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Breaking the Cycle of Automobile Dependency An Analysis of Meadowvale Business Park in the City of Mississauga Executive Summary
The Meadowvale Business Park is home to more than 30,000 employees (and growing) The park has been designed around personal vehicle travel Employment area is disconnected from surrounding residential communities Transit Score = 38 “Some Transit” Walk Score = 48 “Car Dependent” Employees in the business park predominantly drive to work each day 77% drive alone 10% carpool Transit users (7% of commuters), are almost exclusively “captive riders” – they have no choice, but to use transit 52% do not have access to a car 25% do not have a drivers license Executive Summary
A lack of Pedestrian, Cycling and Transit infrastructure are significant barriers to sustainable transportation choices in the business park Commuters often cite a lack of transit capacity, service (off-peak and weekend), and basic infrastructure (shelters) as reasons for not using transit More than 50% of employees in the business park live in Mississauga and Brampton 32% live within 10 km of the business park More than 500 employees live within walking distance of the park (inside a 2 km radius) More than 4,000 employees live within cycling distance of the park (inside a 5 km radius) A Commuter Shed analysis indicates that commuter trips into the park largely originate from within Mississauga, West Brampton and to a smaller extent Milton Outside of these areas, commuters are very dispersed Conclusions & Recommendations
The Meadowvale Business Park requires a vision and a long-term Multi-Modal, Strategic Transportation Plan The plan should explore best practices for improving transportation options to the business park and should consider “out of the box” solutions Public transit is currently NOT appealing to choice riders, irrespective of the level of investment made in transit services to the area The plan needs to address pedestrian and cycling infrastructure needs and priorities in the business park Local infrastructure improvements will have the most significant impact on mode choice The largest cohort of employees in the business park, are residents of Mississauga (34%), followed by Brampton residents (17%) This is a local challenge that requires local solutions
Data Sources
Primary Sources
Smart Commute surveys
On-site observations
Secondary Sources
City of Mississauga
Economic Development Statistics
Google Maps
Statistics Canada (2011)
www.walkscore.com
Analysis Conducted
Commuter Shed Analysis
Plot of employee home postal codes
Origin density analysis and mapping
Neighbourhood Connectivity Study
Analysis and ratings for pedestrian and cycling connectivity from three residential neighbourhoods to four employment quadrants
City of Mississauga
Meadowvale Business Park
B C A D
Parking Free parking is in ample supply at most worksites, however some workplaces are experiencing a shortage of parking.
Some employers have applied for on-street parking permits to accommodate excess capacity during peek periods. Commuting Patterns: City of Mississauga and the Meadowvale Business Park Mode Share
Across employment areas in Mississauga, the majority of commuters (74%) drive alone
This commute option is more predominant in the Meadowvale Business Park where 77% of commuters primarily drive alone to work each day
10% of commuters carpool to work
7% of commuters in the Meadowvale Business Park commuters use public transit
Commute Satisfaction
The majority of commuters (82%) are generally satisfied with their daily commute
44% are Very Satisfied 38% are Somewhat Satisfied Primary Commute Mode 90%
80% 77% 74%
70%
60%
50%
City of Mississauga 40% Meadowvale Business Park
30%
20%
10% 10% 9% 10% 7% 3% 3% 0% 0% 1% 0% 1% 1% 1% 1% 0% Drive alone Carpool Public transit Bicycle Walk Telework Get dropped off Other (including motorcycle) Commute Satisfaction
50%
45% 44% 44%
40% 38%
35% 31% 30%
City of Mississauga 25% Meadowvale Business Park
20%
15% 13% 12% 11% 10% 6% 5% 1% 0% Very satisfied Somewhat satisfied Neither satisfied or dissatisfied Somewhat dissatisfied Very dissatisfied Meadowvale Business Park Commuter Shed Analysis
51% of employees live in either Mississauga (34%) or Brampton (17%) An additional 7% live in Milton The remainder of employees are widely dispersed
32% of employees live within a 10km radius of the business park. This suggests that: More than 500 employees can walk to work (inside a 2 km radius) More than 4,000 employees live within a very moderate bike ride to work (inside a 5 km radius) More than 10,000 employees should consider cycling or local transit to work (inside a 10 km radius)
Survey conducted by SustainMobility from 2010-2013 Census Tracts Source: Statistics Canada 2011 Smart Commute Workplaces Commuter Shed - Meadowvale Business Park Residential Neighbourhood Connectivity Study: Adjacent Residential Areas Map
RES 3
B
C A
D RES 2 RES 1 Residential Neighbourhood Connectivity Study: Connectivity Ratings Scale (Developed through on-site observations)
The Walking Connection ratings are:
Sidewalks on both sides of every road and all pedestrian crossings are safe.
