Statistics Canada
www.statcan.gc.ca
Common menu bar links
Attitudes toward commuting
Archived Content
Information identified as archived is provided for reference, research or recordkeeping purposes. It is not subject to the Government of Canada Web Standards and has not been altered or updated since it was archived. Please contact us to request a format other than those available.
We are spending more time commuting to work, and a 2005 survey of working Canadians shows that many of us enjoy our travel to work. For some, it is the only quiet time in a busy day, while for others it is a chance to catch up on work. Despite the negative impression that people have of commuting, many still prefer it to grocery shopping or doing home repairs.
Some 38% of commuters like their trip to and from work, including 16% who enjoy it a great deal. Only 30% say they dislike it. In addition, the more a person likes their job, the more likely they enjoy their daily commute and do not mind its frustrations.
Those who bike to work are the happiest commuters: 57% say they like or greatly like it. Those who combine a car ride with public transit are the most negative about their commute: 58% dislike or greatly dislike it. Of those taking only public transit, 23% enjoy their commute, compared with 39% of drivers.
Commute times are getting longer. In 2005, we spent an average of 63 minutes a day travelling to and from work, which adds up to about 12 days a year for a full-time worker. This compares with 54 minutes a day in 1992 and 59 minutes in 1998.
Travel times vary by city. Among Canada’s six largest cities, Toronto has the longest commute, at an average 79 minutes round trip in 2005, whereas Edmonton has the shortest, at 62 minutes.
We are travelling farther to work. From 1996 to 2001, the median commute increased from 7.0 kilometres to 7.2 kilometres.
