BC Business reports on an online Insights West poll of 802 residents throughout the province about their commute. Results vary, of course, by location, and there are plenty of insights into how we get to work, and how we’d like to.
Asked to describe their ideal work commute, compared to their actual:
City of Vancouver
- 18% would drive, and 21% do.
- 29% would take transit, and 38% do
- 16% would take a bike, and 10% do
- 31% would walk, and 20% do
Province-wide:
- 34% would drive, and 43% do.
- 23% would take transit, and 19% do
- 11% would take a bike, and 3% do
- 23% would walk, and 9% do
Transit riders, in particular, do not like overcrowding (77%) and waiting (64%). To me, this suggests that demand exceeds capacity.
Transit congestion
And Eric MacKenzie discusses the poll in 24 Hours Vancouver
According to an Insights West poll conducted for BC Business, 23% of B.C. residents surveyed said they consider their commute “moderately annoying” and a further 6% said their daily trip is “very annoying.”
However, tedium among people on their way to work or school is nearly exclusive to those who drive or take public transit. Some 96% of those travelling on foot and 95% of cyclists described their commute as some level of “pleasant.” Less than two-thirds of drivers and transit users did the same . . .
. . . Meanwhile, results of the poll suggest that the same trends will continue. More than 90% of cyclists said their commute is better or the same compared to five years ago, but 33% of drivers and 28% of transit riders said their trip to work got worse over the same period.
I find it impossible to ride a bike and be unhappy. Rain or shine!
I know someone who drove to work from Pt. Grey to downtown most of his life. After the Hornby Lanes went in, he tried riding his bike to work. He loved it so much that now he says that his worst day riding his bike to work is better than his best day driving his car ever was.
The insigh poll is at odd and doesn’t match other data surveys (such as the census or the translink diairy, in the later (as from http://vancouver.ca/files/cov/transportation-panel-survey-2014-final-report.pdf )
29% walk, 17% take transit… how you reconcilaite those number with the one of Insight?
Furthermore, according to the Insight poll: transit mode share for the whole BC > metro transit share (once removed the “don’t go to work share) … really?
The Insight poll is for 2016. The Translink diary is for 2014.
I don’t see the Metro results in the Insight poll, just Vancouver City, and Rest of
Metro. Metro would be a combination of those two.
The insight poll is an online ie self selected poll so while it gives general trends and ideas the actual % probably means very little.
Amazing how cycling comes out so strongly in this poll. People who cycle clearly enjoy their commute and many more would like to cycle for their ideal commute. Clearly, governments at all levels should provide more safe and convenient cycling infrastructure to accommodate all these people.
Next week is Bike to Work Week in BC. This is a great opportunity to cycle to work and really enjoy your commute.
If you are fortunate enough to live close enough to work to ride or walk, then you should do so, many do, and are happy. Not everyone can do that.
Public transit’s only advantage is that it is cheaper. On any other scale, such as time, personal space, comfort or convenience it usually is worse than driving, walking or cycling.
And to some people who aren’t able to drive or cycle, transit is much preferred over a three hour walk.
That’s why we need to have choices.
Later today I plan a trip where I’ll bike, then bus, then walk to the final destination. It works well and should be a nice time. I don’t consider myself to be “multimodal” or saving the planet or any of that. I’m just looking around at my options and choosing what makes sense for this trip.
In my experience the bus leg of the trip is fine but then it’s a route that shows up frequently, usually has enough room and I know the times it’ll be there.