NEWS

The Regional Municipality of York’s Personal Travel Planning Pilot project will encourage residents to change their travel routines and increase their use of green methods of transportation.

Personal travel planning encourages people to increase their use of sustainable travel modes (e.g. public transit, carpooling, cycling, and walking) through a combination of personalized information, personal commitments, incentives and rewards. The pilot project will provide customized information to 200 households in the Town of Markham and 200 households in the City of Vaughan in an effort to reduce barriers to use of greener travel modes.

Information will be based on each household's unique travel needs. Each household will also have the option of meeting face-to-face with a personal travel planner to discuss the barriers they face in using greener modes of travel and to develop a plan to deal with them.

The project is funded through the Ontario Transportation Demand Management Municipal Grant Program. It supports municipal programs that help reduce traffic congestion and greenhouse gas emissions by making it more attractive to use alternatives to driving alone.

QUOTES

“By informing residents about greener forms of transportation, we are helping to reduce greenhouse gas emissions which will create healthier communities.” – Dr. Helena Jaczek, MPP for Oak Ridges-Markham

"The Personal Travel Planning Pilot Project is an exciting opportunity to do something unique in managing travel demand. If proven successful, we will look to expand it region-wide for the benefit of more than one million residents who live in York Region." - Bill Fisch, Chairman and CEO for York Region

QUICK FACTS

§The Regional Municipality of York will receive $28,025 for the Personal Travel Planning Pilot project.

§Ontario's Sport and Physical Activity Strategy encourages Ontarians to look for enjoyable ways to make physical activity a regular part of their daily lives. Walking or cycling instead of driving is a great way to work physical activity into your day.

§Ontarians are using public transit in record numbers. In 2008, there were over 802 million trips made on public transit.

LEARN MORE

Read Go Green, Ontario’s Action Plan on Climate Change.

Read Places to Grow to see how transportation demand management fits into the Ontario government's strategy to manage growth and development in the Greater Golden Horseshoe.

Encourage cycling habits early with tips from the Ministry of Transportation’s Young Cyclist’s Guide.