From Insights West, in a poll for Metro Vancouver and Vancouver Island, the interesting stuff is in the tables:
- 44 percent of 18-34 year olds commute by transit of weekdays
- 40 percent commute by motor vehicle
Much higher than the older age groups.
A signal to governments that more transit is needed to meet the demand- and that usage of roads and bridges might dramatically decrease. If that generation continues to commute by transit at these or greater levels, the City will easily meet future transportation goals.
Until recently, the phrase “generational change” didn’t resonate with me. Now I’m starting to understand its meaning. This paradigm shift is for real.
Just think what the numbers would look like if safe cycling infrastructure became a priority.
I preface this with an acknowledgement that anecdotal evidence should be considered with healthy skepticism and wariness for confirmation bias.
With that said, among my friends – nearly all in our early 30s and late 20s, mostly unmarried but with lots of long-term relationships, university educated, but with few other traits in common – car ownership is low and the grounds for aspirations of car ownership are resoundingly utilitarian in nature.
Sure, aspiration for certain cars (particularly the Tesla!) remains high, but prioritization of car ownership (particularly versus home ownership) for those without compelling need to drive is low. Most of my friends commute to work by transit, walking, or cycling and deliberately chose to live where this would be an option. Of the fair number who do drive they either live or work south of the Fraser, in the suburban GTA, or are just ‘car guys/gals’ who unapologetically love their wheels and just can’t imagine their lives without a car.
For those of us without car ownership, I am pretty sure that almost to a person we all have licences and drive with limited frequency, such as a car rental when travelling for a vacation or work, a van rental for moving or picking up something truly bulky, shared driving on a road trip, or driving a work vehicle.
To make a broad generalization, those who were born or grew up in a core city, whether that’s the City of Vancouver, the old City of Toronto, the Île de Montréal, downtown Halifax, etc., have rates of car ownership that are lower than those who were born in more suburban or outright exurban cities, even if they later moved to a central city for school or work. Cycling is extremely popular among my friends and in an oddly parallel connection to our boomer parents, it just might be the low-cost/high-payoff form of personal freedom and mobility that cars once enjoyed in some halcyon age of cheap gas, free parking, and a hand-me-down car when you get your licence at 16. I don’t think that too many of my friends ride to work here in Metro Vancouver; more do in Toronto, despite the near absence of cycling infrastructure in the old City of Toronto and the actual absence in the suburban GTA; that’s fodder for another conversation.
To wrap up, I think that the poll numbers Gord posted are pretty much on the mark for my demographic. Move perhaps another 10% or from driving to a combined transit/walking/cycling and I think it would nail it for me and my group of friends.
I guess my question is, how many of your friends who don’t have vehicles also have children? I would pose the same question to the article in general, although obviously a portion of this demographic would have children, many are choosing (or not choosing!) to wait
To date, two of my friends (couples) have kids. One couple has a daughter (4) and they do not own a car. They have a zip car membership that they use when necessary. They live in the southern part of the City of Vancouver. The other couple live in Toronto and they have two daughters, (3 and <1) and they got a car in anticipation of baby #2 coming along. For the first two years of baby #1 they did not own a car, but they also had a zip car membership that they used as needed. They live in the old city of Toronto on the west side.
100% agree with David re the anecdotal trends at work. I am also in the early 30s/late 20s set. I have difficulty recalling anyone I know who drives to work. Almost everyone bikes, walks or takes transit. My wife and I (no kids – yet) have a car but we do not use it to get to work (both walk/bike). If we didn’t travel regularly to the Okanagan to visit family, I doubt we would even have a car. I use Car2Go more than my own car due to the convenience factor.
As for Jenables’ question about people with kids, everyone I know with kids also has a car. These friends definitely use their cars more, however, whenever possible, they opt for the bike or walking. Indeed, I would expect to see more young families riding bikes throughout the City in the future (including using baby-bike seats or trailers).
Differing priorities and different demands on time at different stages in life certainly affect how you choose to travel.
You cannot compare one present age group with another present age group and suggest a “shift”.
You can compare within an age group. I you want to compare to that “older age group” you need to determine what they did when they were “18-34” – then you can determine if there has been a shift.
But that said, diffferent societial trends outside of pure travel choice (i.e. waitng to marry or have kids) may also have shifted – say, since the 1980s.
….and even among the younger demographic who do drive, they are more likely than older residents to park the car and consider alternative modes (all alternative modes….walking, cycling, transit & carpool) when fuel prices increase. Another potential indication that more balanced investment in all modes is needed.
http://www.insightswest.com/news/most-british-columbians-are-feeling-the-pain-at-gas-stations/