Vancouver's transportation landscape in 2024 is dominated by car usage, with nearly half of commuters opting for this mode. Despite the prevalence of cars, the city is seeing a significant portion of its population choosing more sustainable options like walking and cycling.

Average Commute Times

The average commute involves 18.71 minutes of driving and 6.70 minutes of walking, covering a distance of 17.01 km.
  • Bus - Bus commuters spend an average of 31.43 minutes on the bus, with a total commute time of 50.43 minutes.
  • Car - Car users experience a driving time of 36.01 minutes, making it the longest commute time among all modes.
  • Train - Train commuters spend 22.00 minutes on the train, with a total commute time of 35.33 minutes.
  • Walking - Walking is the most time-consuming mode, with an average of 25.75 minutes spent walking.
Traffic Breakdown
Car
49%
Walking
18%
Bus
14%
Bicycle
8%
Train
6%
Home
5%
Seasonal Trends

Traffic congestion tends to increase during the winter months due to adverse weather conditions. Summer sees a rise in cycling and walking as more people take advantage of the pleasant weather.

Commuter Pain Points

Long commute times for car users due to traffic congestion are a major concern. Limited public transport options in certain areas lead to increased reliance on cars.

Best Travel Times

Early mornings before 7 AM and late evenings after 7 PM are the best times to avoid traffic congestion. Midday travel is generally smoother for public transport users.

Event Impacts

Large public events, such as sports games and festivals, significantly impact traffic flow, especially in downtown areas. Event organizers are encouraged to promote public transport options to attendees.

Sustainability Efforts

Vancouver is investing in expanding its cycling infrastructure to promote sustainable commuting. The city is also enhancing its public transport network to reduce car dependency and emissions.

Ride-Sharing Impact

Ride-sharing services have helped reduce the number of cars on the road, offering a flexible alternative to car ownership. However, they also contribute to congestion in popular areas during peak times.

Worldwide
Canada

Traffic Rankings

Vancouver ranks 5th 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 156 user contributions.
Overall average travel
Distance
10.6 miles
Walking
6.7 mins
Waiting
1.2 mins
Driving Car
18.7 mins
Bus / Trolley
5.4 mins
Bicycle
2.2 mins
Motorcycle
0.0 mins
Train
2.1 mins
Other
0.4 mins
Total:
36.7 mins
Average when primarily using Bus
Distance
9.6 miles
Walking
6.8 mins
Waiting
5.8 mins
Driving Car
0.7 mins
Bus / Trolley
31.4 mins
Train
4.8 mins
Other
1.7 mins
Total:
51.2 mins
Average when primarily using Car
Distance
14.6 miles
Walking
0.8 mins
Waiting
0.0 mins
Driving Car
36.0 mins
Total:
36.8 mins
Average when primarily using Train
Distance
10.7 miles
Walking
7.1 mins
Waiting
2.7 mins
Bus / Trolley
3.6 mins
Train
22.0 mins
Total:
35.3 mins
Average when primarily using Walking
Distance
2.8 miles
Walking
25.8 mins
Waiting
1.1 mins
Driving Car
0.6 mins
Bus / Trolley
3.8 mins
Bicycle
0.5 mins
Motorcycle
0.0 mins
Train
0.4 mins
Other
0.7 mins
Total:
32.9 mins
Vancouver Traffic

"Key Takeaways"

Encouraging the use of public transport and cycling could help reduce CO2 emissions and traffic inefficiency.

Investments in public transport infrastructure are essential to improve commute times and reduce car dependency.

Key Indexes

Emissions

Vancouver's CO2 emissions index is 5242.12, indicating a significant environmental impact from transportation.

Efforts to reduce emissions are crucial as car usage remains high.

Time

The average time index is 36.71, reflecting the overall commute duration across different modes.

Traffic delays contribute to extended commute times, particularly for car users.

Inefficiency

The inefficiency index stands at 169.87, highlighting areas for improvement in traffic flow and public transport efficiency.

Reducing reliance on cars could help decrease inefficiency.