#Survey finds 97% of Canadians see public transit as essential

Most Canadians view public transit as an essential service and support increased provincial funding in response to current financial difficulties, according to preliminary results from a McGill-led study.

The Canadian Mobility Survey is underway in 10 major cities. The researchers, in McGill’s School of Urban Planning, aim to evaluate the role public transit plays in urban Canadians’ daily travel and their ability to live a fulfilling life without using a car.

“Another key goal of the survey is to understand the levels of public support for increasing public transit funding to partially address current financial difficulties,” said Lancelot Rodrigue, a graduate research assistant co-leading the study. It is supervised by Professor Ahmed El-Geneidy, who is also group leader of Transportation Research at McGill (TRAM).

Preliminary results from more than 21,500 Canadians indicate that:

• 97% agree public transit is an essential service in their region.
• 62% of those traveling primarily by car support increasing public-transit funding to maintain and increase current levels of service, compared to 79% for other respondents.
• Most want increased funding for public transit to come from provincial governments (65%), while 32% prefer fare increases.
• Respondents who use a car for fewer than half of their weekly trips favor funding transit with car-related taxes (74%), but only 47% of car drivers support this option.

“The findings from this ongoing survey will be of use to policy-makers across Canada aiming to improve public-transit service and ensure its long-term financial viability,” said Hisham Negm, a graduate student co-leading the study with Rodrigue.

Final findings from the survey will be published in a report on the TRAM website in summer 2025 which will be communicated to public-transit agencies and policy-makers across Canada.