New data from Statistics Canada confirms that Winnipeg is leading the country in the return to regular commuting, with the highest proportion of workers commuting to a job site among Canada’s largest cities, and steadily rising use of transit, walking, and cycling.
As of May 2025:
- 89.5% of Winnipeg workers commuted to a physical workplace, the highest share among Canada’s 15 largest census metropolitan areas.
- 11.4% of Winnipeg commuters used public transit, up from 9.4% in 2024 and 8.5% in 2021.
- 6.0% walked or biked to work, the highest level since before the pandemic.
- Winnipeg’s average commute time was 23.4 minutes, more than three minutes shorter than the national average of 26.7 minutes – one of the shortest commute times in the country.
- The increase in commute time since 2021 was just +1.1 minutes – the second-smallest increase among major Canadian cities.
These trends reflect the City of Winnipeg’s sustained focus on improving mobility through record-high road renewal budgets, record-high transit funding, and a record-high investment plan for active transportation infrastructure. The recent launch of the new Primary Transit Network, which prioritizes fast, frequent service on key corridors, is expected to grow ridership even further in the years ahead.
“These numbers show that Winnipeg is getting back to work and doing it faster than most other cities across the country,” said Councillor Janice Lukes, Chair of the Standing Policy Committee on Public Works. “We’re seeing real momentum in public transit and active transportation, and we’re making historic investments in our roads too. With the new transit network now in place and more improvements coming across all modes, we’re building a more connected city that works better for everyone.”
Statistics Canada data - https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/daily-quotidien/250826/dq250826a-eng.htm