According to Statistics Canada, there were 47.4 million transit rides taken in the Prairies, British Columbia and the Territories in February of 2020. That number slipped to 29.7 million in March, and then cratered to 8.1 million in April. Numbers rose to 9.3 million in May and 13.7 million in June. But, scarier still, transit rides in the West generated $92.6 million in revenue in February alone. April, May and June together generated just $67 million, or less than three-quarters of a decent pre-COVID month.
So, if we’re not taking the bus or the LRT, how are we getting around? Last month, in this space, we discussed the huge surge in bicycle sales across Edmonton —long waiting lists for both service and orders.
But vehicle sales have rebounded as well. According to StatsCan, after a dip in the early spring, 15,294 motor vehicles were sold in Alberta in June. Compare that to 15,487 in February, before COVID-19 had us stuffing money in our mattresses.
Of those 15,294 vehicles sold in June 2020, 13,193 were trucks. No word on how many stickers of Calvin peeing on a competitor’s truck logo were sold, though. StatsCan doesn’t track those.
