Mode of Transportation to Work, 2006

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Abstract

The number of people having to commute to work (usual place of work or no fixed workplace address) has risen considerably over the past five years from 13 450 900 in 2001 to 14 714 300 in 2006 or 9.4%. While the car is still the most frequently used mode of transportation for getting to work, there was a decrease in the proportion of drivers in the past five years, from 73.8% of workers in 2001 to 72.3% in 2006. In 2006, 11% of Canadian workers used public transit to get to work, compared to 10.5% in 2001 and 10.1% in 1996.

In May 2006, 939 300 workers walked to work. They represented 6.4% of workers in 2006, down slightly from 6.6% in 2001. Despite a slight increase in the use of bicycles to get to work, the proportion of cyclists was small. Only 1.3% of workers bicycled in 2006, compared to 1.2% in 2001 and 1.1% in 1996. The map indicates that the proportion of workers commuting by public transit is highest in the largest metropolitan regions than in the rural areas where the majority of workers travel by car to get to work.

In 2006, 69.4% of workers living in one of the 33 census metropolitan areas (CMAs) drove their car to work, and 7.4% travelled to work as a passenger in a car. The Ottawa - Gatineau CMA had the smallest proportion of workers driving to work (62.7%), followed by Toronto (63.6%) and Victoria (64.9%). The CMA with the smallest proportion of workers getting to work by car (either as a driver or a passenger) remained Montréal (70.4%). This was followed by the Ottawa - Gatineau CMA, with 70.7% and the Toronto CMA, with 71.1%. In contrast, workers in Abbotsford (93.2%), Barrie (90.6%) and Windsor (90.6%) were the most likely to get to work by car (either as driver or passenger).

The extent to which public transit is used in the different CMAs depends on a number of factors, including: population density, concentration of jobs in sectors that are well serviced by public transit, the cost of using cars compared to public transit, the availability of parking close to work, and the quality of service. In general, the largest CMAs have more features that make public transit more appealing to many workers. Among other things, they are more likely to have a well-established public transit system, which encourages workers to use it to get to their city centres.

This reality is confirmed by comparing public transit usage in the six CMAs with populations of one million or more: Toronto (22.2%), Montréal (21.4%), Vancouver (16.5%), Ottawa - Gatineau (19.4%), Calgary (15.6%) and Edmonton (9.7%). By comparison, the six smallest CMAs all had much smaller proportions of commuters using public transit: 2.5% in Peterborough, 4.4% in Saint John (New Brunswick), 3.2% in Thunder Bay, 3.1% in Brantford, 2.8% in Moncton and 6.0% in Guelph. The maps show that workers living near city centres are generally more likely to use public transit or to walk to work.

The place of work, like the place of residence, has a significant impact on the choice of the mode of transportation used to get to work. Some sectors in urban agglomerations are readily accessible from many starting points, whereas other sectors are difficult to reach other than by car (for example, those at the intersection of major highways). Workers travelling to central neighbourhoods are generally more likely to use a sustainable mode of transportation, such as public transit, walking or cycling, than those travelling to the outskirts.

The Daily is Statistics Canada's official release bulletin. The Daily for March 4, 2008, marked the public release of this census variable. Technical notes for this variable can be found at Journey to Work Reference Guide, 2006 Census, Catalogue no. 97-561-GWE-2006003. The text was adapted from Statistics Canada Commuting Patterns and Places of Work of Canadians, 2006 Census, Catalogue no. 97-561-X2006001. Statistics Canada information is used with the permission of Statistics Canada. Information on the availability of the wide range of data from Statistics Canada can be obtained from the Statistics Canada’s regional offices, its World Wide Web site at www.statcan.gc.ca, and its toll-free access number 1-800-263-1136.