Toronto facing longest commute times in Ontario: report

Drivers in Ontario are facing longer commute times, especially in Toronto, according to a University of Waterloo study conducted for the Ontario Trillium Foundation.

The How are Ontarians Really Doing? report, to be released on Tuesday, is the first one in Ontario that evaluates the quality of life factors in the Canadian Index of Wellbeing (CIW).

Details of the report, which were published in the Toronto Star, found Torontonians deal with the longest commute times in the province — 65.6 minutes each way to work, compared with 63.6 minutes in Oshawa and 59.2 in Barrie.

The average commute time in Ontario is 47 minutes, faster than the low-sixty averages in Montreal and Vancouver.

Overall, the study found Ontarians’ commute times have increased on average 12 per cent from 1994 to 2010.

Motorists are spending 6.4 minutes more getting to and from work every day. That adds up to 27 hours in a year.

Some commuters in the Greater Toronto Area told 680News they’ve noticed that their commute is getting longer every year.

“It started off that going to Ajax was about an hour on a Friday in the summer time. If you’re talking a long weekend, you’re talking an hour and 45 [minutes], and now it’s getting up to about two hours, maybe more,” said Matthew, who drives in from Durham Region.

He said the commute is taking away time spent with his family.

The CIW evaluates the country’s health and lifestyle using measures such as education, environment, community vitality, culture, and use of time, among others.

The release of the study comes as drivers deal with lane restrictions on the Gardiner Expressway due to long-term construction projects.

Toronto police Const. Clint Stibbe with Traffic Services said that police dealt with 13 collisions between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m. on Monday. The collisions occurred inside and outside the construction zone.

With files from Carl Hanstke, 680News

What’s your commute like? Below are some of your comments: