by Marke Andrews, Vancouver Sun
Residents of the Vancouver and the Lower Mainland are using more public transit and driving less to get to work, according to the 2006 Census.
In 2006, 67.3 per cent of workers in the Vancouver census metropolitan area (CMA) drove to work, down almost 5 per cent from the 72.2 per cent who drove to work in 2001.
Those who travelled to work as a passenger in a car increased slightly, from 7.0 per cent in 2001 to 7.1 per cent in 2006.
Use of public transit among the same working populace increased 5 per cent, from 11.5 per cent in 2001 to 16.5 per cent in 2006.
Walking and cycling, however, decreased, with 6.3 per cent of workers walking in 2006 (down from 6.5 per cent in 2001) and 1.7 per cent riding a bicycle (down from 1.9 per cent in 2001).
The largest population areas in the Lower Mainland all had increases in what the Census terms sustainable mode of tranportation (bus, SkyTrain, walking and cycling).
Among those who work in the city of Vancouver, 42.9 per cent used sustainable transportation, up from 35.7 per cent in 2001.
The numbers were also up in Surrey (12.2 per cent, up from 9.5 per cent), Burnaby (22.7 per cent, up from 16.3 per cent) and Richmond (13.1 per cent, up from 9.0 per cent).
The community where people were most likely to drive to work was Abbotsford, with 93.2 per cent either driving or getting to work as a passenger in a car.
