Which workers use active forms of transportation in their commutes?

Commuting to and from work using active forms of transportation (like walking or biking) is associated with many health benefits that come with increasing physical activity. Exploring commuting patterns among across different occupations may help inform targeted interventions and workplace policies that can improve the capacity of workplaces to support workers’ decision to commute actively.

This study examined whether occupation types and sex were linked to the likelihood of using active forms of commuting. To do this, the researchers used data from the Canadian Census of Population for 2006, 2011 and 2016. The census collects information on respondents’ demographic characteristics, occupation as well as most common mode of transportation for getting to and from work.

The researchers included census data from working adults (aged 18 years or older) with a fixed work address and who did not work from home. They used this data to estimate workers’ odds of cycling, walking and using public transit, compared to driving (using a car, truck, van, motorcycle, scooter or moped) by occupation and sex. They also estimated changes in these patterns over time from 2006, 2011, and 2016.

In 2016, driving was the most common form of commuting, followed by using public transit, walking and cycling. A greater proportion of men than women drove (81.0 per cent versus 77.2 per cent) and biked (2.0 per cent versus 1.1 per cent) to work. A greater proportion of women than men walked (6.4 per cent versus 5.2 per cent) and used public transit (15.3 per cent versus 11.8 per cent) in their commute.

Workers in art, culture, recreation, and sport were three times as likely (and the most likely) to bike to work than those in other occupations; they were also more likely to take public transit and walk to work. Those in trades, transportation, natural resources, and manufacturing were the least likely to use these forms; they were half as likely to bike and a third as likely walk to work as those in other occupations.

Differences in commuting choices were also found between men and women in the same occupations. For example, women in natural and applied sciences and related occupations were over three times as likely to bike to work than to drive, while men in these occupations were only twice as likely to do so.

From 2006 to 2016, the proportion of workers driving to work declined by one per cent. The proportion of workers walking to work declined by eight per cent. In contrast, the number of workers cycling to work and taking public transit increased by 14 per cent and 12 per cent, respectively. Differences in the magnitude of these changes were seen among men and women over time, but the upward or downward trends were the same. Trends over time also differed by occupation. For example, driving declined the most among workers in natural and applied sciences and related occupations, but increased among workers in trades, transportation, natural resources, and manufacturing occupations.

This study found that sex and occupation are linked to active commuting patterns among Canadian workers. These findings may help inform future research to understand whether workplace policies, supports or environments experienced by workers in some occupations support active commuting.

Though not within the scope of this study, characteristics of varying occupations and workplaces—like physical demands, schedule flexibility, access to showers and changerooms, and social and gender norms—may create opportunities for or barriers to active forms of commuting. Examining the factors common to the occupations with the highest rates of active commuting may help to inform workplace policies and targeted interventions.

Strengths of the study include the use of Canadian census data, which provides a large, representative sample. The study also separates walking and cycling as distinct forms of active commuting and examines sex differences and trends over time in active commuting.

A limitation is the grouping of occupations into broad categories, as factors that influence active commuting may vary between occupations within the same broad group. Also, since the census only asked for the most commonly used mode of commuting, the researchers were unable to investigate workers using multiple modes of transportation.