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Coun. Shane Keating said the numbers indicate Calgary is “still an auto-centric city.”

“We have those who think building a whole city as transit and pedestrian friendly is the way to go, and I get that, but the point is you can’t do it everywhere, and people still need their cars,” Keating said.

Keating added commuting options such as transit, walking and cycling do help reduce congestion for those citizens who depend on a car to get to work.

“We can’t give up, and people will choose their cars unless we offer an option that is comfortable, easy and accessible,” he said.

Photo by Courtesy City of Calgary

Coun. Richard Pootmans said investments on bike lanes seem to be providing some positive results in terms of increased cycling numbers.

“I don’t think anybody believes that the car is going to be rendered obsolete anytime soon, but if we can have a better balance for people to choose from, I think that’s a very healthy thing for our city,” he said.

Pootmans said he’ll be looking for a longer term analysis of local cycling numbers, including the effect of milder weather, but added that if there’s a strong business case for expanding the cycling network, he’ll support it.

The latest transportation numbers are based on a survey of 387,026 households.

Photo by Courtesy City of Calgary

By the numbers:

How many people are driving alone to work: 67.3 per cent

(compared to 67.4 per cent in 2014, and 69.6 per cent in 2011)

How many people are walking to work: 4.93 per cent

(compared to 4.96 per cent in 2014 and 5.10 per cent in 2011)

How many people are taking transit: 16.43 per cent

(compared to 18.06 per cent in 2014 and 17.17 per cent in 2011)

How many people are carpooling to work: 6.12 per cent

(compared to 5.21 per cent in 2014 and 4.18 in 2011)

How many people are cycling to work: 1.76 per cent

(compared to 1.39 per cent in 2014 and 0.87 per cent in 2011)