Media Updates & Archives
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Teleworking
- Getting Better in Barrie |
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In 2003,
SuiteWorks Inc. chose the
City of Barrie as the location
for their first telework operation.
SuiteWorks purchased two
acres of city owned land to
construct a 22,000 sq. ft.
warehouse style office building
that is now a telework centre, offering
individual office space for
lease to persons that are
currently commuting outside of
the City.
This innovation
is being closely watched by
transportation planners
throughout North America.
SuiteWorks opened its doors in
2005 ...
More on this article
SuiteWorks Now |
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CAA SCO takes
steps
to reduce the
organization's
environmental
footprint,
participating in the Smart
Commute program
to encourage and
provide carpooling.
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CAA South Central Ontario
takes the front seat in annual
list of top employers
Smart Commute 404-7 congratulates CAA-South Central Ontario
on making the GTA TOP 90 EMPLOYERS list.
(more
on this ...)
SC404-7
is particularly pleased to have
been able to play a role in this achievement. CAA reduces its
environmental footprint in many
ways - one being its
participation in the York Region
Smart Commute program. CAA
SCO
Manager of Strategic Partnerships, Teresa Di Felice,
assists SC 404-7 in coordinating
a carpooling program, among
other smart commuting services.
SC 404-7 Markham manager, Basil
Marcello, expressed his
appreciation for CAA's efforts
in continuing its
environmentally-friendly goals.
"We look forward to continuing to deliver programs there and hope this achievement will help in getting the word out to other businesses in Markham, Richmond Hill, and beyond." |
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Another Great Attendance in 2009
3rd Annual Ward 6 Community Fair
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Godwin Chan
Councillor, Ward 6 |
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Oct 25, 2009 - SC
404-7 Coverage
Smart Commute 404-7 joined representatives
from Ward 6 community organizations and
services, on display Sunday, October 25th at the Langstaff Community Centre to
meet
residents of Ward 6. The area's future was
on display, as Town staff provided a detailed
presentation of the Town's Official
Plan. (more
...). |
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Visitors to the Fair enjoyed the
displays presented by community
organizations such as Smart Commute
404-7 |
2008 Photos
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A
delightful presentation - one of many
colourful presentations at the Annual
Ward 6 Community Fair |
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The
show had excitement even as the
performers were waiting for direction
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Councillor Greg Beros & Family |
Councillor Beros with host Councillor
Godwin Chan |
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Rehana
Sumar, Mosaic Interfaith Development
Coordinator, chats with Richmond Hill
Ward 3 Councillor
David
Cohen, member of the
MIOTC Board, and
Smart Commute 404-7
Advisory Committee |
Any Good News from Gas Prices????
More than one-third
of us are walking to work more
Jul 12, 2008 04:30 AM
- The Star.com
Some facts and figures about life in Canada,
compiled this month:
18
Average number of kilometres Canadians
commute each way to work.
20
Average number of kilometres Canadians
living in rural areas commute each way to work.
18
Average number of kilometres Canadians
living in urban areas commute each way to work.
74
Percentage of Canadians who drive to work.
37
Percentage of commuters who, in the last
six months, have been walking to work more often
owing to the rising cost of gas.
24
Percentage of commuters who, in the last six
months, have carpooled owing to the rising cost
of gas.
19
Percentage of commuters who, in the last six
months, have been using more public transit
owing to the rising cost of gas.
14
Percentage of Canadians who are working from
home more often owing to the rising cost of gas.
9
Percentage of Canadians moving to a home closer
to work owing to the rising cost of gas.
47
Percentage of Canadians whose commuting habits
are unchanged.
52
Percentage of Canadians who foresee a change in
their commuting habits – someday.
Compiled by Marian Traynor / Star Library
Source: Ipsos; Smartrisk
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Why not share the
cost and start
Carpooling?
 (Darcy
Rezak)
If you
dread the thought of spending
two hours in traffic with three
other people wondering what to
talk about, here’s an idea. Make
it the most interesting two
hours of the day - learn
something, have good
conversations, and bond with
your car mates. Turn your
commute into a
'have-book-club-will-travel.'
Everyone reads the same book at
the same pace and discusses
it--chapter by chapter. Or,
listen to an audio book so
you'll have something to talk
about. Only one rule: no one
listens to their iPods with
earbuds. |
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Green
Driving Tips (via Hotmail.com)
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By Ann Job July 31, 2007
A little advance planning, a less-aggressive
driving style and a well-maintained car can help you get the
most out of every gallon of fuel.
No matter where you live and what you drive,
you can maximize every precious litre of fuel. Every litre
of fuel that you don't use saves you money and helps to
reduce global warming. |
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Here's how you can start making a difference
today:
Regular servicing is
important: Keep your vehicle well-maintained with
regular servicing to keep it operating at peak efficiency.
An inefficient engine – with fouled spark plugs, for example
– won't make optimum use of fuel. Be sure the air filter and
the fuel filter are clean. Put in new ones if they're not. A
new oxygen sensor alone can improve gas mileage by as much
as 15 per cent, according to AutoZone, a car parts store.
Don't forget little things like the air in
your tires. Having tires inflated to the automaker's maximum
recommended pressure can improve gas mileage by as much as 6
per cent, while periodic wheel alignments can help improve
fuel economy up to 10 per cent, according to the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency.
Clean out that trunk, cargo area or pickup
bed. Take out unneeded items that only add weight to your
vehicle. Extra weight decreases gas mileage. According to
AutoZone, every 100 kilograms (200 lb) of unnecessary weight
adds about 0.5 litre per 100 km to your fuel consumption (or
shaves about one mile per gallon off your fuel mileage).
Be a different driver
Driving green doesn't have to be
expensive—this inexpensive sub-compact car is rated at
7.5 L/100km (38 mpg) on the highway.
Change your driving
style. Accelerate gradually, drive smoothly and with
care and you could see as much as a 20 per cent gain in fuel
economy compared with what you'd get with an aggressive
driving style, the EPA says. Skip those jackrabbit starts
and sudden pedal-to-the-metal manoeuvres if you want to save
gas. Anticipate stops so you avoid sudden braking, and take
a long view of the road ahead, coasting safely to an
intersection in front of you where you see traffic stopped.
Don't speed. A car or truck moving at 90 km/h
(55 mph) can get about 15 per cent better fuel economy than
the same car going 105 km/h (65 mph). Use your vehicle's
navigation system, if you have one, in your travels to new
locales. This can save you from getting lost and wasting
gas.
Drive smartly
Don't be idle too long. Don't waste fuel by
sitting in that drive-thru lane at McDonald's or Tim Hortons.
Park and go inside instead. Don't let your vehicle idle as
you wait outside the elementary school to pick up your
children. Idling uses more fuel than turning the engine off,
waiting for your youngsters and then restarting the engine.
When you're in slow city traffic, keep the
air conditioner off, if possible. Roll down the windows and
open the air vents to keep you and your riders comfortable.
That air conditioner is a burden that uses fuel, and if
you're tooling around town, you can see a "very slight"
improvement in gas mileage by keeping it turned off, a
Mercedes-Benz spokesman said.
Plan ahead
Using public transportation is an ideal
way of saving fuel.
Combine your errands into one trip, rather
than taking multiple trips from home. Organize your stops so
they're near each other and so you don't retrace your path.
You may even be able to park in one central spot and walk
between some of your stops rather than driving and parking
at each one. For large gatherings like family reunions and
church picnics, organize a carpool. If the distance to these
events is long, Budget Rent a Car suggests even renting a
15-person van to maximize fuel savings vs. driving a number
of separate vehicles in these circumstances.
Plan your trips so you go out during
less-congested times of day. When there's less traffic,
you're more apt to be able to drive smoothly. Again, use
navigation aids on the Internet or the system in your
vehicle to keep from getting lost – and thus wasting fuel –
when you're headed to a new, unknown location.
