British Columbians are among the most active users of public transit in Canada and more than eight per cent commute to work on foot or by bicycle. But some British Columbians, especially those living in Metro Vancouver and in the Fraser Valley, face some of the longest commuting times anywhere in Canada.
New figures from Statistics Canada released Aug. 26 show 77.5 per cent of commuters in B.C. use their car, truck or van to get to work — four per cent less than the Canadian average. British Columbians are also more likely than other Canadians to use public transit, at 13 per cent. The share of commuters using public transit rises to about 20 per cent in Metro Vancouver. The national average is 11.4 per cent. Only commuters in Ontario are more likely to use public transit with 13.5 per cent with Toronto CMA around 22 per cent.
B.C. also ranks second to Nova Scotia when it comes to active transportation with 8.2 per cent of commuters walking or biking to work. The national average is six per cent.
As for commuting times in B.C., they have remained virtually unchanged in almost a decade with some variation during the COVID-19 years. Whereas British Columbians spent exactly 26 minutes on their commute in May 2016, this figure had gone up to 26.6 in May 2024, with the national average being 26.4 minutes.
But this global figure hides regional differences in B.C.
Almost 15 per cent of residents living in Abbotsford–Mission CMA had an average commute of an hour or longer in May 2024 -— the fourth-largest share of long commuters anywhere in Canada. Commuters in Vancouver's Census Metropolitan Area also cracked the Top 5 when it comes to the average commute, with 30.5 minutes in May 2024.
Another B.C. region, meanwhile, leads all of Canada when it comes to active transportation. Nearly two out of 10 commuters in Victoria CMA (18.7 per cent) commuted by bicycle or foot in May 2024 with Halifax CMA in second place with 12.3 per cent, "potentially driven by the smaller size and milder climate of these cities."
But residents of Greater Victoria might refrain from feeling too smug about being environmentally-conscious. Almost 93 per cent of Greater Victoria commuters using their car, van or truck drove alone in May 2024. That rate tops Canada.
