Read time: 5 mins
Results of our latest national survey show that issues related to transportation are key concerns for Canadians in 2025, particularly issues related to driving. Indeed, close to three quarters say that the cost of fuel is a concern for them, followed closely by two thirds who feel that road conditions are an important issue.
Key Takeaways:
- A majority of Canadians are concerned with issues related to driving, including the cost of fuel, road conditions, traffic safety and congestion.
- Half of Canadians regularly travel alone by car, SUV or truck, with few carpooling or sharing rides with others. Only one in ten are primarily using public transportation, while an additional one in ten primarily use active transportation (walking or cycling).
- Despite lower use, half of Canadians are concerned about both the availability and reliability of public transit.
Transportation & Transit Concerns
Top Box Ratings (7-10): 1=Not concerned at all, 10=Extremely concerned
While roughly half the population feel that all other named transportation issues are a concern, it is important to consider that half of Canadians travel alone by car / SUV / truck as their primary mode of transportation, clearly influencing how acute concerns are related to various aspects of travel. Indeed, drivers are significantly more concerned about cost of fuel than transit users, who are significantly more concerned about the environment, accessibility, and public transit reliability and options over drivers.
Transportation Use on a Particular Day
Road conditions, traffic safety and traffic congestion are concerns shared with minimal gaps between groups. This suggests these are system-wide and infrastructure concerns rather than specific to the mode of transport. Interestingly, parking is also and equally shared frustration.
Across the population, just over one in ten typically use a combination of transportation methods, and fewer primarily use public transit, walk, carpool or cycle. However, findings show that Canadians are concerned about the well being of others, and that more residents could potentially be traveling by public transit if availability and reliability concerns were addressed. Indeed, while only 12% say they travel primarily by public transport, half of the population is concerned both with limited public transit options and the reliability of public transit.
Similarly, a large portion of the population (51%) are concerned with accessibility for people with disabilities or mobility challenges. Given that Statistics Canada estimates that a quarter of the population live with a disability, it is clear that accessibility of transportation is an area of concern not just for those with disabilities but for many others as well.
Results are generally consistent across the country and across all demographic parameters, though a few differences are worth noting, including that those in Atlantic Canada are less concerned with traffic congestion and commute times compared with the rest of the country. Those living in Quebec are more likely to be concerned with the environmental impacts of travel, and those in the prairie provinces are least likely to indicate this is a concern for them.
Across ages, younger Canadians are more likely to be regular users of public transportation, and are consequently less likely to be concerned with issues related to driving (such as the cost of fuel and road conditions). Similarly, those with lower household incomes are more likely to use active or public transportation, and less likely to drive alone as their primary mode of transit.
Results are from an online survey conducted in partnership between Narrative Research and the Logit Group. The survey was conducted between August 12th – 13th, 2025 with 1,231 Canadians, 18 years of age or older from the Logit Group’s online Canadian Omnibus. Data were weighted based on the 2021 Census, by gender, age, and region to reflect actual population distribution.
For more information, please contact:
Margaret Chapman, COO & Partner, Narrative Research – 902.493.3834, mchapman@narrativeresearch.ca or Sam Pisani, Managing Partner, Logit Group – 416.629.4116, sam.pisani@logitgroup.com.
Narrative Research is a non-partisan, 100% Canadian-owned research company, certified as a Women Business Enterprise (WBE). Narrative Research provides clients with state-of-the-art research and strategic consulting services.
The Logit Group is a leading North American data collection and market research execution company headquartered in Toronto, conducting large-scale projects for a variety of well-known research agencies and brands. Logit employs industry-best technologies.
