POLL: Commute Time/Distance/Sacrifices

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Comment on the petrol prices thread got me thinking about this. Questions should be self explanatory. As there are many students on this board, we'll say the commuting distance can apply to either work, school, university, etc. Basically whatever you do Monday-Friday during the day.

Big poll, ten questions this time.

[ May 01, 2006, 15:01: Message edited by: Aldeth the Foppish Idiot ]

Poll Information
This poll contains 10 question(s). 29 user(s) have voted.
You may not view the results of this poll without voting.

Poll Results: Commute Time/Distance/Sacrifies (29 votes.)

What distance is your daily commute? (one way) (Choose 1)
* Less than 10 miles (16 Km) - 45% (13)
* 10-20 miles (16-32 Km) - 24% (7)
* 20-30 miles (32-48 Km) - 14% (4)
* 30-50 miles (48-80 Km) - 14% (4)
* 50-100 miles (80-161 Km) - 0% (0)
* more than 100 miles (161 Km) - 3% (1)

How long does your daily commute last? (one way) (Choose 1)
* less than 15 minues - 28% (8)
* 16-30 minutes - 21% (6)
* 31-60 minutes - 28% (8)
* 61-90 minutes - 21% (6)
* 91-120 minutes - 3% (1)
* over 120 minutes - 0% (0)

What is your primary mode of transportation for your commute? (Choose 1)
* Car/Truck/Van/SUV/Motorcycle/etc. (only you in vehicle) - 28% (8)
* Carpooling (using one of the options from above) - 0% (0)
* Train/Bus/Subway/Underground/Metro (mass transit) - 48% (14)
* Walk/Bike/Rollerskates/Etc (i.e. personal power) - 24% (7)

Is a mass transit system conveniently located? (close to home and destination) (Choose 1)
* Yes - 66% (19)
* No - 31% (9)
* Don't Know - 3% (1)

If a mass transit system was conveniently located, would you use it? (Choose 1)
* Yes - 24% (7)
* No - 24% (7)
* I already use mass transit for my commute - 52% (15)

Is the mass transit system cheaper than the cost of fuel? (Choose 1)
* Yes - 69% (20)
* No - 10% (3)
* Don't Know/Don't Care - 21% (6)

Would you use mass transit if it were cheaper? (Choose 1)
* Yes - 21% (6)
* No - 31% (9)
* I already do because it is cheaper. - 48% (14)
* I already do, but it is not cheaper. - 0% (0)

Does mass transit cut down on your commute time? (Choose 1)
* Yes - 34% (10)
* No - 55% (16)
* Don't Know/Don't Care - 10% (3)

Would you use mass transit if it reduced your commute time? (Choose 1)
* Yes - 21% (6)
* No - 34% (10)
* I already do because it is quicker - 21% (6)
* I already do despite it taking longer - 24% (7)

Would you accept a significantly lower paying job if it reduced your commute? (Choose 1)
* Yes, my personal time is important to me. - 10% (3)
* Only if the cost savings made up for the pay reduction. - 41% (12)
* I would not, as I do not wish to change my current lifestyle. - 48% (14)

 

I telecommute. I am working right now, from home, in my pajamas.

I did not vote in the poll, as I did not want my non-commute to skew the results.

 

I voted although I'm retired. I do some volunteer work and of course shop. Do not have good mass transit available and I miss it.

Question 10 was a bit of problem. I voted yes based on volunteer work. Assuming it was something I wanted to do the closer to home the better.

 

I use public transport, and I'm quite content. The system gets worse and the prices rise, though. But it is still cheaper than a car, and rather relaxing if you can get one of the "Big Yellows". The first floor is usually less crowded.

It takes me about an hour to get to the university. I would be faster with a car (about half an our), but it is more stressing.

 

My commute's only a two-three mile walk to university, so it's not a problem; I just walk it. No point wasting money on a bus for that.

 

Gotta love free bussing. And it gives me an hour each way to work on homework and such. Even if it weren't for the money factor, I'd still use the bus because an hour I can use is better than half an hour that I can't.

 

My halls are right on campus, and im a 2-3 minute walk to my lectures, but i based my answers on my accomodation from next year. The city transport system sucks, we have no underground and a confusing bus system, so im just gonna be walkin all the time.

 

Probably in between 10 and 20 miles. I really doubt it's less than 10, although I can't exclude the possibility. At any rate, the bus ride distance is definitely more than the straight line distance.

How much it lasts is a tricky question because together with walking to and from the bus stop, it takes more than 30 minutes, although the ride itself has even taken a bit less than 20 minutes on some days. Under 30 minutes, it's a good time, between 30 and 40 it's disappointing, over 40 it's a friggin' traffic jam crawl. I remember it taking more than a full hour.

I go by bus. Fighting the car park gate, the car engine etc etc, then finding a place upon arrival would last more than the walk to and from the bus stop. Perhaps it would even offset the shorter time span of the car ride as compared to bus.

