Work and Commuting in Census Metropolitan Areas, 1996-2001
by Andrew Heisz and Sébastien LaRochelle-Côté,
Trends and Conditions in Census Metropolitan Areas, June 2005, Catalogue
No. 89-613 No. 7
Context
This report is the seventh in a series that develops statistical measures
to shed light on important issues for Canada's cities. Statistics Canada
has worked on this project in collaboration with the Cities Secretariat,
Infrastructure Canada.
The objective is to provide statistical measures of trends and conditions
in our larger cities and the neighbourhoods within them. These measures
will be available for use in city planning and in policy development.
Objective(s)
The report examined the location of jobs in 27 census metropolitan
areas, paying particular attention to developments in the largest 8
metropolitan areas: Québec, Montréal, Ottawa–Hull,
Toronto, Winnipeg, Calgary, Edmonton and Vancouver. It analysed the
modes commuters used to travel to work, emphasising public transit and
car (as driver or passenger) commute modes.
Findings
Commuting patterns in Canada's largest urban centres have become more
complex as a result of stronger employment growth in the suburbs than
in city core areas.
Jobs are still strongly concentrated in downtown core areas in most
urban centres. However, between 1996 and 2001, the relative economic
importance of inner cities declined, as the number of jobs in the suburbs
increased at more than four times the pace that they did in the core
areas.
Between 1996 and 2001, the number of jobs within 5 km of the city centres
of census metropolitan areas rose increased by 156,000. On the other
hand, the number of jobs outside 5 km rose by 733,200. In Toronto, two
third of all employment creation took place in areas located at least
20 kilometres away from the city centre.
As a result, more and more people are commuting cross-town to these
suburban areas.
And in most instances, cross-town commuters have been driving to work
rather than taking public transit. This tendency to commute by car increased
the farther jobs were located from the city centre.
As result, larger urban areas face a challenge in promoting public
transit use among workers employed in these areas because most job growth
has been in the suburbs.
When the job was within 5 km of the city centre, 24% of commuters took
public transit. However, this falls quickly to 14% when the job was
between 5 and 10 km from the city centre. Public transit take-up rates
were lower still for jobs farther than 10 km from downtown.
Despite the decentralization of jobs and more car traffic to jobs in
the suburbs, the proportion of commuters who took public transit remained
stable between 1996 and 2001. That is because a larger share of commuters
heading for the city centre took public transit, especially in the larger
CMAs of Toronto and Montréal.
The report also found that during this five-year period, jobs in the
downtown core were higher skilled and higher paid, and that earnings
increased faster for jobs in the city centre.
Data source(s)
Data came from the 1996 and 2001 censuses.
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