How Many Hours Do You Spend in Your Car?
Let’s see; Monday through Friday, I drive to work. Living in North Carolina, where there really isn’t much in the way of mass transit (because everything is more spread out), it usually takes me around 30 minutes each way driving and dealing with traffic. After all is said and done, I easily spend at least five hours each week in my car just going to and from work every day. Keep in mind that this doesn’t count anywhere else I may have to go such as the mall or the occasional night out with friends. Because of the price of gas, coupled with the fact that I own a small-size SUV, I have pretty much cut out all unnecessary driving outside of work because…well, I simply cannot afford it at the moment. But at least I can derive comfort from the fact that I’m not alone in my quest to cut back on the amount of driving that I do.
According to a 2004 U.S. Census press release, New York City residents spend an average of about one full week each year getting to and from work- the longest commute time in the nation among large cities. And to think, they have taxis, subways, buses and bikes all at their disposal! The press release goes on to state:
Other large cities with populations of 250,000 or more with long commutes include Philadelphia (30.3 minutes), Riverside, California (29.8), Baltimore (29.7), Washington, D.C. (29.4), San Francisco (29.2), Oakland, California (29.1), Los Angeles (28.5) and Boston (28.2).
The national average for commute time to work is 24.4 minutes. And while many people have retired their vehicles to their garages indefinitely or have come up with other forms of auto transportation, commute time is especially important today as gas prices continue to rise. After all, the trends that city planners see in how long it’s taking people to get to and from work help to determine if other transportation alternatives are needed. Census Bureau Director, Louis Kincannon stated;
Planners and policy-makers have told us that they need these data to develop a local transportation infrastructure. Commuting trends are critical as a city decides whether to increase its public transportation or build new roads.
[...] you’re on the road driving around, do you ever stop to wonder, "How many hours do you spend in your car?" If you live somewhere like North Carolina where there isn’t much in the way of mass [...]