Mass transit is really conveniently located for me. Next to me, there is a final stop of many bus lines, above 10, and I can get to most of the important destinations by one of them. Sometimes I even have some choice. And I know the tracks and stops locations well. So I guess I do better than some people with cars. Especially if they don't know the city well.

Bus cost is waaaaaay less than fuel. My monthly bus ticket for all day and night lines in the city (apart from some of the extended routes to some villages and small cities around Warsaw) is what my best buddy spends on fuel in two days.

If it cuts down on my commute time, I think I've answered. Normally, it's slower because buses are slower and have stops. On the other hand, buses know the route and are privileged over other vehicles, so sometimes it offsets. What sucks is when the bus simply doesn't arrive. Or when it leaves a minute ahead of time when you're close to the bus stop.

As for jobs, I would calculate how much I get for all hours my work involves, that is if the extended commute time is offset by the increase in the wage for the work time. If not, sorry. Unless I like the job. And I would like to have a lot of free time or work from home, if possible. In fact, being a writer would rule.

Ah, and question 7... The options are "but it's not cheaper" and "because it's cheaper". It can be cheaper already know while you don't care, so one option is missing, I guess.

 

It's kinda hard to carry a couple hundred pounds of tools on a bus.

 

Great poll, Aldeth (again) but it looks like you got the scale of your commute distances bit too big. I would class a short commute as being more like 5km rather than 16km and anyone who commutes in your two largest distances sounds insane.

I catch the bus because it is cheaper, faster, and more convenient than driving by some considerable margin.

 

Car. My job is about 12 km from my house, if I use public transport I have to go by metro to the center of Athens and take from there the bus for the university campus, which means at least 90 minutes. On the other hand car needs 20-40 minutes (depending on traffic). I would use the car even if the public trasport needed the same time, because working for the university means that I have the same destination with thousands students and I hate being packed like a sardine in a can (especially during summer).

 

Fabius Maximus hit it - it's the stress of commuting that's one of the biggest factors for me, even though current gas and parking prices amke it about 3X more costly to drive. Even if everything were equal in time and money expended, I'd still take the train. It's really hard to take a nap or read a book while driving on the expressway.

Interestingly, one co-worker is switching to the train as of Monday. He's been a diehard car-commuter, but he reports that traffic has gotten truly out of hand over the past month or so. Chalk one up for the Light Side. Now, if we could just get him to stop smoking...

 

I live in the sticks, the woods start where my backyard ends. My commute is 28 minutes/22 miles one way. I love to drive. No mass transit available, but I probably wouldn't use it anyways. If I lived in NYC I would use public transit though, as the cost to have/drive/park a car in NYC is crazy.

I do car pool with another nurse from my village on the nights we work the same nights, but that is usually only 2 nights out of every six.

There is also no stress with my commute, it is highway and then small city streets. If trafic is at its worst, it takes an extra minute or two to get to work.

 

I live right in the city CBD, so everything (including the University) is walking distance. Only time I don't walk is when heading to hockey, which is about 30 minutes - 1 hour away, and then I either car pull or (more frequently) catch a train/bus. It's a lot cheaper than private transport; not only with petrol costs, but living in the city parking is very expensive. Also buying a car in the first place

 

Hmm, hard for me to answer, as sometimes I go by bus, and other times by car

 

I'm boycotting this poll until the typo in the title is fixed. Hmph.

 

There is some truth to that HB. Under 10 miles is certainly a short commute if you have a motorized vehicle, but I wouldn't want to walk 10 miles every day. I probably should have included a really short options like a mile or two for people who go on foot.

The two largest distance you would never drive to every day. The only people I know who do this are a few people who take trains to work daily. A fast train can get you into NYC from 50 or more miles away in less than one hour. Of course, most parts of the U.S. don't have access to such transport systems.

Fine you elitist. Consider it done.

 

I might use public transportation during the summer. I live about a mile from a train station and work two miles from a station on the same line. Spring, summer and fall the walk would probably be good for me. But not during the winter in Chicago.

 

I work from home most of the time

Sure I have to go out on occasions to see a client face to face and the distance there varies yet some days I won't even leave my office. Where I am now. Typing to you. Not working as I should be. My boss is going to be so angry... wait... I'm my boss! Get back to work you slacker! /me hits himself.

Employee abuse! I'll sue!

 

Hmmm...I drive about 7 or 8 miles to my work, and depending on traffic and weather conditions, it takes about 15-25 minutes to get to work. If I decided to take the bus, my commute would probably double. I would have to walk about .25 miles to get to the bus stop, then wait up to 15 minutes for the bus to show up, then transfet to another bus, which could take up to 15 more minutes for that bus to show, and then I would have to walk .15 miles to get to my work. And that would cost me about $11.50 per week, and considering my car gets between 25-30 Mpg, it's not worth the time nor the money to take the bus.

I'm am so glad I don't work at my old job, or live at my old apartments...that was when I *did* take the bus/train, and it took over an hour to get home!