North Shore Transportation Survey

North Shore Transportation Survey

The North Shore Transportation Survey (NSTS) provides valuable data to help us better understand the daily travel patterns and transportation preferences of North Shore residents. This survey is similar to TransLink’s Regional Trip Diary, but with a specific focus on the North Shore. Since 2019, we have partnered with the District of North Vancouver and District of West Vancouver to invite residents to participate in the survey. We conducted our last survey in 2023.


Key Findings from the 2023 Survey

A summary of highlights from the 2023 North Shore Transportation Survey is below. For more information, download the key findings and final survey report.

English text: Trip Frequency, North Shore residents made 3.1 trips/day. Top 3 Mode Share, 75% car, 14% walk, 9% transit. Trip Destination, 74% of trips made within the North Shore. Electric Mobility Ownership, 17% of house-holds own an e-bike. top 3 trip purposes, 22% shopping, 18% work commute, 17% pick up/drop off. Mode Share by Trip Purpose, 50% of school trips are on transit, 7% of commutes are made by bike, 90% of people walk to access transit.

bus icon Sustainable mode share increased. Total sustainable mode share (transit, walk, and bike) was 24.9% in 2023, a modest increase from 2021 (23.3%) and still less than 2019 (26.7%). Active mode share (walk and bike) was comparable in 2023 (16.2%) and 2019 (16.1%), while transit mode share remained lower at 8.8%.
pedestrian icon There is considerable potential to convert more auto trips to active modes. The survey asked residents about their trip distances and found that many trips made by car may be short enough to be taken by active modes (i.e. walking and cycling). 44% of auto driver trips are likely bikeable (less than 4.6km), and 14% are seen as walkable trips (less than 1.6km).
icon for fewer trips North Shore residents continue to make fewer trips than 2019. The average resident made 3.12 trips per day in 2023, in line with the 3.13 trips per day in 2021, but lower than the 3.66 trips per day in 2019. Work commute trips have increased since 2021, while fewer discretionary trips (shopping, restaurants, social) were observed from 2021 to 2023.
cyclist icon More people are adopting e-bikes and electric mobility. Ownership of e-bikes has increased significantly since the first NSTS, growing from 4,100 e-bikes in 2019 to 17,920 in 2023. It is estimated that approximately 15% of North Shore households possess at least one e-bike.
computer icon Recent telecommuting behaviours have persisted, with an increase in hybrid work schedules. The proportion of workers reporting that they telecommute or work from home at least some of the time has remained higher than 2019 (45%) but did decrease slightly in 2023 (55%) compared to 2021 (57%).

 

About the NSTS

Every two years in the fall, we invite a panel of North Shore residents aged 15 and over to participate in the NSTS using a random recruitment method that includes sending invitations in the mail and calling phone numbers.

Residents who choose to participate are registered in the survey by answering a few questions about their current travel behaviour and mobility preferences. Participants also share information about their previous day of travel, including where they went and how they got there.

This local approach provides a more frequent and in-depth insight into the travel patterns and behaviours of residents than the Regional Trip Diary administered by TransLink, and the Canadian Census Profile (Commuting), which respectively occur every four to five years. Transportation planning on the North Shore considers data from each of these data sources and relies heavily on the NSTS.


Questions?

Please contact staff at NSTS@cnv.org.

Share |