Action Plan - FCM

Town of Banff Local Action Plan
Initiative 6: PROMOTING CARPOOLING TO TOWN STAFF AND OTHER EMPLOYERS
Description: Carpooling is an easy and effective way to reduce the number of single-occupant vehicle
commuting trips. There are several types of carpooling, ranging from designated driver
carpools using a private vehicle, alternating driver carpools using a number of private
vehicles, employer carpools using a company vehicle, and vanpools. This initiative would
focus on the first two types of carpooling.
Benefits:
Carpooling programs typically consist of a ride-matching program. Interested individuals
access a database organized by origin and destination of other riders and a program provides
potential matches that can be pursued. The Town began promoting carpool.ca, in June 2002
after Council approved $17,000 funding for marketing, signage and service subscription.
Carpool.ca is an on-line ride-matching service provided by Commuter Connections, a
Victoria, BC, based non-profit society which began to actively promote the development of
rideshare programs in 1992. Over 4,000 Canadians from nine provinces have used
www.carpool.ca to form carpools and over 120 employers and post-secondary institutions
rely on Commuter Connections to manage their rideshare programs. As of May 2003, Banff
had 3 large employers registering 47 participants, with 9 registered car pools in use.
The Town could work to expand the uptake of carpooling by Town staff and throughout the
community. This initiative would consist of two phases:
Phase 1 would involve expansion of the Town of Banff’s existing corporate carpooling
program. This would involve periodic marketing campaigns at key times, such as
September, when people are setting into a routine schedule. In addition, information on the
carpooling program should be given out to all new Town employees as part of their
orientation package. The program would also expand to promote incentives such as the 15
‘reserved –for-carpoolers’ preferential parking stalls on Town owned lots and guaranteed
ride home programs.
Phase 2 of the program would consist of the Town working with more large employers in
Banff to encourage carpooling, and buy-in to providing their own incentives like the
preferential on-site parking policies mentioned above. Presentations, or ‘travel-fairs’ at the
place of employment could be held to educate employees about the opportunities.
Expanding the carpooling program to the community level will broaden the “pool” of
potential rideshare matches, increasing the probability of a match and the convenience of
carpooling for commuters.
Carpooling is not suitable for everyone, particularly for those with irregular schedules.
However, carpooling is an attractive option for many commuters. For the commuter, it
offers flexibility and saves on commuting costs and sometimes can reduce the number of
vehicles a household has to own and maintain. In addition, commuters arrive at work with
much less stress than when commuting on their own.
Other benefits include reducing energy consumption, traffic congestion, air pollution and
greenhouse gas emissions.
The Sheltair Group Page
Sept 2003
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