The number of San Diegans who drive to work has not changed in the past year and has only dipped slightly since 2005, according to census data released last week.
In 2014, 83.1 percent of San Diegans commuted to work by car. In 2013, 83.7 percent of San Diegans commuted by car. The two percentages are equivalent within the margin of error of 1 percent.
They reflect only a slight dip since 2005, when 88.3 percent of San Diegans commuted to work by car.
San Diego's Climate Action Plan, which will be considered by the city council this fall, calls for that number to drop to 50 percent by 2035.
Nicole Capretz leads the environmental nonprofit Climate Action Campaign, which advocates for the city's climate plan. She said the 50 percent driving goal is "doable if we make a commitment to make it doable."
"There's this magic elixir where we're going to need the necessary leadership, we're going to need the necessary commitment and investment of resources into the right infrastructure," she said. "So people feel safe riding their bike to work or walking to work or taking public transit."
The census data showed 1.3 percent of San Diego residents biked to work, 2.9 percent walked and 3.7 percent took public transportation in 2014. The climate plan calls for 18 percent to commute by bike, 7 percent to walk and 25 percent to commute by public transit by 2035.
Those goals only apply to people who live within a half mile of existing or planned transit stops, which is estimated to be about 60 percent of San Diego residents.
The census data also showed the number of people working in San Diego increased by about 116,000 between 2005 and 2014, which also means more cars on the road.
The majority of younger workers are also commuting by car, according to the data. In 2014, 49 percent of San Diego residents ages 16 to 19 who work drove to work alone, 12 percent carpooled, 5.5 percent took public transportation, 12 percent walked and 5 percent took a motorcycle or bike.
That same year, 66 percent of San Diego residents ages 20 to 24 who work drove to work alone, 10 percent carpooled, 2 percent took public transportation, 8 percent walked and 3 percent took a motorcycle or bike.
In 2005, 59 percent of of San Diego residents ages 16 to 19 who work drove to work alone and 76 percent of 20- to 24-year-olds who work drove to work alone.
