Smart Communte 404-7

In the city where lanes and road are smaller and traffic is intense.  It might not be a great idea to bring a Dodge Laramie into the mix.  Their size makes them slow and cumbersome but for the folks living in the country side, they are the perfect morning commute. Dodge has been around since the second decade of last’s century and their trucks have been part of our history.  Working mule with hundreds of horse power under the hood they perform heavy duty task and help farmer, folks get around on tough grounds.

Dodge was ahead with their Cummings engine in the 1980 and are still ahead of the game with pickup trucks such as the Dodge Laramie and Dodge Laramie Longhorn

Tire studs are great for tires but did you know you could also use them on boots and running shoes? The smallest tire studs will usually fit great on shoes or boots and help you maintain your grip while jogging this winter or help you on icy surfaces such as a day on a frozen lake trying to catch that monster trout or during your morning commute to avoid any slips. Tire studs also fits on bike tires, perfect way to create your own DIY studded tires.

Installation

Tire studs are easy to install with a simple drill and the installation tool. Simply drill the tire studs in your tires, shoes or boots up to the maximum depth the installation tool allows you to go. It’s already set to provide you with a 3mm projection which is the optimum projection and will create the best grip while making sure the tires studs stay in place.

Always check your tire lugs or sole before installing and if you are unsure about which studs to go for, go with a shorter one to be on the safe side.

Correctly equipped with Maxigrip tire studs, you will be able to keep your winter commute and help reduce our region’s traffic

Smart Commute 404-7 helps local businesses combat traffic congestion
Traffic congestion in Markham and Richmond Hill is more than just a source of aggravation. For businesses significant costs can be directly attributed to traffic congestion – lost work time and productivity, higher transportation costs, and employee turnover when staff leave to work for a competitor who offers them an easier commute. And there are indirect costs such as the negative effect a stressful commute has on a worker’s quality of life and their work.

• Major highways congested in peak hours – 70%
• Cost of congestion (Greater Toronto Area)
– $1.8 billion per year
• Significant impact on goods movement
• Delays to employees & visitors
• Affects on site parking demand & supply
• Impedes employee recruitment and retention
• Stress to employees:
– 8 hour day now a 10 hour day, with less time for family
– Sick days become commuter-related and increase in frequency

Traffic congestion in Markham and Richmond Hill will continue to erode us financially unless we do something about it. According to the 2001 Transportation Tomorrow Survey, trends point to an increase of 64% in auto trips by 2021 and a tripling in the number of congested roads. Government is building more roads and expanding public transit services but this is not enough. We need to address the main source of our traffic congestion – the single occupant vehicle. To do this, Smart Commute 404-7 needs your corporate leadership.

Smart Commute 404-7 teams with Markham and Richmond Hill employers

While employers in Markham and Richmond Hill can help to reduce the number of single occupant vehicles by offering their employees alternative ways to commute to work they don’t have to do this alone. Smart Commute 404-7 can help. Just let us know you’re interested in promoting commute options and we’ll do the rest. By helping businesses improve their profit positions by reducing traffic congestion everyone benefits – the company, the employee, and the community.

Benefits to Your Business

A commuter option program offers many benefits to employers. Some benefits directly affect you, as an employer, while others are more indirect such as improved employee job satisfaction and a better community. Here are a few good reasons to get involved.

Easier to recruit and retain employees.
A long, tough commute can make it more difficult to recruit and/or retain qualified employees. Offering new and existing employees commuter options will demonstrate your firm’s commitment to their well-being.

Increase employee productivity.
Employees who travel to work by public transit or rideshare are more likely to arrive on time and be less stressed than those who drive.

Reduce lost time due to illness.
Work time lost due to illness is costly. Commuter stress plays a direct role in a person’s emotional and physical health.

Reduce parking requirements.
Less demand for employee parking frees up spots for your customers and visitors and in the long run, if you lease or maintain your parking facilities, you can save money by potentially reducing the number of spaces you need.

Improve traffic flow.
Reducing the number of commuting vehicles frees up much needed space on our roads, helping to move your product faster. It also increases road safety and that can have a positive impact on both business and personal insurance rates.

Lower facility costs.
Teleworking is a practical way to reduce the number of workstations you need. This can be a significant money-saver if you need to expand your facility by construction or leasing more space.

Get Involved – for Your Benefit

Any business wanting to participate in the Smart Commute initiative by offering commute options to their employees, is welcome to join. All you have to do is let us know you are interested and we will give you all the tools you need to promote commute options to your employees. We can also help you determine which commuter options are best suited for your particular company and employees. Take a moment to read about membership in Smart Commute 404-7 by Clicking here

Businesses in Richmond Hill should contact Paul Bradbury at 905-884-1961 ext. 24 or George Flint at 905-771-2455 and businesses in Markham should call Basil Marcello at 905-474-0730 ext. 14. If you are interested in knowing more about the Smart Commute 404-7 Association send us an email (click here for our handy form) or give us a call. We look forward to working with you towards our common goal of reducing traffic congestion!

Why Smart Commute?
We all want an easier commute to work and home with less stress and traffic congestion. We also want a better environment with less traffic noise and cleaner air to breathe. And we can have this if we commute the smart way.
Smart Commute 404-7 is a transportation management association (TMA) between the Richmond Hill Chamber of Commerce and the Markham Board of Trade, supported by the Regional Municipality of York, the Towns of Markham and Richmond Hill, the provincial and federal governments and the businesses of the two communities. The association promotes and facilitates “smart” commuting methods.

What We Mean by “Smart Commute”
There are lots of choices so try a few and see which one suits you best.
Smart commuting can include walking to and from work … with your doctor’s ok, of course … running, rollerblading and biking. Less strenuous examples include taking public transit, carpooling, working flexible hours or compressed work weeks, teleworking, or working from home … even electric bicycling is now permitted on roads, etc. where traditional bicycles are already authorized … if helmets are worn (fines for not wearing a helmet are substantial for electric bike riders).

You may even want to combine a few commute options such as cycling to work in the summer and taking public transit in the winter or carpooling to work and then using public transit for the commute home. However you decide to smart commute we’re certain you’ll like it better than fighting traffic twice a day!

Smart Commute – the “Way of the Future”
Being a smart commuter can give you a better work-life balance plus leave a little more of your pay cheque in your pocket …
Quite simply, it’s what people like you are doing to combat the stress, fatigue, cost and hassle of driving to work every day. When you smart commute you think about what is best for you – and for the environment. Then, you make a change. Traffic congestion is reduced and everyone benefits … including our future commuters. It’s up to you to make it happen!

Why You Should Smart Commute

1. Lower Your Stress
Being stuck in traffic and being late for work can stress you out before you even start your work day! It’s not easy to stay calm when you can’t control the weather or road conditions. Instead of feeling stuck behind the wheel you can Smart Commute and improve your health.

2. Save Your Money
According to the Canadian Automobile Association, a commuter who drives a late-model car and travels 25 km to work will spend about $8,150 a year in ownership and operating costs. Smart Commute options could save you a chunk of this money. Imagine what some extra cash could mean to you and your family!

3. Find More Time
When you drive to and from work you’re losing time. Even driving 30 minutes each way adds up to 6 work weeks a year! Think of what people relaxing on a public transit bus and train are doing while you drive … making out a grocery list, reading a newspaper, having a power nap or simply getting home sooner!

4. Breathe Easier
Fewer vehicles on the road means less air pollution. Bad air quality, especially in the hot summer months, is dangerous for children, the elderly and asthmatics. Consider how much easier you’ll breathe when you exercise your lungs walking or biking to work.

Take the Commuter Quiz!

Are you ready to Smart Commute? Answer “yes” or “no” to these questions:

1. Is driving to work costing you more each year?
2. Do you find the drive to work is getting more stressful?
3. Are you sometimes late for work because of traffic delays?
4. Does it take you longer to get to work now than it did a few years ago?
5. Are you spending more time in your car than with your family and friends?
6. Would you like a less expensive and less stressful way to get to work?

Scoring: For each “yes” answer, score 5 points.

Your Score:
20 – 30 You are definitely ready to leave your car at home and enjoy a Smart Commute.
15 – 20 You are almost ready to consider Smart Commute options; we’ll give you a few more years of battling traffic to convince you there are better ways to go.
< 15 (less than 15) …
You are a die-hard SOVD – single occupant vehicle driver – with lots of time and money to spend on the daily commute.

Walking, Running, Rollerblading
Did you knowCommuting by walking that most people can easily walk ¼ mile in 5 minutes? It may not take as long as you think to walk to and from work. And, walking is recommended the most as a safe exercise for all types of people. Speed it up if that’s your style – with running or rollerblading. Whichever way you move your feet, you will be healthier. You might also be pleasantly surprised at the fun and interesting view of the city from the ground!

Biking
Riding a bike to work is another fun way to get exercise and see the city in a new way. There are many bike trails throughout York Region so you can avoid some of our busiest streets. The Region has a pedestrian and cycling master plan for fitness and fun commuting. Many companies provide bike racks. Cycling is great for trips up to 10 km each way. It’s often faster to bike than to drive if you’re only going 5 km.

YRT & VIVA Bus, GO Train
York Region’s public transit system can connect you to wherever you want to go! It’s a smart alternative to driving as it lets you read, relax, and let’s someone else do the driving. Discounted monthly passes and tickets make public transit a practical financial choice. York Region Transit (YRT)/Viva and GO Transit are the two services available. YRT/Viva operates over 80 bus routes across the nine municipalities in York Region. By paying a single fare, you can hop on and off YRT/Viva for up to two hours in any direction. And for just 50 cents, you can take YRT/Viva services to GO Train stations. Viva is York Region’s rapid transit system and since its launch in September 2005, Phase 1 of this project has been a success. Viva Phase 2 will truly put the “rapid” into rapid transit with brand new centre-of-the-road lanes dedicated to public transit being built on Yonge Street and Highway 7. This will allow Viva vehicles to cut through busy, congested traffic in their own “rapidways”, getting riders to their destinations significantly faster. Construction in select locations is scheduled to begin in June 2007. For more information, contact YRT/Viva (www.yrt.ca or 1-866-668-3978) or GO Transit (www.gotransit.com or 1-888-438-6646).

Share a Ride
Commuting in a car or van with several others can be a convenient and enjoyable way to travel. Sometimes you can find a neighbour that works in the same place as you – or near enough to make a drop-off on the way by! We can even match you up with a group that is sharing rides in your neighbourhood.

Find a carpool

You can access our ride matching site by clicking on our Carpool Zone logo.

Work Flexible Hours
A good way to avoid the morning and afternoon traffic rush hour is to start or finish your job at a different time than everyone else. You may be able to arrange with your employer for an early or late start. If your job is flexible, consider traveling to work at non-peak times.

Work A Compressed Week
Wouldn’t it be nice to have a long weekend every week! Some employers offer you the choice of working longer shifts, and less days overall. This compresses your normal workweek into fewer days – and means you’ll be traveling to and from work less often.

Work from Home
Computer technology means you can “virtually” work from anywhere sat at your desk pouring maple sugar in your coffee! If you spend just one or two days a week working from home, you won’t have to commute as often. Your employer may be happy to free up office and parking space as well. Both of you may find this an attractive option.

Take the Next Step…

Ask your employer if they will sponsor a Smart Commute program – it’s free and it’s easy. All they have to do is call and tell us they’re interested
If your employer already has a Smart Commute program, sign up for a Smart Commute option
Or, join a car pool by using our handy online web-based ride share locator (click here)

Contact the Smart Commute 404-7 managers for your community. They can help you to …
make it happen!

About the Smart Commute 404-7 Association

In answer to the increase in traffic throughout our highways, arterials and community roads, in 2005 the municipalities of Richmond Hill and Markham joined forces with the Regional Municipality of York, the Richmond Hill Chamber of Commerce, the Markham Board of Trade, local business leaders and the Federal Urban Transportation Showcase Program (UTSP), to help address traffic congestion via a newly created transportation management initiative – Smart Commute 404-7, named for the two primary highways serving the two communities, Highway 404 and Regional Highway 7.

Our purpose is to:

Help employers in Richmond Hill and Markham improve the quality of life of their employees, customers and visitors through the provision of transportation options.

Be a single source of information that shows employers and employees how to use commuting options to save time and money.

Represent the interests of our business community on transportation issues to relevant bodies.

- News Releases -
Jan 2004 – Smart Commute in York Region April 2004 – Two TMAs for York Region

We are very pleased to have the participation of many of our business and community leaders …
(view: Advisory Committee)

Any business wanting to participate in the Smart Commute initiative by offering commute options to their employees, is welcome to join. Just let us know you are interested and we will give you the tools you need to promote commute options to your employees.

Businesses in Richmond Hill can call Paul Bradbury, Commuter Options Advisor at 905-884-1961 ext. 24.

Businesses in Markham can call Basil Marcello, Assistant Manager at 905-474-0730 ext. 14.

Or call George Flint, Manager – Smart Commute 404-7 at 905-771-2455.

If you are interested in knowing more about the Smart Commute 404-7 Association send us an email (view: Convenient Email Form) or give Paul or Basil a call (see telephone numbers above).

Call to learn how traffic congestion impacts businesses financially. We look forward to working with you towards our common goals of reducing traffic congestion and its cost to business.