CAR dependence is on the rise, even as more Canadians declare concern for the environment and live in urban areas with access to better public transit.
In 1992, 68 per cent of Canadians aged 18 and over drove everywhere, according to a new report from Statistics Canada. By 1998, that proportion was 70 per cent.
Canadians increasingly use cars, despite environmental concerns.
In 2005, the most recent year for which numbers are available, 74 per cent of Canadians were full-time drivers. Biking and walking rates, meanwhile, declined to 19 per cent in 2005 from 26 per cent in 1992.
It seems hypocritical, but Dale Marshall, climate change policy analyst for the David Suzuki Foundation, says many have no choice.
Canadian cities are sprawling almost unchecked, he says, and the search for affordable housing has pushed many people to the outskirts where a car may be the only realistic transportation option.
"The fact that more and more people are concerned about environmental issues and may be willing to take a look at other options isn't a guarantee that we'll get significant change," Marshall says. "They also need to have the choices available to them."
Indeed, the report found that residents of central urban neighbourhoods are less likely to drive than those living farther from the city centre or in small towns and rural areas.
Of Canada's largest cities, Edmonton and Calgary residents are the most car-dependent, with 77 and 75 per cent of them making all their trips by car. At 65 per cent, Montreal residents are least likely to get behind the wheel.
In Winnipeg, the number is 72 per cent.
There are a few signs of progress, Marshall says. Ontario recently drafted a strategy to encourage density and limit sprawl, he says, while Quebec and British Columbia have both unveiled ambitious transit strategies.
"There are increasing signs this is being taken seriously," he says, adding that if citizens don't have the option to leave their cars in the garage, they should lobby all levels of government to provide them with alternatives.
The Statistics Canada report -- based on data from the 2005 General Social Survey -- also uncovered some driver characteristics that have nothing to do with where people live.
Men are more likely to drive than women, with 81 per cent of them driving in a given day compared to 66 per cent of women. Baby boomers aged 45 to 54 are 2.5 times more likely to drive than young adults aged 18 to 24.
People with children aged five to 12 are 1.6 times more likely to drive than those without children, and more likely to run errands and make trips during the day regardless of how they travel.
-- Canwest News Service
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