WATERLOO REGION — The first-ever Grand River Transit strike is stranding thousands, mostly students, people younger than 30, and commuters with the lowest-paying jobs, evidence shows.

Data collected by governments suggests the strike will not affect the vast majority of commuters, or people older than 30 who rarely ride the bus.

Fares, census findings and a key transportation survey provide a demographic profile of passengers. By extension this reveals people most affected by the work stoppage.

Ministry of Transportation research found that 26,000 residents rode the bus on a typical weekday in 2016. These passengers typically took about two daily trips by transit, boarding multiple times.

Among them were students paying discounted fares who accounted for half of bus passengers in 2016, fare data shows. This includes university, college and high school students.

Other passengers include 15,280 people who ride transit to their jobs, according to the 2016 national census. That's about six per cent of commuters in this region.

Commuters on Grand River Transit earn the lowest wages of anybody with a job, the census shows.

Their earnings are less than half the earnings of people who commute by car, and lower than the earnings of people who walk or cycle to their jobs.

Typically a bus commuter earns $17,900 a year, the census found. This compares to a commuter by car who earns $45,900 and someone who walks or cycles at $25,800.

Young people are far more likely to ride the bus. Government research in 2016 found that transit use in this region peaks between 20 and 24, and falls off dramatically after people turn 30.

That research found that local residents use transit for five per cent of weekday trips. More than half of all these transit trips are taken by people younger than 30.

People between 40 and 60 are least likely to ride Grand River Transit, choosing it for two per cent of their daily trips. People between 20 and 24 ride transit for 17 per cent of their daily trips.

jouthit@therecord.com

Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading...

Twitter: @OuthitRecord

- Transit strike leaves students scrambling