Urban public transit, September 2023
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Released: 2023-11-20
Highlights
In September, ridership on Canada's urban transit networks continued to recover, reaching 134.7 million passenger trips. This represents over four-fifths (82.1%) of the September 2019 level, before the COVID-19 pandemic, the highest recovery rate to date.
For the first time, operating revenue and total passenger trips for selected urban transit agencies are available in table 23-10-0307-01.
Ridership reaches milestone
The total number of passenger trips on Canada's urban transit networks was 134.7 million in September, up 15.1% (+17.7 million trips) from September 2022, and capping two and a half years of consecutive monthly year-over-year increases since April 2021.
Ridership in September 2023 recovered over four-fifths (82.1%) of the pre-pandemic level from September 2019, the highest recovery rate to date. Despite this milestone, there were 29.3 million fewer riders in September 2023 compared with the same month in 2019.
As school resumes and workers return from summer vacations, transit ridership typically increases in the month of September. Nationally, September 2023 saw an increase of 14.3% (+16.9 million trips) from August, slightly above the average increase of 11.5% recorded over the same August-to-September period in the two years (2018 and 2019) prior to the pandemic.
In September 2023, larger monthly increases were observed in the east (Halifax, Nova Scotia at +26.1%) and the west (Edmonton, Alberta at +29.2%), while more moderate increases were recorded in central Canada (Toronto, Ontario at +6.1% and Montréal, Quebec at +11.5%).
Financial situation continues to improve
In September, transit agency operating revenue (excluding subsidies) was $323.6 million, an increase of 16.0% (+$44.6 million) from the same month in 2022. This was the highest revenue recorded since March 2020, but $45.4 million lower than that earned in September 2019, prior to the pandemic.
Chart 1
Urban public transit operating revenue and passenger trips, monthly, 2019 to 2023
Note to readers
With this release, Statistics Canada is publishing more detail from the Monthly Passenger Bus and Urban Transit Survey. A new table 23-10-0307-01—Passenger bus and urban transit statistics, by urban transit agency—includes operating revenue and ridership at the city level for selected transit agencies. Statistics Canada appreciates the cooperation of the 15 transit agencies in making this information available to Canadians.
Survey data are revised on a monthly basis to reflect new information.
The data in this release are not seasonally adjusted.
This survey collects data on operating revenue (excluding subsidies) and the number of passenger trips from a panel of urban transit companies that represents at least 75% of revenue in each province and territory. Note that the panel is adjusted annually to maintain the 75% coverage and could differ slightly from what it was in the same month the previous year.
One-time payments from secondary and post-secondary institutions for academic-year student passes are typically reported as revenue during the early fall and early winter months.
Data before January 2017 can be found in table 23-10-0078-01.
Random tabular adjustment
The random tabular adjustment (RTA) technique, which aims to increase the amount of data made available to users while protecting the confidentiality of respondents, was applied to the totals of the Monthly Passenger Bus and Urban Transit Survey.
Using RTA, Statistics Canada identifies sensitive data and randomly adjusts values rather than suppressing them. The size of the adjustment is calculated to protect respondent confidentiality.
For more information on RTA, please refer to the article "Random Tabular Adjustment is here!," now available as part of the StatCan Blog.
The Transportation Data and Information Hub, a web portal developed jointly by Statistics Canada and Transport Canada, provides Canadians with online access to comprehensive statistics and measures on the country's transportation sector.
Contact information
For more information, or to enquire about the concepts, methods or data quality of this release, contact us (toll-free 1-800-263-1136; 514-283-8300; infostats@statcan.gc.ca) or Media Relations (statcan.mediahotline-ligneinfomedias.statcan@statcan.gc.ca).
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