Sidewalks on both sides of all roads.
On some roads, there are sidewalks only on one side of the road.
Some roads have discontinuous sidewalks.
The Cycling Connection ratings are:
Continuous off road bike path with safe intersection crossings at each major intersection.
Off road bike path with good intersection crossings but is not continuous from residential neighbourhood to business park.
Continuous bike lanes from residential area to section of the business park.
A lack of cycling infrastructure (includes signed routes where there are no on-street markings or cycling lanes). Residential Neighbourhood Connectivity Study: Neighbourhood Connectivity Results Transit
Reasons for Using Transit In the Meadowvale Business Park, 7% of commuters predominantly use public transit The main reasons for using transit include: 52% do not have a car available 25% do not have a driver’s license This implies that approximately 3/4 of transit users working in the area do not use transit by choice
Current Transit Design Only 20.6% of bus stops have shelters Average gap between transit stops is 373 metres Many transit stops are located mid-block and lack safe pedestrian crossings to accommodate transit users Reasons for Using Transit 60%
52%
50%
40% 38%
30% City of Mississauga 25% Meadowvale Business Park 23% 23%
19% 20%
10% 7% 5% 4% 4%
0% 0% 0% Do not have a driver's Car not available Transit is faster or more Transit is cheaper than car Parking at work is too Other license convenient than car expensive Willingness to Take Transit
50%
45% 43%
40% 40%
35%
30%
City of Mississauga 25% Meadowvale Business Park 21% 22% 20% 20% 20%
15% 11% 10% 10% 8% 6% 5%
0% Definitely Willing Probably Willing Probably Not Willing Definitely Not Willing Already Do Current Transit Design
Address: Meadowvale Blvd. west of Mississauga Road Address: 6696 Financial Drive (LoyaltyOne) Mid-block stop Mid-block stop No pedestrian crossing No safe pedestrian crossing No shelter Incomplete sidewalk No shelter Current Transit Design
Address: Mississauga Road at Dupont Meadow Place GO bus and MiWay stop Mid-block stop No shelter No safe pedestrian crossing
Address: Syntex Drive at Derry Road Mid-block stop No Shelter or Pedestrian crossing Current Transit Design
Address: Argentia Road at Century Avenue (north leg) Mid-block stop No pedestrian crossing
Address: Argentia Road at Kitimat Road Sheltered stop Convenient pedestrian crossing Excellent sidewalks Current Transit Design
Address: Argentia Road at Mississauga Road Mid-block stop No pedestrian crossing
Address: 6880 Financial Drive (RBC Meadowvale) Excellent shelters and sidewalks on near side Mid-block stop No pedestrian crossing No shelter on far side
Address: Syntex Drive at Meadowvale Blvd. Pedestrian crossings and sidewalks near sheltered transit stops Multi-Modal Commuting: Meadowvale GO Station
Address: Meadowvale GO Station, north side of train line Sheltered bicycle parking
Address: Meadowvale GO Station, north side of train line Walking pathway connects Argentia Road to GO Train station Pathway intersects Argentia Road mid-block and there is no safe pedestrian crossing Enhancing Transit
Recommendations: Enhanced amenities Shelters, sidewalks and pedestrian crossings in strategic locations to improve the transit experience and to improve access to transit stops Re-locate transit stops adjacent to pedestrian crossings Introduce mid-block crossings Enhancing Transit
Recommendations: Explore new ways to deliver transit Adjust transit frequency and hours of operation to match business demand and operating hours Consider “Business Express” services Improve pedestrian and cycling access to transit stops Focus transit on high density origin locations Pursue changes to the Ontario Public Vehicles Act to allow Third-Party Vanpooling Consider new transit services Circulating Shuttles (Private and/or Public) On-Demand Transit or “Taxi Bus” services Enhancing Transit
Recommendations: Develop / Support programs and employer incentives that encourage employer based solutions: Employer based incentive programs to attract “choice riders” Employer sponsored transit routes Employer sponsored shuttle services Employer sponsored vanpooling Improving Transit Amenities
Brampton Transit’s bus stations for their ‘Züm’ BRT service have heated shelter areas as well as real-time next stop information displayed digitally. Circulating Shuttle Service
A potential local solution for the Meadowvale Business Park is to operate a corporate shuttle within the business park. With sponsorships from participating employers, the service would be free to employees.
