Public Transit Ridership Remains Far Below Pre-Pandemic Levels Despite High Gas Prices: StatCan

An Ottawa Light Rail Transit train travels along the tracks in Ottawa on June 22, 2022. Sean Kilpatrick/The Canadian Press

Canada’s public transit ridership remains far below pre-pandemic levels despite high gas prices of late, according to data released by Statistics Canada on Dec. 20.

In its “Urban Public Transit” report, Statistics Canada said ridership in October (117.3 million) was the highest since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“That said, there were 51.9 million fewer passenger trips in October 2022 compared with the same month in 2019,” said the federal agency, as first reported by Blacklock’s Reporter.

In October, the operating revenues, excluding government subsidies, totalled $276.1 million. “While this was the highest level recorded since March 2020, it was still below the level in October 2019,” said the statistical office. Transit revenues were 24.5 percent or $89.5 million lower than pre-pandemic levels.

The phenomenon happened despite “employment edging up and gasoline prices sharply increasing by 17.8 percent year over year in October.

‘Additional Infusion of Funds’

In a written submission for the pre-budget consultations in advance of Budget 2023, the Canadian Urban Transit Association (CUTA) told the Commons finance committee that more funds are required to support public transit.

“As public transit systems continue to trend toward pre-pandemic ridership levels, they still require an additional infusion of funds in 2023 to help mitigate revenue shortfalls,” CUTA said in its Oct. 7 submission.

The federal government had budgeted over $2.3 million in transit subsidies under a Safe Restart Agreement since the outbreak started.

Another $750 million was approved last February. “This one-time payment would help cities maintain service levels despite decreased ridership as a result of the pandemic,” the federal finance department said at the time.

CUTA wrote that without sufficient funding, “public transit agencies will have no choice but to reduce service and operations.”

Testifying before the Commons transport committee on Nov. 23, Marco D'Angelo, president and CEO of CUTA, requested the $750 million funding that supported transit operations be renewed in 2023.

“One of the possible solutions would be to renew the agreement announced on February 17 for next year, until the economy recovers and ridership gets back to normal,” he said.

“Our members cannot be forced to make service cuts. That will make a full economic recovery simply out of reach.”