Traffic and bad drivers are the main hindrances for drivers, while public transit users dread overcrowding inside vehicles.
Vancouver, BC [March 10, 2023] – Compared to 2019, more residents of Metro Vancouver report having a good time when going to school or work on weekdays, a new Research Co. poll has found.
In the online survey of a representative Metro Vancouver sample, more than seven-in-ten weekday commuters (73%) describe their experience as pleasant, up five points since a similar Research Co. poll completed in May 2019.
More than one-in-four Metro Vancouver weekday commuters (26%, -3) say their experience going to school or work is annoying.
“Just under one-in-five weekday commuters in Vancouver (19%) are dissatisfied with their experience,” says Mario Canseco, President of Research Co. “The proportion is higher among weekday commuters who reside in Surrey (27%) or in the remaining Metro Vancouver municipalities (33%).”
The main elements that make a weekday commute pleasant for drivers in Metro Vancouver are not dealing with too much traffic (45%), having an easy time finding parking spots (44%) and controlling the entertainment on their vehicle (40%).
About half of weekday public transit users who say their commute is pleasant say the vehicles they rely on arrive on time (53%), usually find a seat for themselves (49%) and can get things done while on the bus or SkyTrain, such as read the paper or answer e-mails (also 49%).
Drivers who say their weekday commute is annoying are primarily upset with traffic (94%) and encountering bad drivers on the road (68%). Public transit users who do not have a good time on their weekday commute blame overcrowding inside transit vehicles (80%) and waiting for transit vehicles to pick them up (72%).
More than half of Metro Vancouverites who commute (54%) say driving would be their ideal way to get to school or work on weekdays, while 23% select public transit, 14% pick biking and 6% choose walking.
More than a quarter of Metro Vancouverites who commute on weekdays (27%) say their situation is worse now than five years ago, while 47% report no change and 23% say things are better now.
Weekday commuters in Metro Vancouver who drive are more likely to say that the state of affairs is worse now (32%) than those who take public transit (22%).
Sizeable majorities of weekday commuters in Metro Vancouver say living close to their workplace is important to them (85%), are willing to work from home more often to avoid commuting (74%) and would choose a prospective employer primarily based on where the office they would work at is located (71%).
More than half of weekday commuters in Metro Vancouver (57%) would seriously consider moving from their current home if they changed jobs and had a longer commute, while half (49%) would be willing to make less money if they can get a job that is closer to their home.
Half of weekday commuters in Metro Vancouver who drive (50%) say they would not be willing to pay for tolls on roads or bridges if it guaranteed a shorter commute time.
Methodology:Results are based on an online study conducted from March 4 to March 7, 2023, among 700 adults in Metro Vancouver. The data has been statistically weighted according to Canadian census figures for age, gender and region in Metro Vancouver. The margin of error—which measures sample variability—is +/- 3.7 percentage points, nineteen times out of twenty.
Find our data tables here and download the press release here.
For more information on this poll, please contact:
Mario Canseco, President, Research Co.
778.929.0490 [e] mario.canseco@researchco.ca