Perhaps it鈥檚 our mild weather. Perhaps it鈥檚 our passion for fitness. Perhaps it鈥檚 our environmental awareness. Whatever the reason, Victoria residents lead the country in walking and cycling to work.
In the latest Statistics sa国际传媒 release of data from the National Household Survey, the agency looked at how people commute.
It found that Victorians are striding away from the pack, with 10 per cent reporting that they walk to work. That鈥檚 well ahead of Kingston and Halifax, which came second with 8.5 per cent.
Weather can鈥檛 be the only answer, however, because last place is held by Abbotsford, with 2.5 per cent walkers.
Not surprisingly, Victoria also led the country with 5.9 per cent of commuters using bicycles. That鈥檚 more than twice the proportion of second-place Kelowna, where 2.6 per cent of residents head out on two wheels. St. John and St. John鈥檚 brought up the rear, with only 0.2 per cent cycling.
Of course, the car is still king across sa国际传媒, with four out of five people getting to work by car as either a driver or passenger. In Victoria, that figure sits at 70.7 per cent, one of the lowest in the country.
When it comes to public transit, the capital region is closer to the middle, with 11.1 per cent usage, compared to 23.3 per cent in top-ranked Toronto.
Regardless of the reasons for walking and cycling, 16 per cent of Victoria commuters are getting to work under their own power. And that will pay off for them and the rest of us.
