Commuters increasingly likely to be working in suburbs, not cities
It seems that more Canadians are taking notice of environmental issues and are looking for greener ways of commuting to work.
Despite an increase in the number of workers driving to work, the overall proportion has decreased since 2001, according to Statistics Canada.
New data from the 2006 census shows that while more than 14.7 million people drove to work, an increase of 9.4 per cent since 2001, they represented 72.3 per cent of the workforce, down from 73.8 per cent in 2001.
Another 1.1 million workers travelled to work as a passenger in a car, a 22.6-per-cent increase from 2001. The proportion of workers who rode as a passenger increased from 6.9 per cent in 2001 to 7.7 per cent in 2006.
Public transit is also becoming more popular among workers with 15.4 per cent more workers taking some form of mass transit in 2006 than in 2001. The proportion of employees taking transit to work increased from 10.5 per cent in 2001 to 11 per cent in 2006.
In 2006, 939,000 people walked to work, an increase of 6.6 per cent over 2001, and 195,500 bicycled to work, a 20-per-cent increase.
It is becoming increasingly more likely that these workers are commuting to jobs in the suburbs. The number of people working in the suburbs increased by 12.2 per cent from 2001 to nearly 3.5 million, compared to the 6.8 million people who worked in cities in 2006, representing only a 5.9 per cent increase.
Despite an increase in the number of workers driving to work, the overall proportion has decreased since 2001, according to Statistics Canada.
New data from the 2006 census shows that while more than 14.7 million people drove to work, an increase of 9.4 per cent since 2001, they represented 72.3 per cent of the workforce, down from 73.8 per cent in 2001.
Another 1.1 million workers travelled to work as a passenger in a car, a 22.6-per-cent increase from 2001. The proportion of workers who rode as a passenger increased from 6.9 per cent in 2001 to 7.7 per cent in 2006.
Public transit is also becoming more popular among workers with 15.4 per cent more workers taking some form of mass transit in 2006 than in 2001. The proportion of employees taking transit to work increased from 10.5 per cent in 2001 to 11 per cent in 2006.
In 2006, 939,000 people walked to work, an increase of 6.6 per cent over 2001, and 195,500 bicycled to work, a 20-per-cent increase.
It is becoming increasingly more likely that these workers are commuting to jobs in the suburbs. The number of people working in the suburbs increased by 12.2 per cent from 2001 to nearly 3.5 million, compared to the 6.8 million people who worked in cities in 2006, representing only a 5.9 per cent increase.
