Highlights
In March, Canada's urban transit systems logged nearly 136 million passenger trips, 2.0% higher than in March 2024.
Urban transit ridership in March recovered just over 82% of the pre-COVID-19 pandemic passenger trips reported in March 2019.
Data on total passenger trips and operating revenue for selected urban transit agencies are available in table 23-10-0307-01.
Ridership recovery resumes
In March 2025, an estimated 135.8 million passenger trips were taken on Canada's urban transit systems, up 2.0% (+2.6 million trips) from March 2024.
While passenger volume in March 2025 recovered over four-fifths (82.5%) of the pre-pandemic level, there were 28.9 million fewer rides compared with March 2019.
In the two years prior to the pandemic (2018 and 2019), ridership increased by an average of just over 7% from February to March. However, March 2025 experienced an unseasonable bump with ridership rising by nearly 15 million trips—a 12.0% increase from February 2025.
The growth in March was due in part to the lower volume of passenger traffic in February 2025, the result of several factors, including a series of extreme winter snowstorms across the country.
Financial situation improving
In March 2025, transit agency operating revenue (excluding subsidies) totalled $341.4 million—an increase of 8.4%, or $26.4 million, from March 2024.
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, featuring data from Statistics Canada, Transport Canada and partners, provides Canadians with online access to comprehensive statistics and indicators for the country's transportation sector.
Reference
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, February 2025.
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).