Edmonton commuters still rely heavily on cars to get to work, Statistics Canada data released Wednesday suggests.

The new data from the 2006 census found that 12.7 per cent of workers in the city of Edmonton get to work using public transit, while 79 per cent either drive or travel in a vehicle as a passenger.

Statistics Canada says almost 80 per cent of Edmontonians rely on vehicles to get to work.
(Lars Hagberg/Canadian Press)

The average commute for Edmontonians is 6.8 kilometres, as measured in a straight line from home to work, not the actual distance travelled. The national average is 7.6 kilometres.

The statistics agency said that young workers are more likely to walk, bike or take public transit to work than their older colleagues.

Among workers under the age of 25, 16.5 per cent use public transit, while a further 9.5 per cent walk and 1.9 per cent use a bike, the federal statistics agency said. The roughly 70 per cent remaining use a vehicle either as a driver or passenger.

In comparison, the average Alberta commuter takes a car almost 84 per cent of the time, opting for public transit at a rate of 9.7 per cent of the time, bikes 1.1 per cent and hoofing it 5.2 per cent.

Statistics Canada said the reliance on cars seems to increase with the age of the commuter. While those under the age of 25 travelled by vehicle 70.7 per cent of the time, that rate increased to 81.6 per cent for those aged 25 to 34. The rate was even higher for those aged over 35, at 87.2 per cent.

The census does not ask commuters why they chose their mode of transportation, so the agency said it's unknown if younger workers choose greener forms of commuting due to environmental concerns or financial considerations.

With files from the Canadian Press