Markham
December 04, 2008 10:12 PM
Ross Arbour
A Markham company was declared the smartest commuters by Smart Commute 404-7.
MMM Group, a civil engineering company known for its work on Pearson International Airport, TTC and GO Transit, received the honours.
Smart Commute 404-7 has worked with more than 100 employers and their 250,000 employees across Hamilton and the Greater Toronto Area. Nominations were based on the employer’s commitment to the program, leadership, innovation and results.
“MMM Group has shared our vision of Smart Commute 404-7 since its inception and I am pleased this award recognizes their leadership and support of the program,” said Richard Cunningham, president and CEO of the Markham Board of Trade.
Since establishing an office in Markham in 1990, MMM Group has encouraged its staff to carpool, take transit, walk, or ride a bicycle, according to Dave Richardson, senior project manager and associate partner of the recipient, MMM Group. It’s about reducing the amount of single-occupancy vehicles.
There are business incentives to smart commuting, too.
“Taking transit or carpooling to work reduces the amount of parking we have to accommodate and cuts commuting expenses,” Mr. Richardson said.
“We have preferential parking for carpoolers and bike racks for cyclists, too.”
They even have showers for those who break a sweat on their way to the office under the strenuous activity of riding a bike.
Mr. Richardson ties MMM Group’s commuting habits to its jobs as engineers.
“The way I see it, if everyone took alternative transportation to work just once a week, we’d reduce traffic volumes by 20 per cent — that’s huge in civil engineering,” he said.