The City of Winnipeg needs to demonstrate more concern about the implications of the latest census data from Statistics Canada on transportation patterns, which show that Winnipeg has fallen behind the rest of the country in the drive to reduce automobile traffic and increase the use of public transit.
Canadians are abandoning their cars for the bus or their bicycles, but not in Winnipeg where the automobile still rules the road, while public transit struggles to remain relevant amid declining use.
The 2006 census found that 72.3 per cent of Canadians drive to work, down from 73.8 per cent in 2001. The decline is only slight, but the Canadian Urban Transit Association went so far as to proclaim the end of an era. "This is really ground-breaking information," said Michael Roschlau, head of the association. "A reversal in the long-term historical trend ... is firmly in place now."
In Winnipeg, the census found that 78.7 per cent of commuters either drive to work or hop a ride in someone else's car. That's up only slightly from the last census, when 78.6 per cent of commuters relied on a car to get to work, but it shows that Winnipeg is heading in the wrong direction in terms of trying to reduce automobile traffic
In Canada's major cities, the use of public transit has been rising steadily since 1996, when 14.1 per cent relied on the bus or subway to get to work, to 15.1 per cent in 2006. By comparison, the use of a bus in Winnipeg has been falling, from 14.3 per cent in 1996, to 13.1 per cent in 2001 and 13 per cent in 2006.
Mayor Sam Katz has downplayed the relevance of the census data, saying through a spokesman that our cold winters and cheap parking may be encouraging more people to drive. The official also said Winnipeg Transit's ridership numbers are rising, but the fact is the percentage of all commuters using the bus is declining steadily.
Winnipeg's roads are becoming increasingly congested, a trend that will only get worse, unless Mayor Katz decides to refocus his administration on the problem. A 2005 study by Statistics Canada found that the average round-trip commute time in the city was 61 minutes. By comparison, Edmonton and Calgary, both much larger than Winnipeg, had commute times of 63 minutes and 67 minutes, respectively.
Distances from home to work are also increasing as Winnipeg expands, forcing commuters to spend more time in their cars on crowded and congested streets. The result is increased pollution, stress, lost productivity and other costs, particularly to the city's image as a place that can't keep up with the rest of Canada.
All of these statistics represent a turning point in terms of the livability and sustainability of the city. If the mayor and council decide there is no problem, or there's nothing they can do about it, then it will be a turning point for decline. On the other hand, if rapid or improved transit, compact development and other incentives are encouraged and developed, then Winnipeg's grim statistical profile in 2006 may actually be remembered as the point when the city turned the corner for the better.