Torontonians have one of the longest commutes in North America: report

A new public transit report reveals Torontonians not only have to endure one of the longest urban commutes on the continent, but they also travel the farthest each day.

Moovit, an urban mobility app, revealed its Global Public Transport Report for 2022, where it combed through tens of millions of trip quests from its users and combined with user research in nearly 100 cities across 24 countries.

The findings reveal which cities had the best and worst transit experiences, by looking at commute duration, wait time, the number of transfers, trip distance, reasons that could encourage more public transit usage, and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on ridership.

The average trip distance for commuters in North America, according to Moovit's Global Public Transport report. (Moovit)

Across Canada, the greater Toronto , Montreal and Vancouver areas were examined, and Torontonians were found to typically commute the farthest in North America with an average of 12.29 km per trip.

Further, Torontonians commute at least 56 minutes on average using public transit, the third longest in the continent, following a two-way tie with Chicago and Washington, D.C. at 57 minutes, and New York City at 58 minutes.

While travel times might be longer, Moovit notes Canadians typically face shorter transit wait times compared to Americans.

The average commute time in minutes across North America, according to Moovit's global report. (Moovit)In Toronto, the average wait time is about 12 minutes, which compared to Miami, boasting the longest wait times in the U.S., is nine minutes less.

The report also notes lower cost fares would encourage Canadians to use public transit more often, and 25 per cent of Canadian commuters said the pandemic caused them to use public transit less frequently.

TTC SAFETY CONCERNS

Recently, there have been renewed calls for enhanced TTC security following a stabbing at High Park station last week, which is the latest example of a string of violent incidents on the TTC in recent months.

At a news conference on Dec. 9, Mayor John Tory assured the TTC remains “a very safe transit system.”

“It was a horrific event, and it was a tragedy,” he said. “We’ve already taken measures in the past and even in the current circumstances to increase the presence of different kinds of people, special constables, streets to homes, outreach workers, police officers on the system, and that kind of work will continue.”

Tory also noted he will be sitting down with the Toronto police chief and the TTC’s CEO to discuss further what else can be done in the meantime. 

With files from CTV Toronto's Katherine DeClerq