Vancouver Transportation Survey

The annual Vancouver Transportation Survey (VTS) is conducted to better understand your travel behaviour and preferences.

The survey findings help us make better decisions about transportation investments in the city.

What's happeningHelp shape infrastructure investment decisions

RA Malatest & Associates, a market research firm, has been hired to invite past and new participants to complete the annual survey.

The data collected includes metrics such as, but not limited to:

Mode share (for example getting to work or school by driving, taking transit, cycling, walking, or other)
Use of car share (for example Evo or Modo)
Number of trips (for example you had 4 trips in a day if you went to work, to the grocery store, to a restaurant, and then back home)
Vehicle kilometres travelled (VKT)
Frequency of working from home

How does it work?

If you choose to participate, you will be enrolled in the survey by answering a few questions about your current travel behaviour and mobility preferences. You will then complete a 1-day trip diary, recording your travel for a single assigned day using an online form.

Returning participants will receive invitations by email. New participants will be randomly selected by household and sent a letter in the mail. Detailed information about the methodology of the sampling approach and analysis techniques are provided in the technical report.

All participants, 18 years and older, who complete the survey are invited to enter a prize draw with 1-in-30 chance to win one of 110 prizes ranging from $25 to $100.

Key findings from the 2022 to 2023 transportation survey

Walk, bike, and transit mode share

Residents with a car share membership

Compared to 2021, annual vehicle trips decreased by

Compared to 2014, VKT per capita decreased by

Residents who work from home at least twice per week

Review the 2023 to 2024 VTS summary report (6.6 MB)

RA Malatest & Associates Ltd.

Malatest is a full-service research organization with extensive experience in conducting insightful transportation surveys across Canada.

Learn more about Malatest

The next iteration of the VTS summary report is expected to be available in the fourth quarter of 2025.

Additional survey information
Is the survey mandatory?

Participation in the survey is voluntary. Only a limited number of households are invited to join the study and the few minutes you take to participate will have a big impact.

What questions are asked?

Survey participants are asked about their household, demographics, transportation-related attributes, as well as specific trip-level information.

What will be done with the data collected from this survey?

The information gathered by the survey will help us better understand residents’ current travel patterns, transportation choices, and trip purposes. Your survey data will remain confidential and will only be analyzed when combined with the information of other participants.

Your input will help to:
- Track the travel mode share and number of trips for the nine transportation zones within Vancouver
- Assess the average annual vehicle-kilometres travelled (VKT) by residents
- Determine factors that have contributed to changes in travel behaviour and travel patterns
Who will be surveyed?

Eligible survey participants are residents who are
- 18 years of age or older
- Living at addresses that have been randomly selected
Residents are those who have a home address within Vancouver.

How long will the survey take?

The survey takes approximately 10 to 20 minutes to complete online, depending on your situation and your answers.

Should I participate even if I don't often leave the house?

Yes, residents who do not travel often are just as important as those who do. Your survey answers will help build a snapshot of the travel patterns of the population as a whole, including people who did not travel on the day for which travel information is being provided. Your participation will ensure that the survey reflects the make-up of the general population.

Can the survey be completed over the phone?

Yes. Survey completion instructions are provided within your letter of invitation.

Can the survey be completed online?

Yes. Survey completion instructions are provided within your letter of invitation.

How is my privacy protected?

Your privacy is important to us. The 2021 City of Vancouver Transportation Survey information is protected under the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act. When reporting survey results, survey data is combined with other responses in the area and cannot be traced back to an individual or household.

One of the goals of this annual survey is to understand and track changes in Vancouver residents' travel patterns over time. Participants who consent to being re-contacted will be invited to complete a short follow-up survey next year. If you consent to be contacted in next year’s follow-up survey, your contact information and linked survey responses will be retained by us until the next survey. Your survey responses will be stored securely and your contact information will only be used to contact you for the follow-up survey.

Transportation 2040 Plan

Our plan provides a vision for how people and goods move in and around Vancouver for the next 30 years.

Contact us

transportationdata@vancouver.ca