I got up this morning and was browsing and found this article on the USA Today web site (I know, 'News for Kids'...). Any way, how far do you commute to work? How long does it take? How bad is your commute? How early are you out the door, and how does it impact the rest of your day?

While this specific article is about the US, feedback from anywhere in the world is appreciated.

As commutes begin earlier, new daily routines emerge

By Larry Copeland, Haya El Nasser and Paul Overberg, USA TODAY - 12 August 2007

SMYRNA, Ga. — Harold Shaw leaves his home in suburban Atlanta at 5:30 a.m. to drive the 34 miles to his job at a fiber-optics cable plant. He gets there early enough to eat breakfast and read the newspaper.

"The traffic is not as busy this time of day," Shaw, 60, says after whipping into a QuikTrip store Monday to use the ATM and get a drink. "It's not as stressful if you don't have to deal with a lot of congestion."

But Shaw's reliable pre-dawn commute forces sacrifices in his personal life. He used to turn in after catching the first few minutes of the 11 o'clock news. He'd walk or jog in the mornings. Now, he goes to bed at 9 p.m. and rolls out at 4:30 a.m. "If I leave home after 6 and there's an accident," he says, "I'm late for work."

Americans are leaving home earlier and earlier to beat the rush and get to work on time. Census data released today document the ever-lengthening commutes: In 2000, 1 worker in 9 was out the door by 6 a.m., the new data says; by 2006, it was 1 in 8. That might not seem like a big change, but it has put more than 2.7 million additional drivers — for a total of 15 million — on pre-dawn patrol.

This "commuting creep" is changing the lives of tens of millions of Americans. It affects everything from the breakfast-food industry to television viewership trends, from traffic-signal timing to newspaper delivery times, from carpooling patterns to personal fitness routines. Increasingly early commutes also are altering workers' relationships with their families.

"What we're seeing now is this tremendous amount of traffic even before 5 a.m. It seems there's a big lifestyle change here," says Alan Pisarski, author of a wide-ranging study on commuting in the USA

Read more... (http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/census/2007-09-12-commute-routine_N.htm)

20.2 Miles. I also leave early and eat breakfast at work. Otherwise I'm stuck behind school busses and wouldn't make it on time. Even leaving when I do, it is a half hour drive with no delays, but during the school year I run across the routes of no fewer than 10 school busses with pick-ups during that time frame.

Luckily I´ve always lived near to where I work... today it takes me about 5 min to work (3 kilometers)... my daughter´s school is also very close so I can leave work at 5PM and still pick her up from school everyday at 5:30 (she studies from 1pm to 5:30 - in Brazil you can choose if you want to study in the morning or afternoon)... and since I HAVE to get her at school, I don´t get bogged down with staying late because of work !:tg:

26 miles and 40 minutes through a national park. Very light traffic and nothing much to delay except sheep or cattle crossing sometimes. Shorter would be better but close to ideal with beautiful scenery.

10 to 30 miles is the range that most people commute daily over here. Less than 10 is considered near.

This job 7.2 miles each way. For 3 years I had a job that was only 1.1 miles each way. After that job I drove 77 miles each way for 2.5 years, it was worth it. Interesting topic, thanks for asking Marc.

Hey Marc:

Up until 1-1/2 yrs ago, I traveled 37mi door to door. It took between 45-50 mins. PennDot (PA Dept of Transportation) opened a "by-pass" around the town I was driving through, which shortened my drive time to about 40 mins. with no mileage change.

Now, I have a 3.5mi door to door commute and it takes about 10 mins. I find myself travelling the speed limit now - 25mph for 1/2 and 35mph for the other half. The old commute was 55mph limit for most of the trip, but like most commuters I tempted fate every morning by driving 65mph.

The old drive was rural and I never minded having the time to "wind up" in the morning and "wind down" in the evening - but now that my commute is 10min, I'm quite able to deal with the easier commute! It also allows me more family time - which is wonderful!! Plus, the new job's pretty great too! Lucky me :agree1:

-Steve

My commute is 22.6 miles each way, and very light traffic as it is mostly rural. I drive up and over the mountain, crossing a very scenic canyon along the way which is part of a natural preserve. Breathtakingly beautiful, especially in the fall with leaves changing colors. Definitely the most beautiful and scenic commute I've had in 20 years (when I lived in Mesa, AZ and had the Superstition Mtns either in front of me or in my rearview mirror most of the time!).

Like Steel, there are the daily school bus routes to watch out for, especially when I'm a little late in leaving for work. It takes about 20-30 minutes each way, depending on tractor-trailer traffic since this is a major route for most trucking companies....

About 20 miles round trip.

My drive is 62 miles one way, which can be pretty tedious some days.

Wayne

35.6 Miles each way, fortunately it's a reverse commute which means I usually get to see traffic standing still on the opposite side of the highway while I enjoy an often calm 40 minute highway drive. In a way it's almost nice, as the 40 minutes gives you some time to fully wake up, plan the day, or just relax.

About 50 miles each way. Takes about an hour.

15 miles (or 26 km) each way. It takes me about 30 minutes each way. Those of you up in my area of the world (Toronto) this is only when I use the 407 toll highway. If I don't use it, it is at least 50 minutes usually more.

I do wish I was closer. Was less than 3 km at a previous job - it was great! Took me 2 turns and less than 5 minutes to get in!

What is the longest commute you ever did? (Another question). I add this because I've done a lot of different jobs over my lifetime. Of course there were jobs like Motorola where I was commuting by airplane, but road wise I've done some shorties (Xetron-Westinghouse some years back was 2 miles) and some longies (Was living with my now 'ex' just north of Philly in Lansdale and commuted to Tamaqua, PA which, if I remember correctly, was about 60 miles one way (ICI Explosives was the company I was working for). Up the North-East Extension (http://www.phillyroads.com/roads/pa-turnpike_northeast/) (I-476), veer west by-passing Allentown, and hit old road up to Tamaqua (http://maps.google.com/maps?q=Tamaqua,+PA,+United+States+of+America&sa=X&oi=map&ct=title) in the mountains. The 'old road' (route 309) was just beautiful and I enjoyed that part of the drive even when it snowed. But the part on the North-East Extension was maddening.). I did that for a year.

I did a year back in 1991 and then again in 2002-3 to Sidney, OH which is about 75 miles one way (yup - every day). Sidney was relatively easy in the sense that it was all expressway with the only significant traffic being going through Dayton, OH.

I have been doing what the article talks about for years. I would negotiate to come in early - Like 6.30 or 7 am - And then leave early unless the day went into overtime.

2.2 miles one way, takes about 15 minutes winding through neighborhoods and hopefully missing the school buses.

This is my longest....20.2 one way, but I've been consistently in that range since 1990. 18-20 miles. Far enough away to let me leave work at work and get into my mommy mode on the drive home.

9 miles round trip.
Sure beats the 27 miles each way I was doing for my last job.

Currently travel 3.7 miles, approx. 5 min.,and go across a lake. Some beautiful sunrises over the lake sometimes.

Longest was only 17 miles when I worked in Indiana.
Shortest was 0.7 when I worked in Michigan

My current commute is about 24 miles and 30 to 35 minutes. The main drawback is it's over a fairly high mountain (for PA) and winter drives can be treacherous. It's also murder on brake life.

My longest commute was when I lived in New Hampshire and commuted to an office in Acton, MA - 75 miles 1 way. However, I was a field engineer for an industrial gas company with a company car and was usually in the office 1 or 2 days a week. Often catching it on Monday before driving off to a customer and or on Friday coming back from a customer. I did average over 50,000 miles a year for the company in the company car.

Shortest was when I lived in Marietta, Ohio. My commute to work was just under 5 miles and about 10 minutes.

Shortest was when I lived in Marietta, Ohio. My commute to work was just under 5 miles and about 10 minutes.

I worked in Marietta, Ohio from 1992 thru 1997. Was a QM at RJF, formerly BF Goodrich. Lived out side of town near Barlow.
When were you there Kevin?

Mine is 2.5 miles and I do it on a bike (the pedalling kind) Every morning I am normally out of the door around 8.40am - 10-15min cycle and I am in work before 9.00am. I am lucky!!! :D

NO traffic either, as I can ride through a military firing range. I say "through" I actually mean around the perimeter, so all in all it is a quick safe route into work. Plus some mornings, like this morning the range looks amazingly beautiful! Vast expanses heathered scrub backed by lush pine trees!

However back in my University days, I enrolled with the University of Luton and then could not live there in the end, so instead of quitting I actually communted a 140mile round trip everyday which was a combination of the M3, M25 and M1, which is not a nice route first thing in the morning or last thing on a Friday!!!!

50.5 miles 60 minutes in the monring and 75 minutes in the afternoon.

18 miles one way. It takes about 30 minutes in the summer and 40 when schools on. There's no major highway that goes from where I live to where I work. I drive mostly town side roads which is ok except when there's a good snowfall and all the plows are out on the main roads. :mg:

28 miles one way. I'm lucky having a straight shot to US 31 which takes me within 5 miles of work. Most of the way is light in the morning with the exception of US 31. Takes about 35 min. in the morning and 45 in the evening.

17 miles each way. Without traffic, it's 25 minutes door-to-door. Usually 30 minutes in the afternoon going home. Mostly (14 miles) insterstate - from a southern suburb to west side of Salt Lake City.

