Toronto, Vancouver and Montreal top the 2019 list of best Canadian cities for public transit, according to Redfin’s newest Transit Score® rankings. Transit Score, a tool by Redfin company Walk Score®, rates locations based on how convenient they are to public transportation.
This is Redfin’s first year ranking transit in Canadian cities. Looking at big cities with populations of over 300,000, Toronto, Vancouver and Montreal took the three top spots with Transit Score ratings of 78, 74, and 67, respectively. Transit Score is calculated based on indicators showing that local public transit is both convenient, and runs frequently.
“Toronto is highly populated and growing all the time. The influx of people from all over the world to Toronto puts a strain on all aspects of transportation in regards to road infrastructure and traffic in and out of the city, which is nothing less than gridlock,” said Blair Anderson, broker of record and market manager for Redfin in Toronto.
“Significant growth requires major transit infrastructure, and the city has recognized that and is investing in transit. The Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) operates in the city, and plans to expand the light rail and subway service. GO train, our commuter rail system, is also undergoing a significant expansion, to make it even more accessible to those living farther out,” he said. “Some people moan and complain about public transit, but Toronto’s system is one of the better transit systems in the world. It’s highly ranked, runs well on a timely basis, and doesn’t have many problems. And without it, the city would shut down.”
With a score of 78, Toronto’s Transit Score holds an edge over several large U.S. cities. It ranks higher than Boston’s 72 rating, and falls just shy of San Francisco’s score of 80, earning a comparable place among the largest cities in North America. Vancouver too ranks above the likes of Boston, as well as Washington, D.C. (71). Montreal meanwhile, finds a partner in Philadelphia, with both cities earning a score of 67.
Read on for the full ranking of the top 15 large cities (with populations of more than 300,000) in Canada for public transit in 2019.
| Rank | City | Transit Score |
| 1 | Toronto | 78 |
| 2 | Vancouver | 74 |
| 3 | Montréal | 67 |
| 4 | Mississauga | 56 |
| 5 | Brampton | 53 |
| 6 | Winnipeg | 51 |
| 7 | Calgary | 50 |
| 8 | Ottawa | 50 |
| 9 | Edmonton | 49 |
| 10 | Markham | 49 |
| 11 | Québec | 47 |
| 12 | Surrey | 47 |
| 13 | Laval | 46 |
| 14 | Hamilton | 45 |
| 15 | London | 45 |
Want to know how we determine Transit Score? Here’s more information on our methodology:
The Transit Score algorithm calculates a score by summing the relative usefulness of public transit (bus, subway, light rail, ferry, etc.) routes near a given location. Usefulness is defined as the distance to the nearest stop on the route, the frequency of the route, and type of route (with twice as much weight given to heavy/light rail than to bus service). Transit Score is based on data published in General Transit Feed Specification (GTFS) format by transit agencies across the country. For a more details on the Transit Score methodology, click here.
To see how your home, neighborhood or city stacks up, search walkscore.com or Redfin.ca.
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