Note: Few of these TDM programs are aimed directly at youth, but are selected because they might be easily adapted to do so or have other strengths worth examining.

Youth Specific Community Programs

Awareness campaign about public transport in high schools in Bistrita, Romania – The target group for this action was the students of the these four educational institutions, on the premise that young people are more open to new ideas. The main objective of the action was to raise awareness among students about the impact of their mobility behaviour and the benefits of using public transport. The students were informed about the opportunities offered by a relatively new public transport line with the aim of changing their current mobility behaviour and having a larger, long-term impact on their mobility behaviour in the future.

 

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vg-yBKo42ig

Undriving – An automated Online Undriver Licensing Station so that anyone, anywhere, can get licensed, 24/7 – and develop an active community of Undrivers sharing stories, resources, and inspiration. Based in Seattle, Washington, USA.

Off-Ramp – The primary goal of the off ramp program is to reduce the daily average number of cars coming to selected schools by at least 20 percent. To achieve this goal, they have developed three broad objectives. The first is to raise awareness of transportation issues and related environmental effects. The second is to organize school-wide events such as Cycle-to-School Days or Car-free Days that encourage students and staff to try alternatives to the car. Building on this crack in the everyone-drives-a-car attitude, the third objective is to strengthen the sustainable transportation infrastructure within the school community. Ranging from posting bus routes and schedules to installing bike shelters, the focus is on making it easier for students to use the alternatives.

The Manitoba Student Transportation Network – MSTN is a trip reduction program aimed at encouraging students at participating secondary schools to choose environmentally friendly means of commuting to and from school and work. MSTN incorporates new materials and approaches that reflect the particular conditions prevailing in a prairie city like Winnipeg.

STEP – (October, 2006) Engaging high school students in sustainable transportation learning and behaviour change: the Sustainable Transportation Education Project (STEP) experience. STEP was developed by Green Communities Canada as a pilot to test various approaches to engaging secondary students in sustainable transportation issues. This report builds on the work done to date, including the outcome of the two pilots, to provide practical guidance to anyone pursuing similar activities. The student-driven model is described, along with advice about how best to structure program delivery. The remainder of the report outlines a number of ideas for activities and events, with reference to experience during the pilot.

Related Community Programs

Way to Go, Seattle! One Less Car Challenge – The City of Seattle’s is building and connecting a community of people who want to save money, reduce stress and help the environment by living with one less car. They provide personal, one-on-one support as you learn how to get around by bus, bike, foot or carpool; as well as some incentives. Also, see their Way to Go Seattle! Walk Bike Ride Challenge – Based in Seattle, Washington, USA.

The Two-Mile Challenge – Clif Bar company supports this program to get people to avoid 100,000 car trips. A total monetary incentive of $100,000 is given to nonprofit organizations involved in bike advocacy and climate protection. To participate, individuals sign up and log their miles traveled by bicycle.

TravelSmart – TravelSmart is the registered trademark for voluntary behaviour change programs held by the Western Australian Department for Planning and Infrastructure, which developed them with the aim of reducing the number of car trips made in the Perth metropolitan area by replacing them with walking, cycling, and public transport trips.

Smarter Travel Sutton – Smarter Travel Sutton (STS) was set up by Transport for London (TfL) in 2006 to test the extent to which behaviour can be changed through the integrated delivery of a programme of social marketing interventions.

Drive Less, Live More – Drive Less, Live More is a campaign to raise awareness of – and encourage the use of – alternative transportation throughout the Dayton region.

Drive Less DU – DriveLess DU encourages full-time faculty, staff, graduate students, and law students to use alternative transportation to commute to DU at least one day a week. This includes using carpools, vanpools, riding the bus and light rail, biking, or walking to work.

Drive Less Challenge – The Drive Less Challenge is a grassroots initiative that started in Menlo Park in 2009 and is expanding each year to more communities on the San Francisco Peninsula and in the South Bay in the US. It’s mission is to promote health, quality of life, and environmentally sustainable transportation behavior by reducing solo car trips. The Challenge encourages participants to try out alternative transportation modes like public transit, biking, walking, and carpooling during the event period and beyond. Participants track their progress online and can win prizes from local merchants, a feature that encourages local shopping and further reduces car miles.

Drive Less. Connect. – Matches people with places to encourage car pooling (incentivized). Launched in 2006 by the Oregon Department of Transportation, Metro and its public and private partners, Drive Less Save More seeks to reduce individual car trips as an integral part of a larger solution to addressing traffic congestion.

Smart Commute – Smart Commute offers a wide array of services to make commuting easier in the GTHA. Smart Commute is a program of Metrolinx and the municipalities in the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area. They help local employers and commuters explore different commute choices like carpooling, cycling and transit. Their goal is to ease gridlock, improve air quality and reduce greenhouse gas emissions while making  commuting less expensive and more enjoyable.