Longest has been 30 miles when we lived in the Kansas City area - about 40 minutes each way.

My new job has me currently commuting 65 miles each way. Takes about an hour - about 50 miles of interstate and the final 15 miles are nice county trunks. Makes me appreciate the weekends even more than I used to ;)

Currently 8 miles each way, about 20 Mins in morning, 35 Mins afternoon, some take the bike, 48 mins morning, 35 - 40 afternoon (sometimes quicker than the car) - more down hill on way home.

Shortest every - cross the road :D

10 miles for home base office. 2 days a week
Wilmington is 40 miles or so. maybe 1 day a week
Orange is 84 miles. 2 or 3 days a week

all are each way

Far enough away to let me leave work at work and get into my mommy mode on the drive home.

Round trip for me is under 20 miles. It takes about 20 minutes in the morning and about 30 minutes in the evening. IMO that's just the right amount of time to get out of and into Mommy mode.

How Far: Approximatly 30 miles
How Long: 30 minutes by train plus a 15 minute walk.
How Bad: Not too bad if the trains are on schedule. When I have to drive it really stinks.
Out the door at 6:45 AM. Does not really have much of an impact on my day.:cool:

I used to have a job with a similar distance except I had to drive everyday. It took at least 1 hour in the car for "good" traffic. I got stuck a few times with a 3 hour commute (one way).:mad:

Currently 5-6 miles each direction.
It takes me 15 to 30 minutes on the bike depending on the weather and route: summer/winter and road/cross country. By car it takes 10-15 minutes, and if I add the walk from the parking lot I really don't save any time at all by driving.

/Claes

I drive about 29 miles each way on curvy, hilly, deer infested roads and it takes 35 to 40 min.

It's 11.5 miles from my home to work. Last year I rode a bicycle every day. It took about 45 minutes. I drive now in about 15.

49.8 miles from my driveway to my usual parking spot. Takes just short of an hour even though 45.8 of those miles are highway/expressway miles (I drive 55 - and drive the truckers nuts). Fortunately we have flex hours, so I generally leave for work at 4:30 am, leaving for home at 2:30 pm. That way I'm not feeding black sheep in the dark. Getting mugged by 40 sheep at midnight was not my idea of fun.

Longest commute was 60 miles, shortest was 1 mile.

sheeplady

Right now (if I'm not going to a client's) it is about 30 miles and just about an hour (mostly dirt roads). Most of my clients are within 50 miles and a bit over an hour, but I did have one client where I had a daily commute of 150 miles (only lasted two weeks before the project was complete).

The longest was about 50 miles took about 1.5 to 2 hrs (normal variation).

The Company moved our entire department some years ago increasing my commute from 8 miles to 40 each way. Luckily I am driving the opposite way of most others as I live in the city and commute out of it. The view is sometimes nice when I get to the farm fields, but mostly I see fast food places and auto dealerships.

It takes ~50 min in the morning, and 1 hour 15 min in the afternoon. I've had plenty of time to listen to every CD I own, as well as some large audio books!

I feel a little silly driving so long... thinking about finding something in town. Maybe then I can take the bus!

Mines a short one nowadays. I cycle about 2 miles. Door to door in about 7 minutes.

My longest was a 10 mile - but 1 1/2 hour - commute into central London. Public transport was a drag so I dropped it and started cycling. The time dropped to 50 minutes and I got a darn sight fitter.

You may notice the time/speed differences there. Try keeping up full sprint for 10 miles - I'm not that fit!

I live 6 miles from work. It takes either 10 minutes or one hour to get here. 10 minutes if I come straight to work or one hour if I stop to swim or fish in the Gulf.

Doug

It is precisely 21.0 kms (12.6 mi) from my driveway to my parking stall driving my regular route therefore 42 kms (25.2 mi) per day. This is of course assuming this is the most direct route (which using google maps I believe it is) and assuming that traffic/lights/geese etc... are not an obstacle it takes 23 to 27 minutes. With regular traffic about 30-35 minutes. However, this being Winnipeg, the capital of summertime road construction :mad:, I have taken over an hour one way at times.:frust:

The fastest I've made it was 17 minutes by burning around the perimeter highway at 130 kms/hr (78 mi/hr) during the night shift at 3 am...although it's about a 37 km (24 mi) trek.

six miles each way. Ten minutes in the morning if I jump on the connector. 15 Minutes if I go thru the center of town.

In the afternoon its 20 minutes thru the center of town. Or, as I can't get back on the connect, my other option is 25 minutes, as I sit thru the series of lights by the shopping plaza, which has ruined our small little town. Prior to the plaza, it was ten mintues. So, 15 minutes sitting in traffic contributing to green house gases. gotta love it

Door-to-Door 36 miles but I do not drive I take the train. A 45-minute ride and then a 10-minute walk, not back, no traffic problems and a little exercise.

