Urban public transit, November 2020
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Released: 2021-01-28
Urban transit stalls in November
Recovery in urban public transit slowed for the second month in a row, following steady gains during the summer. Ridership in November was 64.2% or 105.8 million rides below November 2019 levels. This was the eighth consecutive month of steep year-over-year decline, each less severe, signalling a slow recovery until an abrupt stop in October.
There were 59.0 million passenger trips on Canada's public transit systems in November, a 1.0% decline from October. While other provinces paused in November, total passenger trips fell by almost 3% in the West. This drop appears to have coincided with stricter COVID-related restrictions in response to an upsurge of the virus.
Bumpy financial road ahead
With fewer commuters, the decline in revenue is a challenge for transit agencies and local governments. Total operating revenues (excluding subsidies) were $134.7 million in November, down 62.5% from the same month in 2019. The situation remains bleak, with new stay-at-home restrictions in Ontario and Quebec as the second wave continues to crest.
Chart 1
Urban public transit operating revenue and passenger trips, monthly, 2017 to 2020
Note to readers
Data for the most recent quarter are subject to revision. 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 revenues in each province and territory. Users should note that the panel is adjusted annually to maintain the 75% coverage and could differ slightly from what it was in the same month a year earlier.
Caution should also be used when comparing values prior to January 2017 with more recent values, as the number of sampled companies changed significantly. Data prior to January 2017 can be found in table 23-10-0078-01.
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
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