Public transit, walking favoured by younger Toronto commuters
Last Updated: Wednesday, April 2, 2008 | 1:38 PM ET
The Canadian Press
Young workers in the Toronto region are more likely to pick "green" commuting options than their older co-workers, the latest census information shows.
Statistics Canada released new data Wednesday from the 2006 census that gives more details about how people in the Toronto area get to work and how far they travel.
Workers under the age of 25 in the Toronto region use public transit 30.8 per cent of the time, walk 9.5 per cent of the time and cycle 1.5 per cent of the time.
That's a considerably higher reliance on environmentally friendly means of getting to work than the average commuter in the Toronto region, who commutes by public transit 22.2 per cent of the time, by foot 4.8 per cent of the time and by bike 1.0 per cent of the time.
Reliance on the car in the Toronto region seems to increase with the age of the commuter.
Commuters younger than 25 used a vehicle to get to work — either as a driver or a passenger — 57.2 per cent of the time. Those age 25-34 commuted by car 66.1 per cent of the time, and those 35 and over drove or were driven 75.8 per cent of the time.
The census didn't ask commuters why they choose their mode of transportation, so it's not known whether younger workers pick greener commuting options because of their concern for the environment or whether their choice is related more to financial considerations or proximity to the workplace.
Getting a car no longer a rite of passage
Owning a car used to be a rite of passage for young people, but environmental awareness in that generation has made gas guzzlers uncool, says Dan McDermott, director of Ontario's chapter of the Sierra Club of Canada. The high cost of gasoline is another factor for those with limited incomes.
"The desire to own a car is diminishing for a number of reasons — environmental consciousness being high on that list," said McDermott.
"Certainly, economic reality weighs in as well, and with gas scheduled to hit $1.50 a litre, that makes the question about buying a car one that young people on limited resources will look long and hard at before making that choice."
Statistics Canada released initial information on commuting in the country's major metropolitan region last month. The new information breaks down the data further to the municipal level.
In the city of Toronto, 34.4 per cent of workers use public transit while 55.8 per cent get to their job by car.
The median commuting distance for people in the city of Toronto is 7.5 kilometres, meaning one half of the city's population travels more than that distance and the other half travels less. Commuting distance is measured on a straight line from home to work — not the actual route travelled, which for most commuters would be longer.
