Lower Mainland commutes getting longer: StatCan

You’re absolutely right if you think there are more cars on the road as you make another commute to work.

Statistics Canada says the numbers are up, as is the length of time you’re spending on the road. Overall, more people are commuting and the commute is getting longer, across Canada.

Here in B.C., the time you spend on the road and the number of people you’re sharing it with are growing but there’s an explanation.

StatCan says the big difference is fewer people are working from home since the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The average commute time in B.C. is a little more than 26 minutes. However, in Metro Vancouver, it’s more like a half hour.

But those in the Abbotsford and Mission regions are among the unlucky ones.

It has among the highest percentage of those who drive more than an hour to get to work — almost 15 per cent.

When it comes to how we’re commuting, StatCan says about 70 per cent of drivers are in their own vehicles, and the overwhelming majority are alone.

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