Some additional results of the 2011 census were released last week, and among the information that came out were statistics on how people get to work.
In Metro Vancouver, people heading to work spend an average of 28.4 minutes getting to work — the fourth-longest commute in Canada.
Public transit use in Metro Vancouver was at 19.7 per cent, up from 16.5 per cent in 2006. When one looks at the information more closely, it appears those who use transit spend considerably more time getting to and from work. This is likely a factor that limits growth in transit use.
The average commute to work via car is 26.4 minutes, while the average commute by transit was 40.9 minutes.
The average commute time for Langley Township residents was 29 minutes — which is close to the Metro Vancouver average. The transit use in Langley Township is much lower that the Metro Vancouver average — just 3.5 per cent
I was unable to find the figures for Langl;ey City, but it is likely the percentage of transit use is quite a bit higher. There is relatively good transit service in Langley City. Earlier studies also showed that a significant number of people here walked to work.
The difficulty in accessing and using transit here is one reason that Langley residents are very skeptical about any plans for new taxes to fund TransLink. They feel they already pay a significant amount towards a service that few of them can realistically use.
There has been one major improvement in transit here since last December — the Carvolth park and ride lot and 555 bus which goes across the Port Mann Bridge directly to the Braid SkyTrain station.
I have yet to use this service, but a family member used it last week, and found that it was quite easy to get to a job in downtown Vancouver using that bus – about an hour’s travelling time.
If this service expands, and if it becomes possible to get to other areas of the Lower Mainland quickly, transit use will rise in Langley Township, and likely go up in the City as well.
There is no question that higher densities are needed to make adding new transit routes worthwhile. But it can be argued that the City, and to a lesser degree the Township, is doing just that.
Densities in the City have increased and more higher-density projects are in the works. The 502 bus., the main route in and out of Langley City, often has a good number of commuters aboard in the morning rush hour — before it ever leaves Langley.
In the Township, there are higher densities in Willoughby, although there is no transit service yet along 208 Street yet, even though densities along that corridor have gone up dramatically.
If Langley residents will be asked to pay more taxes to TransLink, transit service needs to improve dramatically.