Weather effects
Note that road and weather conditions have a
role, too, in the fuel economy of your vehicle. Driving into
a 30 km/h (20 mph) headwind can reduce fuel economy by as
much as 6 per cent. Driving up a mountain road with a 7 per
cent grade can cut fuel economy by as much as 25 per cent.
Driving on gravel and in slush and snow requires a bit more
fuel, too.
Other modes of
transport
Look at alternative transportation options –
even if it's just for one or two days a week. Walk, bicycle,
carpool or take public transportation and leave your vehicle
at home. The League of American Bicyclists, based in
Washington D.C., notes that cycling to work not only saves
on gas, it is an excellent cardiovascular workout. And in
some cases, the league says, commuters actually arrive at
their destination quicker on a bicycle than they would via
congested auto roadways.
By avoiding hard acceleration and sudden
starts, you could see a 20% gain in fuel economy.
When you shop for a new vehicle, compare fuel
economy. Bear in mind how bigger vehicles, bigger engines,
four-wheel drive and lots of optional equipment can add to a
vehicle's weight and, as a result, reduce its fuel
efficiency. Even larger tires can have an effect. A tire
with a larger "footprint" on the road that doesn't have a
special rubber compound designed to improve fuel economy has
more rolling resistance than a comparable smaller tire, and
this can lower fuel economy.
You don't always have to avoid popular
vehicles in order to save money at the gas pump. Some
smaller trucks and sport-utility vehicles rank better in
fuel economy than do some cars. For example, the Ford Ranger
2WD with a 2.3-litre four-cylinder engine and manual
transmission is the "most efficient standard pickup truck,"
according to Natural Resources Canada. It consumes an
estimated 9.9 L/100 km (28 mpg) in the city and 7.5 L/100 km
(38 mpg) on the highway, NRC says.
Watch for New,
High-Tech Solutions
Check out the newest automotive technology.
It's getting more mainstream with each passing year. In
spring 2002, Honda began selling its second gas-electric
hybrid car in North America, the Civic Hybrid. It joined two
pioneers: the now-discontinued Honda Insight two-passenger,
the first gas-electric hybrid car available on this
continent, and Toyota Prius hybrid sedan, sales of which
started here with the 2001 model year.
The second-generation Civic Hybrid is rated
at 4.7 L/100 km (60 mpg) in the city and 4.3 L/100 km (66
mpg) on the highway, according to Natural Resources Canada.
The Prius and Civic Hybrid have since been followed by a
number of passenger cars, including the Honda Accord Hybrid,
Nissan Altima Hybrid and Toyota Camry Hybrid midsize sedans.
Ford introduced the first gas-electric hybrid
sport-utility vehicle – the Escape Hybrid – in 2004, and
other automakers have added hybrid entries to this class
since: Toyota is offering the Highlander Hybrid, Lexus has
the more luxurious RX 400h and Saturn will soon launch a
all-new hybrid-powered compact SUV as a sequel to the
current Vue Green Line.
New technology efforts don't end there.
Virtually all automakers are researching ways to build a
commercially viable fuel-cell vehicle.
Even if you don't decide on a new-technology
vehicle, you should carefully consider whether you really
need a V6 or a V8 in your next car or truck. Consumers
should test drive models with various engines in a range of
driving conditions to determine what fits them best, and to
assess the tradeoffs.
Other Costs Affected
Keep in mind you might pay a bit more for
that next new car. Higher fuel prices in recent years have
prompted many automakers to boost the price of delivering
vehicles to dealerships. You see these higher trucking
charges on the window sticker, on the "destination and
delivery" line.
An Eye to the Future
Think about how your fuel conservation
efforts benefit the Earth and future generations.
Scientists say global warming and its projected disastrous
effects on weather, rising sea levels and heat deaths are
due, in part, to the burning of fossil fuels. So,
every litre of gas or fuel you don't use can help ease
global warming.
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For more information on
the Smart Commute 404-7 Project contact:
Basil Marcello, Assistant Manager - Markham Board of Trade at 905-474-0730 ext
14
Paul Bradbury, Commuter Options Advisor - Richmond Hill Chamber of Commerce at 905-884-1961 ext 24
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