Extend Shared Smart Commute Platform Contract

Summary#

This item is about keeping Toronto’s Smart Commute Online Tool running through a new contract with RideShark Corporation. It would allow the City to negotiate a non-competitive (single-supplier) deal to continue a shared, region-wide commute platform used with eight other municipalities. The goal is to support sustainable commuting (walking, cycling, transit, carpooling, remote work) and keep one tool that works across city lines.

• Main change: authorize a non-competitive contract with RideShark to provide the Smart Commute Online Tool.
• Timing: one-year term to December 31, 2026, with up to four one-year renewals at the City’s option.
• Cost: about $15,264 per year (net of HST recoveries), up to $76,320 over five years; the contract value is $75,000 net of taxes ($84,750 with taxes).
• Procurement basis: uses the City’s “Exclusive Rights” exception (Toronto Municipal Code Chapter 195) to buy from a single supplier.
• Region-wide: keeps the same platform used by nine municipal partners so ride-matching and campaigns work across the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area.
• Tool features include trip planning, ride matching, commute tracking and reporting, incentives and campaign management, and support for emergency ride home programs.

Note: The General Government Committee voted to adopt this item. Final City Council approval may still be required.

What it means for you#

• Commuters and students who use Smart Commute

  • You can keep using the online tool to plan trips, find carpools across the region, track commutes, and join challenges and incentives.
  • If your workplace or school offers an emergency ride home program, the tool helps manage it.
  • No new user fees are identified.

• Employers that participate in Smart Commute

  • You can continue to run campaigns (e.g., Bike Month, Winter Commute Month), offer incentives, and get commute reports for your workforce.
  • Your staff can match carpools with users from other municipalities on the same platform.

• Municipal partners and City staff

  • Toronto will keep using the same shared system as the other participating municipalities, which helps coordination and region-wide ride matching.
  • The City avoids switching platforms and can renew annually up to 2030 if it chooses.

• General public

  • This is mainly an administrative purchase. Day-to-day services for most residents will not change directly.
  • It supports existing efforts to reduce traffic and emissions.

Expenses#

Estimated public cost: about $15,264 per year (net of HST recoveries), up to $76,320 over five years.

• Contract value: $75,000 net of taxes and charges; $84,750 including all applicable taxes.
• City cost after HST recoveries: $76,320 total if all five years are exercised (about $15,264 per year).
• 2026 funding is included in the Transportation Services operating budget; later years would be requested in future budgets.
• The contract can be renewed each year at the City’s discretion; there is no obligation to continue beyond available funding and approval.
• No new fees or fines are identified. No cost estimate is provided for any potential system changes or added features.

Proponents' View#

• The item appears intended to maintain a single, region-wide commute tool so carpool matching, trip planning, and campaigns work smoothly across municipal borders.
• Keeping the current tool avoids disrupting Smart Commute services that support lower traffic, cleaner air, and lower greenhouse gas emissions (aligned with TransformTO and the Congestion Management Plan).
• A non-competitive award is presented as justified because RideShark provides the shared platform already adopted by all nine partners; using one tool is essential for region-wide ride matching.
• Cost sharing with other municipalities could reduce duplication and help the City get needed functions without building a separate system.
• The City reports ongoing use: nearly 20,000 registered users across partner areas; in Toronto, over 3,000 users logged almost 22,000 trips in 2025, with reported emissions reductions.

Opponents' View#

• One concern is that a non-competitive (single-supplier) contract can limit price and feature competition and may increase vendor lock-in, especially over multiple option years.
• The report does not show a market test or comparison with other tools, so it is unclear whether better value or features might be available competitively.
• The scale of use in Toronto (about 3,000 users and 22,000 trips in 2025) may raise questions about cost-effectiveness and measurable impact; the report does not set clear performance targets.
• It is unclear how the contract would adapt if regional partners change vendors or leave the shared platform, which could reduce the value of a region-wide system.
• The report does not detail data privacy, security, or service-level guarantees, so the protections and standards for user data are not clear from the supplied material.