More people are starting to take public transit again.

Workers are returning to their places of employment, COVID-19 restrictions have been lifted, gasoline costs more, and so ridership has increased.

Statistics Canada reported Thursday (August 18) that urban transit ridership “recovered almost two-thirds (63.6%) of pre-pandemic levels for the first month since the pandemic began”.

It can be recalled that the lockdowns started in March 2020.

Statistics Canada noted that ridership across the country reached over 96 million passenger trips in June 2022.

Passenger trip is basically a one way trip.

The June ridership represents an increase of more than 40 million from June 2021.

To be exact, there were 96.6 million passenger trips made on Canada's urban transit networks last June, or 41.3 million more rides than in June 2021.

“This was the highest monthly total of passenger trips since March 2020 and the 15th consecutive month of year-over-year growth,” Statistics Canada reported.

The federal agency noted that more workers are “returning, full time or hybrid, to the workplace”.

“As pandemic restrictions were lifted, on-site work coupled with high gas prices had more Canadians opting for public transit,” Statistics Canada stated.

However, passenger volumes continue to lag pre-pandemic levels.

There were 55.2 million fewer riders in June 2022 compared with the same month in 2019.