Highlights
In January, Canada's urban transit ridership totalled 132.2 million trips, up 7.0% from the same month in 2024 and 82.2% of January's 2019 ridership, prior to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Data on total passenger trips and operating revenue for selected urban transit agencies are available in table 23-10-0307-01.
Ridership recovery stalls
Canada's urban transit networks provided an estimated 132.2 million rides in January 2025, an increase of 7.0% (+8.6 million trips) compared with the same month in 2024.
Ridership in January 2025 represented 82.2% of the 160.9 million trips reported in the same month in 2019, before the pandemic. This recovery rate is less than the average of 84.2% observed for 2024.
There were about 28.7 million fewer rides in January 2025 compared with the same month in 2019, as volumes continue to lag pre-pandemic levels.
In the two years prior to the pandemic (2018 and 2019), ridership increased by over 8% from December to January, as students and workers returned from the holiday break. This year, however, January ridership was up only slightly (+0.4%) from December.
Finances remain down
In January 2025, transit agency operating revenue (excluding subsidies) amounted to $317.5 million. This was an increase of 6.6%, or $19.7 million, from the same month a year ago, albeit $32.3 million below the pre-pandemic level recorded in January 2019.
Chart 1: Urban public transit operating revenue and passenger trips, monthly, 2019 to 2025
Description - Chart 1
Data table: Urban public transit operating revenue and passenger trips, monthly, 2019 to 2025
Source: Table 23-10-0251-01.
Note to readers
Statistics Canada is publishing more detail from the Monthly Passenger Bus and Urban Transit Survey. The new table 23-10-0307-01—Passenger bus and urban transit statistics, by Urban transit agency—includes operating revenue and ridership at the city level for selected transit agencies. Statistics Canada appreciates the cooperation of the 15 transit agencies in making this information available to Canadians.
Survey data are revised on a monthly basis to reflect new and updated information.
The data in this release are not seasonally adjusted.
This survey collects data on operating revenue (excluding subsidies) and the number of passenger trips from a panel of urban transit companies that represents at least 75% of revenue in each province and territory. Note that the panel is adjusted annually to maintain the 75% coverage and could differ slightly from what it was in the same month the previous year.
One-time payments from secondary and post-secondary institutions for academic-year student passes are typically reported as revenue during the early fall and early winter months.
Data prior to January 2017 can be found in table 23-10-0078-01.
Random tabular adjustment
The random tabular adjustment (RTA) technique, which aims to increase the amount of data made available to users while protecting the confidentiality of respondents, was applied to the totals of the Monthly Passenger Bus and Urban Transit Survey.
Using RTA, Statistics Canada identifies sensitive data and randomly adjusts values rather than suppressing them. The size of the adjustment is calculated to protect respondent confidentiality.
The Transportation Data and Information Hub provides Canadians with online access to comprehensive statistics and indicators for the country's transportation sector.
Reference
Data table / Data tables: 23-10-0251-01 and 23-10-0307-01.
- Note: some data tables may best be viewed on desktop.
Definitions, data sources and methods: survey number 2745.
Previous release: Urban public transit, December 2024.
Contact information
For more information, or to enquire about the concepts, methods or data quality of this release, contact us (toll-free 1-800-263-1136; 514-283-8300; infostats@statcan.gc.ca) or Media Relations (statcan.mediahotline-ligneinfomedias.statcan@statcan.gc.ca).