Smart Commute North Toronto – Vaughan has been operating a corporate shuttle in the Don Mills area since February 2012 and the service has been a great success. Running on a timed schedule, the shuttle transports commuters to and from the local subway station and local businesses during peak periods.
Smart Commute North Toronto - Vaughan On-demand Transit
Since 1993, a public-private partnership known as ‘Taxibus’ has been operating in Rimouski, Quebec. The operation has been very successful using private taxis which can bring passengers between any two designated stop points within the city.
The city created a non-profit corporation which administers the service while local taxi drivers formed a cooperative to dispatch and drive the taxis. By 2004, 81,200 passenger trips were recorded with 2.9 passengers riding in each taxi at an average fare of $2.64 – a price that is more comparable to a public transit fare than a normal taxi fare.
Source: Transport Canada, 2010 (http://www.tc.gc.ca/media/documents/programs/cs06e_taxibus.pdf) Employer Sponsored Vanpool
Vanpooling is a commuting mode where a vehicle – owned or leased by an employer – is used to take a group of employees to and from the workplace. Riders share the cost of the lease and maintenance of the vehicle while taking turns driving.
Smart Commute North Toronto – Vaughan recently launched a vanpool service at PowerStream which is located in Vaughan. Six vans are in operation as part of the service and in the process, 44 single occupant vehicles have been removed from the road. Third Party Vanpool Service (Currently Prohibited in Ontario)
As an alternative to an employer sponsored vanpool, it is possible for a third party organization to operate a vanpool service for employees in participating organizations. The Jack Bell Foundation provides the Jack Bell Ride-Share program in British Columbia with funding from TransLink and BC Transit. It is Canada’s only large-scale public vanpooling service.
Commuters pay a monthly fee to be able to ride and drive in one of the vanpools. It has been extremely successful in Metro Vancouver with almost 100 vehicles currently operating in their fleet. Active Modes
Interest in Cycling and/or Walking
8% of commuters (2,680 commuters) are interested in walking to work 1.6% live within a 2 km radius of the business park
15% of commuters (5,040 commuters) are interested in cycling to work 13% live within a 5 km radius of the business park
Pedestrian/Cycling Design
Walk Score = 48 rating is “Car Dependent”
Adjacent residential communities are poorly connected to employment areas
Cycling and walking infrastructure is poor Willingness to Cycle to Work 80% 75%
69% 70%
60%
50%
40% City of Mississauga Meadowvale Business Park
30%
20%
12% 11% 10% 9% 10% 6% 5%
1% 0% 0% Definitely Willing Probably Willing Probably Not Willing Definitely Not Willing Already Do Willingness to Walk to Work
90% 85% 84%
80%
70%
60%
50% City of Mississauga Meadowvale Business Park 40%
30%
20%
10% 6% 7% 5% 5% 2% 3% 2% 1% 0% Definitely Willing Probably Willing Probably Not Willing Definitely Not Willing Already Do Cycling
Address: Meadowvale Blvd. west of Syntex Drive Dedicated cycling lane - westbound
Address: Meadowvale Blvd. west of Rapistan Court Dedicated cycling lane continuing westbound Cycling
Address: Creditview Road near Financial Drive Sign directs cyclist to “cycling route” on Financial drive Address: 6696 Financial Drive (Loyalty One) The “cycling route” on Financial Drive No on-street markings Dangerous cycling route Cycling
Address: Creditview Road south of Financial Drive Posted cycling route with no supporting infrastructure Driver, Cyclist and Pedestrian Confusion
Address: Syntax Court at Langer Drive Marked cycling route with no supporting infrastructure Caution sign to warn vehicles about pedestrians Pictured right – pedestrian crossing the street Pedestrian Case Study #1
Address: Derry Road walking underneath the 401 There is an unprotected sidewalk on one side of the road and discontinuous sidewalk on the other side of the road. Pedestrian Case Study #1
Case Study: Bridge connecting residential section with business park under Derry road only has a pedestrian pathway on one side. Pedestrian Case Study #1
This sidewalk begins on one side of the 401 and ends on the other side of the 401. The result is that a pedestrian would not feel safe using it. Pedestrian Case Study #2
