.
A big advocate of the High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) lanes, he chuckles at the brazen loners who get ticketed on the 404. "The cops know just where to hide, and we see people get stopped nearly every day."
This veteran carpooler has attended U.S. universities, and would like to see more aggressive encouragements, such as discounted parking for carpoolers.
For many businesses in the GTA and surrounding areas, the message is being delivered loud and clear. Preferred parking, flexible work schedules, even driver training are all proof that local employers want their employees to take advantage of programs like the one offered by Smart Commute.
For Lisa Dennis of Barrie, her daily jaunt to York University couldn't be easier. She and her three fellow riders take turns driving alternate weeks, not only reducing substantial wear and tear on their vehicles, but with a fraction of the environmental impact.
"Some days we chat, some days we sleep, you really do just do your own thing. We work in different departments, so we go our own ways when we arrive. And we have an ironclad rule: What is said in the car, stays in the car!"
It must be working; Dennis has been carpooling for seven years. Her enthusiasm for the Smart Commute program is obvious. "It not only helps you co-ordinate people in your area, they have something called Emergency Ride Home. If something comes up and I have to get home in the day, up to four times a year I can rent a car and be reimbursed by Smart Commute. I have a young son, and that peace of mind makes all the difference," says Dennis.
When asked about the close conditions that carpooling imposes, the same answer comes up again and again. Participants used the word "marriage" in most instances, likening the compromise and consideration to the situation usually reserved for spouses. "I spend almost as much time in the week with my carpool partner as I do with my wife," remarked one commuter who drives daily from Hamilton to North York.
For Richard Sparham, 45, the commute from his home in Hamilton to his job with Peel Region in Brampton means a daily compromise on everything from temperature to tunes.
The biggest adjustment for him? Coordinating departure times. "Committing to carpooling meant I'd have to get up earlier, and I wasn't sure I was going to be able to do it. But I realized by being up and out sooner, I was actually saving a lot of time that previously got caught up in an awakened, and busier, household. The actual difference only ended up being 20 minutes."
So how do our carpoolers handle holidays? Illness? Money? There's that "marriage" word again. In Sparham's case, he drew up a spreadsheet (he's a technical analyst in infrastructure management and planning – Excel is his friend), which delineates all the combinations and permutations for himself and his two carpooling partners. While most carpoolers interviewed took turns driving, there are instances where a non-driver simply pays for the convenience of a ride to work every day.
Smart Commute's Lanyon aptly points out that carpooling is like any other social situation. Courtesy, consideration and a mutual desire to find a better way to get to work unite people. It was difficult to find any stories of trauma or drama; driving partners drift away as situations change, but for the most part, carpooling situations are counted in years.
Some workers require their vehicles for their job, necessitating a single driver scenario. But in places like Peel Region, a fleet of cars will soon be available to access should they need one on the job, but be without one that day.
For Sparham, his employer gets high accolades. "Corporate supports what we're doing, and definitely goes the distance to make it feasible. They recognize the importance of a work/life balance, and the environmental impact of getting cars off the road."
Smart Commute agrees, and last month named The Region of Peel its Employer of the Year.
So what are those people talking about as they zoom past you every day in the coveted HOV lanes? Well, there's only one way to find out.
What happens in the car, stays in the car.
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