How to better your commute

Nothing drains the soul like a long commute. In the summer, you have to watch a beautiful day roll past you from your seat, while in the winter you get to do the whole thing in darkness. Fortunately, you have more power to improve your travel than you think. New census data have some surprisingly useful information you can use to improve your commute.

MAKE YOUR VOICE HEARD ON PUBLIC TRANSIT.

Use statistics from the latest census on commute times for your area along with demographics and popular modes of transportation to advocate for positive change in your community. For example, census insights can be used to show the need for a new bus route or more biking lanes in your town or city.

DO YOUR RESEARCH.

There are plenty of popular online tools and mobile apps that can help you navigate through traffic quickly and easily, rerouting you in real time using your current location to get you where you need to go faster. You can also go old school and listen to the traffic report on the radio before you leave and during the drive.

COMPARE COMMUTE TIMES.

Want to know at what time people in your area leave home for work? Census data can tell you when the people in your town or city head out the door, so you can avoid traffic swarms by planning your own commute either before or after the rush.

FIND A NEIGHBOURHOOD WITH LIKE-MINDED PEOPLE.

For many of us, the ideal commute is less about time and more about method of transportation—preferring biking, walking or taking public transit to work instead of sitting behind the wheel. The census can tell you how most people in a town or city get to work, revealing more nuanced details about the priorities and strengths of a certain area.

Find more information at www.statcan.gc.ca/census.