From this StatsCan study about average commute time for Canadians, we’re told that “Torontonians spent the longest time in transit in 2005, spending an average of 79 minutes per round trip.” This is hardly a surprise. There’s also a misleading statement about public transit:
The study also revealed that despite the widespread problem of traffic congestion, it is much faster to travel by car than by public transportation. On average, Canadians in cars spent between 51 and 59 minutes on the road, while public transit users endured average travel time of 94 to 106 minutes.
It seems like they’re comparing apples to oranges here. Shouldn’t they also have included the average distance car drivers live from work vs. public transit? I mean, if the average transit user lives twice as far away from work as the average car driver, then their commute time would actually be better, no? I’m not saying that’s the case; I’m just saying this article makes a misleading statement. Maybe the StatsCan report clears it up…if only I had the time to read it…
.:.
In what might be the dumbest comparison of the last…I don’t know, EVER, the reverend presiding over Ken Lay’s funeral likened him to both Martin Luther King and Jesus Christ.
[tags]statscan, commute, transit, ken lay[/tags]
Skirl | Dan Dickinson 
On the driving times: lies, damn lies, and statistics, right?
Grrr – I hate those apples to oranges comparisons! If I spend 90 minutes a day on transit, but I spend 60 of those minutes reading a book, newspaper or email, I would just count that as 30 “wasted” commuter minutes. And don’t tell me you are doing those things while you’re driving the car, or I’ll smack you!
TimmyD: it’s not even the use of statistics that bugs me…it’s the innaccurate use of statistics. But, I guess, that’s the most common kind.
CB: the CEO of Enron gets compared to Martin Luther King (and, oh yeah, Jesus) and the commuting story is what outrages you? 😉
What do you expect when you have underfunded public transportation systems in Canada?
If the amount of money spent on builiding and maintaining roads was also spent on public transportation it would be whole different story.
Personally when it comes to public transportation in Canada I believe we are far behind Europe and Asia and falling fast.
Even the US, which on average does have poorer quality public transportation systems, is pouring billions of dollars into improving their systems.
In Canada all we do is talk and complain.