FOR North Shore commuters getting to and from work, driving their own vehicle remains their first choice over public transit.
The National Household Survey 2011, released this past week by Statistics Canada, shows that approximately 70 per cent of the population of Vancouver commutes to work by car, truck or van.
North Shore drivers show a similar trend, with about 70 per cent of District of North Vancouver commuters not taking public transit. Just over half of total commuters in the District of West Vancouver and City of North Vancouver opt to take their own vehicle. City of North Vancouver residents are more likely to use public transit than people from other areas of the North Shore, but they still only account for 20 per cent of commuters.
Lawrence Frank, a professor in the school of community and regional planning at the University of British Columbia, said the trends favouring vehicle use over public transit on the
North Shore is nothing new.
"That's always been the case," said Frank, noting the lack of a rail system to outlying areas could be one of the reasons why more people do not take transit.
Most residents on the North Shore travelling to work in outlying areas average anywhere from 30 to 40 minutes in commute time. Two of the highest ranked travel times were from the District of North Vancouver to Bowen Island at just under an hour and from the District of West Vancouver to Surrey at just over 50 minutes.
Residents commuting from outlying areas to work on the North Shore - where high real estate prices often keep people from living close to their jobs - also log long commutes. Pitt Meadows residents commuting to the North Vancouver log some of the longest commutes at more than an hour, according to Statistics Canada. Commuters from Greater Vancouver heading to West Vancouver have a shorter drive, clocking in at just over 23 minutes.
For Sharleen Karamanin of Maple Ridge, who works at North Vancouver city hall, taking public transit is not an option.
"Transit would take two hours," said Karamanin. She said driving takes half the time.
"I find it very busy," she said. "I'm a lifelong commuter." Gloria Iglesias of New Westminister also commutes to the North Shore. She said her commute takes about 35 to 40 minutes, but going home it can take longer.
"Going home is horrible," said Iglesias. "It can take about an hour to an hour and a half."
Iglesias said transit is also not an option for her, as it would take her two hours to get to work.
The North Shore does "not have good transit options" being locked in by two bridges, according to Frank.
"It has good bus service. The SeaBus does a really good job of getting people to the North Shore," he said. "It's just not workable for everyone."
Frank said the transit system has "got to be time competitive" in order to get more commuters out of their cars. He said one option could be a high occupancy lane for the Second Narrows Bridge.
"Preferential treatment for transit, for buses," said Frank, or a "dedicated right of way on that bridge." He adds that as congestion continues to worsen, a designated lane could lead to shorter commute times.
