Toronto's traffic landscape in 2024 is dominated by car usage, with nearly half of the population commuting by car. Public transportation, including trains and buses, plays a significant role, but there is room for improvement in reducing commute times and emissions.

Average Commute Times

The average commute involves 24.15 minutes of driving and 5.11 minutes of walking, covering a distance of 22.36 km.
  • Bus - Bus commuters spend about 34.48 minutes on the bus, with additional time spent walking and waiting.
  • Car - Car commuters have a driving time of 46.22 minutes, covering a distance of 32.20 km.
  • Train - Train commuters spend approximately 33.55 minutes on the train, with additional time for walking and waiting.
  • Walking - Walking commutes average 18.20 minutes, covering a distance of 3.58 km.
Traffic Breakdown
Car
49%
Train
16%
Walking
13%
Bus
7%
Bicycle
6%
Home
6%
Tram
2%
Motorcycle
0%
Seasonal Trends

Winter months see increased traffic delays due to snow and ice, affecting all modes of transport. Summer festivals and events can lead to temporary spikes in traffic congestion, particularly in downtown areas.

Commuter Pain Points

Long commute times and traffic congestion are major pain points for car commuters. Public transport users often face delays and overcrowding during peak hours.

Best Travel Times

Traveling outside of peak hours, such as mid-morning or early afternoon, can significantly reduce commute times. Weekend travel is generally smoother, with less congestion compared to weekdays.

Event Impacts

Major events like the Toronto International Film Festival can cause significant traffic disruptions in the city center. Sports events at venues like the Rogers Centre lead to increased traffic and parking challenges.

Sustainability Efforts

Toronto is investing in expanding its bike lane network to encourage cycling as a sustainable transport option. The city is also enhancing its public transport system with new subway lines and electric buses to reduce emissions.

Ride-Sharing Impact

Ride-sharing services have increased flexibility for commuters but also contribute to traffic congestion. Efforts to integrate ride-sharing with public transport could improve overall traffic efficiency.

Worldwide
Canada

Traffic Rankings

Toronto ranks 1st on the Traffic rankings in Canada. The Traffic Index for Canada combines user-contributed data on commute times, traffic dissatisfaction, CO2 emissions, and traffic system inefficiencies in Canada, to provide insights into overall traffic conditions.

Worst to BestUpdated: Dec, 2024
Full Traffic Rankings

Traffic Data

The following traffic data has been gathered from 396 user contributions.
Overall average travel
Distance
13.9 miles
Walking
5.1 mins
Waiting
2.1 mins
Driving Car
24.1 mins
Bus / Trolley
3.6 mins
Bicycle
1.5 mins
Motorcycle
0.0 mins
Train
6.9 mins
Tram
1.1 mins
Other
0.2 mins
Total:
44.7 mins
Average when primarily using Bus
Distance
10.3 miles
Walking
8.8 mins
Waiting
10.0 mins
Bus / Trolley
34.5 mins
Train
9.6 mins
Tram
1.7 mins
Total:
64.5 mins
Average when primarily using Car
Distance
20.0 miles
Walking
1.0 mins
Driving Car
46.2 mins
Total:
47.2 mins
Average when primarily using Train
Distance
11.7 miles
Walking
7.7 mins
Waiting
5.5 mins
Bus / Trolley
5.7 mins
Train
33.5 mins
Tram
1.2 mins
Other
1.2 mins
Total:
54.8 mins
Average when primarily using Walking
Distance
2.2 miles
Walking
18.2 mins
Waiting
2.1 mins
Driving Car
0.3 mins
Bus / Trolley
1.1 mins
Bicycle
0.4 mins
Motorcycle
0.0 mins
Train
3.2 mins
Tram
0.4 mins
Total:
25.6 mins
Toronto Traffic

"Key Takeaways"

Encouraging the use of public transportation and cycling could reduce CO2 emissions and commute times.

Investing in public transport infrastructure and services can improve efficiency and commuter satisfaction.

Key Indexes

Emissions

Toronto's CO2 emissions index is high, reflecting the heavy reliance on cars.

Efforts to reduce emissions could focus on increasing public transport usage.

Time

The average commute time index is 44.68, indicating significant time spent in transit.

Improving public transport efficiency could help reduce overall commute times.

Inefficiency

The traffic inefficiency index is 251.19, suggesting room for improvement in traffic flow.

Investments in infrastructure and traffic management could alleviate congestion.