Smart Commute – Community based travel program

Bike, Bus Carpool or Walk to Work

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:

For information about customized programs, please view the York Region Smart Commute brochure.

This September: Share Your Commute!

Take the Smart Commute Survey for a Chance to Win

Smart Commute Month is back this September, and we want to hear how you travel to work.
Explore your travel options using the Smart Commute app, connect with others who share similar trips, track your environmental impact, and discover more sustainable ways to commute.

By completing the survey, you'll help us better understand how people travel to work and their interest in trying other transportation options. Plus, you'll be entered for a chance to win a $100 e-gift card.

Complete the survey and log a trip in the Smart Commute app for an additional ballot.

How to Enter

  1. Complete the survey for your local Smart Commute office.
  2. Log in to the Smart Commute app and record a trip.

Select the Survey for Your Home Office Location

Join us for Smart Commute Month Webinars!

Register for our upcoming webinars or watch our past sessions. 

View webinars

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.

Trip Planning Resources

Transit

Ridesharing

Active Transportation

Smart Commute Offices

Webinars

Safe Travels
Transform daily school runs and neighbourhood trips into safer, healthier, and more active routines.
This session covered road safety awareness, active transportation initiatives, and practical approaches to creating safer, healthier, and more environmentally sustainable travel habits for students, employees, and communities.

  • Date: Thursday, September 10, 2026
  • Time: 12 p.m. - 1p.m.

Register

Share Your Ride: Real Stories, Real Savings
Curious about carpooling but not sure how to make it fit your schedule or find a reliable partner? Join us for an interactive session where active commuters, workplace program managers, and transit experts break down how sharing your ride can lower costs, reduce daily driving stress, and streamline your commute.

  • Date: Thursday, September 24, 2026
  • Time: 12 p.m. - 1 p.m.

Register

Watch Past Webinars

Safe Winter Driving & Vehicle Preparedness
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.

Micromobility Devices
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.  

Mid-day Movement: Rethink Your Routine
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.