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The debate about the rapid growth of the Central Okanagan goes in hand with complaints about traffic and road congestion.
But new census data from StatsCanada released Wednesday suggests commute times in the region have stayed flat over the past five years, albeit with recent figures distorted by the pandemic.
The average commute time in Metro Kelowna—the region between Lake Country and Peachland—was 19.5 minutes in 2021, down slightly from 19.8 minutes in 2016.
The average commute time across B.C. was 24 minutes. In Metro Vancouver it was 27.3 minutes.
Residents, however, filled out their census forms in May 2021 when the pandemic was still impacting commutes. But it remains to be seen if those changes, like the increase in remote work, will become at least partially permanent.
The passenger vehicle remains the dominant form of transportation to work, with 86.6% commuting as either driver or passenger. In 2016, 86% of Metro Kelowna residents got to work this way.
Public transit commuters fell to just 3.2% of residents in 2021, down from 3.9% in 2016. The pandemic across the country devastated public transit ridership as people avoided crowded buses and trains, employment fell in sectors like restaurant and retail, while at-home offices boomed.
Metro Kelowna has the second-highest rate of bicycle commuters in Canada at two per cent—down from 2.7% in 2016— behind only Victoria, B.C. (5.3%) and ahead of Vancouver (1.9%).
Likely due to the increased density of the downtown core, more Kelowna residents are walking to work than ever at 5.4%, up from 4.6% in 2016.
Average commute times in the region in May 2021 varied by mode of transportation.
Single-occupant vehicles took 19.3 minutes to get to work while vehicles with a passenger (carpooling) took took 25.6 minutes.
Bus riders took on average 30 minutes to get to work while cyclists took 17.5 minutes and pedestrians took 11.7 minutes.
Census data also revealed 1,100 Vernon residents commute into the Central Okanagan for work daily. 580 travel from Penticton.
