The table provides information relating to how people in seven Australian cities made use of public transportation to get to work from 1996 to 2006.
Overall, there was a decrease in the proportion of adults in Hobart and Canberra, while a reverse trend was seen in the remaining cities. Particularly, Sydney consistently had the highest percentages over the given timeframe.
In 1996, the figure for Sydney was responsible for the highest number, at 23%. Followed by Adelaide and Perth, with respective figures being 14% and 13%. Significantly, there was a substantial convergence between Brisbane and Canberra, at 12%. Similarly, the percentages of city dwellers in Hobart and Melbourne documented the same numbers, constituting a tiny fraction of 11%.
Ten years afterwards, the figures for Hobart and Canberra both dropped slightly to 9% and 8%, respectively, which translated to a decrease of 18% and 33%. In addition, only 12% of people in Melbourne chose to take public transportation when going to work, while 15% of residents in Perth preferred public transport to commute. Furthermore, the figures for Sydney and Adelaide rose moderately, equivalent to a 13% and 21% rise, in that order. A similar change, but to a greater extent, was witnessed in Brisbane, climbing from 12% to 16% throughout the period.