Highlights
In May, the number of urban transit passenger trips in Canada totalled 133.7 million, down slightly (-1.5%) from the same month in 2024.
Data on total passenger trips and operating revenue for selected urban transit agencies are available in table 23-10-0307-01.
Ridership remains fairly stable
Canada's transit agencies provided an estimated 133.7 million passenger trips in May, edging down 1.5% (about 2 million fewer rides) compared with May 2024.
Despite this slight dip in passenger traffic and continuing sharp year-over-year drops in gasoline prices primarily due to the removal of the consumer carbon levy, ridership in May 2025 reached 86.1% of the pre-COVID-19 pandemic volume observed in May 2019 (155.3 million trips). While this was the fourth-highest ridership recovery rate since the pandemic, there were still 21.6 million fewer passenger trips in May 2025 compared with the same month in 2019.
In the two years prior to the pandemic (2018 and 2019), public transit ridership edged down by an average of about 0.5% from April to May, as commuters and students switched to more active modes such as walking and biking. In May 2025, ridership was up slightly (+0.8%) from April.
Revenue up
In May, transit agency operating revenue (excluding subsidies) increased 4.2% over the same month in 2024, reaching $336.2 million.
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, April 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).