City of Brisbane

Resident workers - Method of travel to work - All industries

Within the City of Brisbane, there is a higher proportion of resident All industries workers using public transport to get to work than the Queensland workforce.

Maximising access to employment is a key objective in any economic development strategy. Understanding the modes of transport the City of Brisbane's local resident workers use (either within or outside the local area), informs decision-makers about the effectiveness of transport modes, routes and availability of local public transport.

There are a number of reasons why people use different Modes of Transport to get to work including:

  • The availability of affordable and effective public transport options between place of residence and place of work;
  • The number of motor vehicles available within a household; and
  • The travel distance to work, which for example, can allow people to walk or bicycle to their place of employment.

Method of Travel to Work data should be viewed in conjunction with resident place of work for a clearer picture of where working residents are employed.

Data source

Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) – Census 2016 & 2021 – by place of work

Current area:
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Current benchmark:
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Resident workers method of travel to work
City of Brisbane20212016Change
Main method of travelNumber%. Queensland%Number%. Queensland%2016 - 2021
Car, as driver320,95948.560.0317,38755.664.1+3,572
Car, as passenger24,6753.74.527,1754.85.3-2,500
Train24,5793.71.839,2576.93.2-14,678
Bus30,6484.62.048,2448.53.6-17,596
Ferry1,7560.30.22,2170.40.1-461
Tram890.00.1920.00.1-3
Truck2,4180.40.82,6860.50.9-268
Motorbike/Motor scooter5,0920.80.75,9601.00.9-868
Bicycle7,7371.20.710,2471.81.0-2,510
Taxi/Other3,1740.50.31,3890.20.2+1,785
Other - multiple methods3,5350.50.67,6381.31.5-4,103
Walked only21,0723.22.623,5764.13.3-2,504
Worked at home141,94621.414.127,2134.85.3+114,733
Did not go to work72,34510.911.153,7679.49.7+18,578
Not stated2,2820.30.53,6060.60.9-1,324
Total 662,307100.0100.0570,454100.0100.0+91,853

Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics, Census of Population and Housing 2016 and 2021. Compiled and presented by .id (informed decisions)

Please refer to specific data notes for more information
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Dominant groups

In 2021, there were 55,316 resident workers who caught public transport to work (train, bus, tram or ferry) in the City of Brisbane, compared with 353,144 who drove in private vehicles (car – as driver, car – as passenger, motorbike, or truck).

Analysis of the method of travel to work of the resident workers in the City of Brisbane shows that 8.4% used public transport, while 53.3% used a private vehicle, compared with 3.9% and 66.0% respectively in Queensland.

The major differences between the method of travel to work of the resident workers in the City of Brisbane and the Queensland workforce were:

  • A smaller percentage of resident workers who travelled by car, as driver (48.5% compared to 60.0%)
  • A larger percentage of resident workers who worked at home (21.4% compared to 14.1%)
  • A larger percentage of resident workers who travelled by bus (4.6% compared to 2.0%)
  • A larger percentage of resident workers who travelled by train (3.7% compared to 1.8%)

Emerging groups

The largest changes in the method of travel to work of the resident workers in the City of Brisbane between 2016 and 2021 were:

  • Worked at home (+114,733 resident workers)
  • Did not go to work (+18,578 resident workers)
  • Bus (-17,596 resident workers)
  • Train (-14,678 resident workers)

City of Brisbane

economic profile