Map of the Week: How we commute, redux

PETER POWER/TORONTO STAR FILE PHOTO

Our online mapping capabilities have improved in many ways over the last year and a half, and I sometimes look at maps created early in the project and think about redoing them in a more sophisticated way.

One example is the map series I created last August showing commuting patterns in different parts of the GTA, using electoral boundaries to show 48 areas. Three maps showed motorists, transit users and cyclists-and-pedestrians. The maps have been popular every time they've been linked to.

With more advanced tools, I can now create a much better version of these maps broken down into 194 areas, with pedestrian commuters and cyclists on distinct maps. The data comes from the 2006 census.

StatsCan's other categories - commuters who are motor vehicle passengers, motorcycle riders, commuters by taxi or 'other' - do not have their own maps.

---

Map: Drivers

We see distinct tiers, with the highest driving rates on the rural outskirts of the 905, lower (but still high) in the built-up suburbs around Toronto, lower in the 416 and much lower in the downtown core.

Income does have some relationship to the map - a cluster of five neighbourhoods roughly centred on the Rosedale Golf Club have driving rates over 60%, high by Toronto standards, despite being bisected by the Yonge St. subway. M3B, which contains part of the Bridle Path, has the highest driving rate and the second-lowest transit use rate in the 416.

---

Map: Transit users

The transit map is roughly the inverse of the driving map, with the exception of the downtown core. The subway lines are shown for reference. Almost all the high-transit-use postal codes are on a subway line, with two out of three of the exceptions (South Riverdale and Parkdale) served by major streetcar lines.

High transit use stops abruptly at the boundaries of the 416. The 905's highest postal codes for transit use, L5A and L4X, are in Mississauga within reach of Kipling station. 

---

Map: Cyclists

Cycling rates are high in the bottom of the inverted T of the old City of Toronto, more or less, minus downtown itself. In the east end, the escarpment south of the Danforth seems to have defeated some potential commuter cyclists. Leslieville/western Beaches seems to have less than half the proportion of cyclists as Roncesvalles, which is about the same distance from downtown - why? Let us know in the comments.

---

Map: Pedestrians

The pedestrian map is almost exactly the missing centre of the cyclist map. In M5G, bounded by Queen/University/College/Yonge, a majority walk to work.

Comments

[moof]

There seems to be a higher percentage of people not included from the "driver" areas than the "walker" areas (the "commuters who are motor vehicle passengers, motorcycle riders, commute by taxi or 'other'" is 5% downtown and 12% on the fringes). Is there any chance you could map these as well? I suspect carpoolers would resemble the driver map, and taxi riders would resemble the pedestrians, but you never know.

Do any of the stats include the non-commuting workers? I'm curious what that distribution looks like.

As usual, great work, thanks.

[4 Never In Toronto]

Once again the politicians have NO idea of what there talking about.Toll roads congestion charges.Seriously how dumb do you have to be to sit in an electic chair representing the people who put you there the TAX them up the wazoo.
Your now forcing people to cut through side streets,school zones because of the politcial greed and stupitity. You want everyone to use public transit PROBLEM your puplic transit sucks. How about all of those in the political field leave your vehicle home for one year and see just how bad the system is.
Taking toronto's transit system autmatically adds one hour of comute to your already long work day.
Sorry!! long work day for the average working Canadian unlike you political pant-loads.
So I don't see the kids before I now have to leave in the morning & it now takes that much longer to get home at the end of the day. Sorry missed the family dinner, but that's OK the polititions are getting what they want and all those tax dollars.
TAX - TAX - TAX,Toronto the not so Great!!!!!!!!

[T man]

I am really frustrated with what they said a so called solution to this problem, if the transportation system can reach most of the 905 to 416 areas, then I think it can solve most of the problem, those politician only has TAX in mind without thinking of reconfigure and improving our transit system, I don't know where those money we paid every year goes, maybe it goes to their pocket instead of us. Increase TAX is not a solution, the city keep saying that there are way too expensive to build or extend the transit, U know how much they paid for those useless and time wasting research cost? they through lots of money for just talking and talking and imagine how good the system can be, come on show us what you can do, I've heard this B.S. for many years. If you want to win my vote, politician! please show me a better way from the north to south, rather than Don Volley only....

[m ohamed elmi]

there no way every body offord to pay this fare increase,where is the end of this increases.what is next sky is the limit.poor people no body cares
.thank you very much

[GTA Watch]

Yesterday, in Huttonville off Mississauga Road @ Queen Street Brampton GTA

http://www.topix.com/forum/ca/halton-hills-on-georgetown/TKKJ60HNIKGDJM3PJ

@ a Meeting set to discuss road issues the Public Knew more than the MTO hired consultants ???

http://www.topix.com/forum/ca/halton-hills-on-georgetown/THUTOJF6PUKC59MFR

[tomale]

Extending the rapid transit (subway) out Bloor/Dundas into Mississaugua and up Yonge to Newmarket would enhance commutes immensely.

[Jorge Martins]

I agree with T Man. When I used to liven in Toronto from 2001 til' 2009, I never saw a improve on the transit system. Promises, promises, bad equipment and an old transit system that would work 20 years ago, not for these days. As he said, the politicians only have tax hike in mind, they didn't do anything for users and us, all can we do is don't vote on them again! This is it !

[pstamour]

Of course all transit in Scarborough is a joke and a basic token effort.

As the money folks moved north out of the city they expect the subway to follow them.