Address: Syntex Court crossing underneath Mississauga Road There is a fantastic pedestrian underpass on Syntex Court which connects pedestrians from either side of Mississauga Road. However, on the east side of the underpass, the first major pedestrian crossing at Syntex Court and Royal Bank Drive has a terribly unsafe pedestrian crossing. Use of the Syntex Court underpass is limited as a result. Pedestrian Case Study #2
This picture illustrates that there are continuous sidewalks on either side of Syntex Court; on the south side of the road (right side of the picture), the sidewalk is elevated and protected. Pedestrian Case Study #2
Address: Syntax Court at Royal Bank Drive If you continue walking east from the underpass shown in the previous slide, you reach this intersection. No marked pedestrian crosswalks. This is a very busy and unsafe place for pedestrians to cross. Un-finished Pedestrian Pathways
Address (both pictures): Creditview Road east of Financial Drive Both pictures illustrate dead end sidewalks which are on either side of a rail line Improving Infrastructure for Active Modes
Recommendations: Implement “Pedestrian First” design. Good pedestrian design accommodates users from 8 to 80 years old Complete sidewalk network Safe, signalled crossings for pedestrians Focus on connecting adjacent residential neighbourhoods to employment areas Implement “Higher Order” cycling infrastructure Introduce a network of bike lanes, separated from car traffic Introduce enhanced crossings and navigation for cyclists Provide bike lockers at transit stations Improving Infrastructure for Active Modes
Recommendations: Pilot programs and employer incentives that encourage employer based solutions: Employer bike fleets Secure bike parking and change facilities for cyclists Make More Intersections Pedestrian Friendly
Continuity is necessary. Along any given travel route, if six intersections are safe but one is unsafe, someone can easily be dissuaded from walking.
"Copyright Queen's Printer for Ontario, image source: Ontario Growth Secretariat, Ministry of Infrastructure" Separated Cycling Lanes
The City of Toronto defines ‘Cycle Tracks’ as separated cycling lanes situated next to a roadway but separated from vehicle traffic. They recently launched their first on Sherbourne Street (visible in the below photo) between Bloor Street and King Street in the city.
The purpose of these lanes is to increase the safety of cycling on a city road. In doing so, cycling becomes a more attractive option to travelers who may feel unsafe travelling on a normal city street. ‘Bike Boxes’
Madison, Wisconsin has installed ‘Bike Boxes’ at various intersections throughout the city. Their purpose is to reduce bicycle and vehicle collisions by giving drivers greater visibility of cyclists. They also allow cyclists to get into proper lane position to make appropriate turns. The ‘Bike Boxes’ are a great tool to make cycling a more attractive commute mode.
Pictured left is the intersection of Harbord St. and St. George St. which was the first to have bike boxes in the City of Toronto. The infrastructure was installed in October 2010.
http://spacing.ca/toronto/2010/10/19/dri vers-should-love-toronto-bike-box-too/ Bike Stations at Transit Terminals
The City of Toronto has bicycle stations at two transit terminals (Victoria Park & Union Station) which are secure indoor parking facilities for bikes. Cyclists pay a fee in order to have access to the bike parking stations.
At the Union Bicycle Station (pictured below), amenities offered include a change room, a vending machine offering snacks, inner tubes and bike lights, tools and pumps for repair, and staff during business hours to offer assistance. Bicycle Lockers
The City of Toronto also offers a more widespread ‘Bicycle Locker Program’. There are currently 19 locations within the city that have bike lockers; these locations consist primarily of transit stations and range from 4 to 40 lockers per location. They provide secure bicycle parking that protects bikes and bike gear from theft, vandalism and weather conditions. Each user receives one key that is unique to their locker, further increasing security. Employer Bike Fleet
SustainMobility is launching a bike fleet in Mississauga’s City Centre in the summer of 2013. Participating employers purchase bicycles to be used at their workplace location. The bikes will be free of charge for employees at these workplaces and will aid in local transportation in and around the City Centre. SustainMobility Contact Information