Asher provided critical analysis to Ryerson University’s Sustainability Matters group regarding the commuting habits of staff, faculty, and students. Breaking down relevant data from a number of studies and surveys, Asher produced a White Paper that allowed the administration to understand clearly the impact of prioritizing different modes of travel on their corporate Greenhouse Gas emissions, and the benefits of investing in pedestrian and cycling infrastructure versus automobile parking. Asher also provided a series of briefing notes to allow administration officials to quickly reference key facts when discussing transportation policy options. 

Asher developed a trip reduction plan for a large provincial campus, including the new Humber River Hospital site, which now houses more than 5,000 staff. The site also includes facilities for seven provincial ministries. Asher consulted with multiple stakeholders regarding their needs and constraints, researched best practices, and created an aggressive trip reduction plan for the campus that included transit integration, incentives and disincentives, outreach to employees, parking pricing, and extensive program monitoring and reporting on progress. The Trip Reduction Master Plan fulfilled a condition of planning approval imposed by the City of Toronto. 

Asher was part of a small consulting team engaged by the local Public Health Unit to identify the most impactful investments in pedestrian infrastructure in Kingston, Ontario. Asher provided a detailed review of worldwide best practices for pedestrian facility design, emphasizing accessibility for persons with reduced mobility, and seamless access to transit. Asher also contributed to a Health Impact Analysis of possible pedestrian realm investments, identifying the most appropriate type of pedestrian facility based on the needs of residents and the local transportation network.

As Project Manager for a pilot community-based social marketing project, Asher oversaw the delivery customized travel information kits to 425 interested households in communities of Cornell and Thornhill, a first in the GTA. He led a multi-disciplinary working group to deliver information and events promoting walking, cycling, carpooling, and public transit via new and existing printed material, face-to-face interactions, and project website. The project included pre- and post-pilot survey, which showed a 17% reduction in SOV trips in the Thornhill community.

Asher acted as Project Manager for the creation of a Region-wide framework for the implementation of sustainable mobility measures in new and existing developments. The final document identified roles and responsibilities of multiple stakeholders in addressing parking, school travel, employer services, and organizational structure. Asher facilitated input and feedback from a multi-stakeholder Technical Advisory Committee including nine local municipalities, several Regional branches, two school boards, and three Smart Commute offices.

Asher managed a corporate TDM program for York Region that provided an array of commute options to 2,000 employees across several work sites spanning an area almost 100 km wide. Asher presented commute options to new employees, managed employee carpool parking, and organized promotional events such as Clean Air Commute and Bike to Work Day. York Region was recognized as Employer of the Year for Smart Commute Central York in 2012, and was consistently ranked as one of the top employers in the Greater Toronto Area in part because of the wide variety of incentives it offers staff for sustainable commuting.

Asher coordinated multiple stakeholders in the implementation of an innovative, developer-funded multi-faceted TDM program for a new three-phase 7,000 single-family home development. This project employed network modeling, social marketing, an innovative internet travel portal, market research, and an enhanced pedestrian and cycling network to mitigate impacts on the surrounding Regional road network. Managing the interests of 17 landowners, three consultants, the local municipality, and York Region Transit, Asher adapted to changing circumstances, and coordinated the handover of the project to the Region for implementation of the third and final phase of outreach in the community. The success of this program in engaging the development community led to a template that was adopted for all new residential and employment developments in York Region.

As a member of the team that launched the first highway HOV lanes in Ontario, Asher developed critical policies that governed vehicle occupancy and eligibility, as well as the enforcement program for the new facilities in the Greater Toronto Area. Asher’s work included extensive best practice review of other jurisdictions to identify best practices for dealing with possible exemptions for motorcycles and low-emission vehicles, as well as enforcement protocols and fines.