More Winnipeggers are taking cars to work and fewer are riding transit, according to a Statistics Canada report that suggests this city is bucking the national green-commuting trend.
According to census data released this week, the percentage of Winnipeg commuters who ride buses dropped from 14.3 per cent in 1996 to 13 per cent in 2006 -- and the proportion who took cars rose from 77.3 per cent to 78.7 per cent during the same period.
Both statistics make Winnipeg an anomaly in a country where more workers appear to be changing their commuting habits, either as a response to higher gas prices or due to environmental or health concerns.
Across Canada, the proportion of workers taking transit rose from 14.1 per cent in 1996 to 15.1 per cent in 2006, while the percentage of those who ride in cars shrank from 78.1 to 76.8 per cent, according to the census data.
And almost every city in Canada besides Winnipeg saw more workers take the bus and fewer ride in cars.
"This is not quite what we're aiming for," said Randall McQuaker, executive director of Resource Conservation Manitoba, a non-profit group that attempts to promote alternative modes of transportation.
"It's a little disappointing to see the numbers aren't running in the right direction, but it probably reflects municipal priorities in terms of devoting resources to automobiles as opposed to transit, cycling and other alternatives."
Winnipeg's reluctance to embrace green commuting is not surprising for a city that has failed to invest in transit and engage in sustainable city planning as much as other centres have, McQuaker added.
Winnipeg needs more commuter cycling trails, more efficient bus service and a real commitment to rapid transit, he said.
"I don't think people in Winnipeg are any less willing to make sustainable (commuting) choices, but if the choices aren't very convenient, they're going to drive."
A spokesman for Winnipeg Mayor Sam Katz downplayed the Statistics Canada report, noting Winnipeg Transit has seen ridership increase in recent years, from 37.7 million rides in 2003 to 40.3 million in 2006.
Winnipeg Transit is in the midst of a six-year, $143-million upgrade that includes the purchase of new buses, the construction of more heated bus shelters and the creation of more dedicated bus lanes, said Brad Salyn, the mayor's communications director.
Winnipeg's cold winters and the relatively low cost of downtown parking may encourage more commuters to drive, he said, adding other Canadian cities may have more workers who live closer to their respective downtowns.
"(That) plays a role in how they get to work," Salyn said. "This is why it's important to create more housing downtown."
According to a previous Statistics Canada report, Winnipeggers spend an average of 61 minutes per day commuting, which is comparable to the commutes in slightly larger cities such Edmonton and Ottawa.
But the new Statistics Canada report on commuting modes comes out a time when Winnipeg faces its first opportunity to begin building some form of rapid-transit system, as Ottawa has given Manitoba $17.9 million to spend on transportation, most of which is earmarked for the city.
It's still up in the air if Manitoba Premier Gary Doer and Winnipeg Mayor Sam Katz decide to shovel that money toward the construction of a $70 million busway from downtown to Jubilee Avenue, which would constitute the first leg of a long-discussed southwest Winnipeg rapid-transit corridor.
The premier and mayor could also choose to explore a more expensive light-rail option -- or eschew rapid-transit altogether in favour of more improvements to conventional transit or building more commuter cycling trails.
Regardless of how the federal transportation dollars are doled out, Winnipeg plans to spend $1.5 million this year on new walkways and bike paths and another $500,000 on new bike lanes on existing streets.
The precise location of the new walkways and bike paths won't be determined until active transportation co-ordinator Kevin Nixon submits a report to city councillors later this month.
bartley.kives@freepress.mb.ca