Greater Sudbury rolls out new matchmaking app for commuting
CBC
Commuters in Sudbury, Ont. can now access an app that lets them hitch a ride with others going the same direction.
The Smart Commute app is the city's latest push to give people more ways to move around.
"Is everyone going in the same direction? If so, then what does it do for our community," said Mark Signoretti, Sudbury's Ward 1 councillor.
"We hear from time to time that residents are finding it difficult for mobility issues to get from location to location. So if this app is able to provide that service that fills that gap, I think it's it would be a great initiative," he said.
Users can download the Smart Commute app for free before filling out information about their travelling habits.
The app also logs favourite modes of transportation, schedules for travelling and point A to B destinations.
Commuters can use the app to match with others going the same direction around Sudbury and either request a carpool ride or buddy up for walking, cycling or public transit.
"It's fairly intuitive and provides options to really get around our city that could also support the communities," said Mike Parent, Ward 5 councillor.
Councillors tell CBC News more Smart Commute users could also save the city traffic, tax dollars and carbon emissions.
Sudbury is also the first city in northern Ontario to implement the system and it came with help from other regions such as the Greater Toronto Hamilton Area (GTHA) including York Region, City of Hamilton and City of Toronto.
According to the Peter Topalovic, manager of active transportation and mobility for City of Hamilton, Sudbury's growing infrastructure caught the interest of the Smart Commute network.
The Smart Commute group, made up of southern Ontario's major cities, added Sudbury as a regional partner and helped develop the app.
"So Sudbury being a little bit farther from the Greater Toronto Area (GTA), we're going to learn their mid-sized city approach," Topalovic said.
"When we're working with partners like Sudbury, we're all working to those same goals and asking each other how can we do this in the most cost effective way possible," he said.