Smart Commute – Community based travel program
Smart Commute programs support residents and businesses to try transit, carpooling, cycling or walking, as a more sustainable way to get around York Region. The aim is to reduce traffic impacts, lower emissions, and improve air quality while helping commuters save time and money.
Smart Commute in York Region
Smart Commute is a community-based program supported by York Region, in partnership with the Cities of Markham, Richmond Hill and the Town of Newmarket, that works with employers in York Region and the Greater Toronto and Hamilton area with carpooling support, workplace-led training, engagement events and customized commuter projects.
If your workplace is in York Region and interested in learning about the Smart Commute program, please contact the Smart Commute office in your area:
- Smart Commute Central York
Servicing the Towns of Aurora, East Gwillimbury, Georgina, Newmarket, Whitchurch-Stouffville and Township of King - Smart Commute Markham, Richmond Hill
Servicing the City of Markham and Richmond Hill - Smart Commute North Toronto, Vaughan
Servicing the City of Vaughan
For information about customized programs, please view the York Region Smart Commute brochure.
September is Smart Commute Month
Smart Commute Month is back for September, and we would like to hear about how you travel to work. Explore your travel options with the Smart Commute app, match trips with others, track your impact and discover more sustainable ways to commute. If you live or work in York Region and whether you drive alone, carpool, take transit, walk or roll, we want to hear from you!
Fill out the survey using the link below and tell us how you get around to receive a ballot. Log a round trip in the Smart Commute app for an additional ballot. By taking part, you’ll be entered to WIN a $100 gift card. Here’s how to win:
- Take the survey - choose your area below
- Login and log a trip on the Smart Commute app
For more details, visit your local Smart commute office website. View Contest Rules.
Upcoming Event and Webinars
Safe Winter Driving and Vehicle Preparedness
Thursday, September 11, 2025 | 12 p.m. to 1 p.m.
Be ready for the winter! Join the Ministry of Transportation Ontario for a presentation on how to stay safe on the roads this winter. Learn essential tips for winter driving and how to prepare your vehicle for cold-weather conditions.
Mid-day Movement
Thursday, September 18, 2025 | 12 p.m. to 1 p.m.
Looking to get more active in your daily routine? Tune in for a panel discussion with Public Health experts from Public Health Sudbury and Districts, Grey Bruce Public Health, and Middlesex-London Health Unit. Each panelist will share insights on how to incorporate movement into your day and its importance, followed by a live Q&A session.
Micromobility Devices
Thursday, September 25, 2025 | 12 p.m. to 1 p.m.
New devices and new challenges – too fast and furious? Hear from police representatives as they discuss the use and regulation of micromobility devices. This panel includes presentations from Greater Sudbury Police Service, London Police Service, and York Regional Police and a Q&A segment to address your questions.
Initiatives
Getting to Work
Smart Commute offers employers:
- Site assessments and surveys to understand employee commute behaviour
- Customized action plans to encourage employees to explore and try out smart travel options
- Tools to facilitate change include:
- Exclusive carpool ride-matching programs
- Emergency Ride Home programs
- Discounted transit pass programs
- Telework programs and flexible work arrangements
- Walking and cycling programs
- Fun events and promotions
Community Initiatives
Smart Commute partners with Transportation Demand Management (TDM) stakeholders across the Region to support transportation initiatives and sustainable land use. In York Region, this includes focusing on community-based programs aimed at:
- Promoting active and sustainable transportation infrastructure and connections to mobility hubs
- Shifting travel behaviour away from single occupancy vehicles
- Encouraging active and sustainable school travel
Travel Options
- Carpooling allows you to feel even more satisfied with your commute by sharing a ride with coworkers and spending less on gas!
- Transit takes you for a ride, sit back and relax with music or enjoy a book
- Cycling is a flexible mode of transportation but also carries many health benefits
- Walking is a great chance to step outdoors and enjoy the weather
- Flexible Work Arrangements or telecommuting, where offered, can reduce a trip to the office and allow for signing-in or meeting remotely to get the job done
- Emergency Ride Home is offered to Smart Commute member workplaces when it’s needed most - if you use a sustainable method of commuting to work and have an unforeseen emergency
Emergency Ride Home
As an employee at a participating Smart Commute workplace, you are eligible for Emergency Ride Home (ERH) reimbursement. If you have an unforeseen emergency on any day you use a sustainable method to commute to work, you can request reimbursement of up to $75 for your emergency transportation costs. Ensure you retain all emergency transportation receipt(s).
For more information, please contact your local Smart Commute office.