52 miles each way. Coming in takes a little over 1 hour, probably closer to 1.5. Going home averages around 2 hours.
Loads of fun!

52 miles each way. Coming in takes a little over 1 hour, probably closer to 1.5. Going home averages around 2 hours.
Loads of fun!

Ouch!! That's almost 1/6 of your day!

My commute is all of 7.3 miles to work one way. No traffic because I take side streets and leave before the heavy traffic starts in on the freeway entrances. It's a nice calm commute. Just enough time to decompress after the work day and to make the transition to back into "mom/wife".

My commute is 23 miles each way. Much of the drive is on rural roads through rolling hills and farmland. :) My longest commute was 35 miles each way which required roughly an hour and one-half of driving time each day. That job also required a weekly commute to the corporate office which was an hour and one-half drive each way.:(

Its about 12 mi. 20-25 mins. in the morning, and 30-35 in the evening. Except on Fridays when our local population appears to swell from 150,000 to 2.5 million.

50.1 miles. I worked closer to home before this job, but I couldn't turn down a 30% pay increase!

50.1 miles. I worked closer to home before this job, but I couldn't turn down a 30% pay increase!

And that 30% now goes toward gas, maintenance and upkeep on your vehicle... not to mention, time sitting in your vehicle. :bonk:

:2cents:

Not really.
Previous commute 30 miles--stop, go, twist & turn. About 45- 50 minutes each way. Got about 30 MPG.
This one--straight interstate. 50- 60 minutes. Now get about 34 MPG. It balances out.

My commute these days is 3.8 miles, all street driving. It takes about 10 minutes because one traffic light is red for 3.5 minutes.

75 kilometers (47 miles) from door to door. 45 minutes when there's no traffic (I love working during summer holidays), 1 hour and a bit on normal days, can take up to two hours on a bad day.

Problem in the Netherlands is that we have more and more bad days. We've very recently seen a couple of "traffic-infarcts" as we call them, "traffic strokes" in which entire highway rings around cities get clogged so much that nobody is going anywhere anymore. Traffic jams in the Netherlands increase yearly with 15% on average :(.

As mentioned by lots of others before, driving my car is enjoyable though since I can unwind and listen to my new CD's. :agree1:

around 40 KMs (40+40) and it takes 35 minutes.

During ramadhan time 20 mts.

Sridhar

Driving to work: Its almost 22 miles (35 Kms) urbun driving, take 45 mins to 1 hr drive.

Longest when used to live in GTA. Live in Scarborough & work in Missisuaga is quite a fun sometimes. :mg:

13 miles one way, about 25 minutes. All local roads through N.West Connecticut. I usually leave home at 6:30 AM and encounter almost no traffic. I leave work around 3:30 and make it home before my son gets home from school at 4:00 PM. ----- I Love my job!

Gene

Now about 25 miles or so, NKY to W Chester OH (35-55 minutes depending on traffic and baseball/football games).

Was about 50-55 miles (~1hr) each way from Neville OH to W Chester for 2-3 years. And the old jobs were each about as long when I lived there, 1/2hr to anything from Neville...

Shortest was a few hundred feet when I was on the ship in the Navy! :biglaugh:

Up at 3.45am - out the door at 4am - home by 1:50pm. In bed by 9pm. 80 miles per day. Been doing it since 1987.

My '98 Ranger has 224,000 miles on it and she knows her way so I can enjoy the darkness on the way in:notme:

75 kilometers (47 miles) from door to door. 45 minutes when there's no traffic (I love working during summer holidays), 1 hour and a bit on normal days, can take up to two hours on a bad day.

Problem in the Netherlands is that we have more and more bad days. We've very recently seen a couple of "traffic-infarcts" as we call them, "traffic strokes" in which entire highway rings around cities get clogged so much that nobody is going anywhere anymore. Traffic jams in the Netherlands increase yearly with 15% on average :(.

As mentioned by lots of others before, driving my car is enjoyable though since I can unwind and listen to my new CD's. :agree1:

Hi Martijn.
75 km to get to work (Rotterdam??) than you might be living in Tilburg, right?? I travel Alblasserdam-Tilburg on a daily basis, which takes me about 65 km and 50 minutes travel time, luckely hardly any traffic jams (motorbike mostly;))

Traffic jams in the Netherlands increase yearly with 15% on average :(.



Martijn,

Back to the "trein, bus or fiets?" Would that be a solution?

Stijloor.

3 hour flight from Toronto to Tampa...arrival at Airport 2 hours ahead due to internation flight status.... :cool: