A massive collaborative study on transportation behaviors of post-secondary students in the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area (GTHA) has received funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) and will offer insights and action on the issue of student travel.
The Partnership Development grant of $199,934 funds StudentMoveTO: from insight to action on transportation for post-secondary students in the GTHA, a research project involving six universities, seven colleges, 15 researchers and four community partners. The project is an initiative by the presidents of York University, OCAD University, the University of Toronto and Ryerson University, and involves York University Professor Roger Keil of the Faculty of Environmental Studies (FES).
York Professor Patricia Wood, of the Faculty of Liberal Arts and Professional Studies (LA&PS), is also a collaborator on the project.
In 2015, the presidents of Toronto’s four universities (OCAD U, Ryerson University, the University of Toronto and York University) met and identified student needs and opinions on transportation as a common issue that would unite students across all campuses in a meaningful manner.
The study aims to collect data to understand the travel habits of post-secondary students, and use that data to inform improve students’ mobility in the GTHA.
SSHRC Partnership Development Grants provide funds to team/partnership-driven, interdisciplinary research that results in knowledge mobilization and best practices that can be adapted by others, or scaled up to a regional, national or international level.