Long Commutes Are Sucking the Life Out of You
 

I can speak to this one. I used to have a 45 minute commute in traffic and hated it. I've now been at my new job for a bit over a year and I have a 13 or so minute commute now. It is a world of difference. I do feel happier and less stressed, etc. I know a lot of EMers get great mileage, but I know a lot of us also have long commutes (some have really long commutes). Having experience with both sides of this debate I can definitely say the long commute was not worth it for me, and that isn't even considering the financial side of things.

Long Commutes Are Sucking the Life Out of You: Shortening Yours by 20 Minutes Could Save Your Health


Now, considering the financial side of things, MetroMPG posted this link a few days ago in another thread. It is a great read on how much commuting really costs (it is mentioned in the lifehacker article as well). Summed up it basically shows and calculates that moving 1 mile closer to work (or getting a job 1 mile closer to home) will save you around $800 per year. That is not a worst case scenario even!

My favorite part of the article, just crazy stuff:
The True Cost of Commuting | Mr. Money Mustache

I can also say that long commutes arent great at all. I used to drive 200 km twice a week and even that was not fun at all. I was always speeding and that lead to stress from speeding tickets etc. My motto was and still is: Its more cheaper to drive as fast as possible than save few bucks on fuel.

Now I have 4 km "work" distance and no problems and stress levels are minimal from traffic.

The short 3mile commute I have now is much nicer than the 20mile 30 minute commute I had years ago. I even occasionally ride my bike even though there are a couple of nasty hills that I have to deal with.

Though because the commute is so short I can't get the best MPG's possible, the fact that even at 20-22 in town a tank still lasts me about a month.

This really is huge. Long commutes are an enormous waste of time and money. About 11 years ago, I moved about 3 miles further away from work, from 9 to 12 miles. It was dumb. If I had it to do again, I wouldn't.

This applies even moreso to me, as I am an occasional bike commuter. I am sure that if I had my old commute, I would take the bike much more often, as 9 miles is a lot easier than 12, especially when a nice chunk of those last three miles is up a big hill.

from what I've read here, it seems like it's all about the precious mpg average. I some times detect a note of dissapointment in some posts complaining that their commute is not long enough to get good numbers.

Remember, there is one number that matters, the number of dollars that leave your pocket and go into the tank.

Daox -

Yup, it's definitely damaged my health. I got a kidney stone last year and it's absolutely related to my commuting. And don't forget the skin cancer! :

Increased Car Time Puts People at Risk for Skin Cancer - SkinCancer.org
I developed two strategies for mitigating the sunlight hitting my face and left arm, a monster sun visor and a "shadey shelf", respectively.

CarloSW2

Funny... I'm opposite... I moved closer to work and now can work from home (significantly better internet connection) but I actually miss my commute. I never commuted during rush hour times and used to listen to "books on tape" and really enjoyed the time alone. No question about the money aspect, but for me it was quite a stress reliever.

That's why I'm bailing on my job later this summer. Commuting expenses, heartburn and time away from the family just aren't worth it. I'll be doing something useless for very little money later this year, but coming out ahead.

I still commute to the same place I did 20 years ago, which is a 33 mile one way drive to work, and look forward to it.

I leave the house early, drive slowly on old beat up country roads, get great mileage, and feel relaxed when I get to work.

The drive home is even better, as the sun is up and I get a chance to look at the view while creeping along.

Sure, there are times when I which I was closer so that a bicycle could used, but putting in the car, or on the motorcycle is very Zen for me.

Jim.

I justify my 20 mile (40 miles daily) commute by using cheap renewable fuel. My wife's car and mine combined use 750 gallons of fuel a year, and we save $2000 a year over petroleum diesel.

I used to do a 1 hour drive each way when I was single. Now that I'm married and have a gas hog truck, I moved 0.5 miles from my job. I can get 11 mpg but still only use 1 tank a month. In the summer on nice days I will ride my bike. Not to mention I'm still in bed when some people are commuting to work.:D

I don't think I could go back to 1 hour drives after being this spoiled.

big shafe -
Are actually driving that half mile trip?

Ya, I have to cross a busy 4 lane (not counting a turning lane) road and I typically come home for lunch to fix something to eat and take care of stuff that needs done. If I didn't have the busy road I would walk and ride my bike much more often. Going home for lunch is also another great luxury.

I have a 3 hour roundtrip commute. I know it sucks. But didn't know it literally sucked the life out of me. There's little I can do about it. I love my job and DW works in the opposite direction. She currently has a 40 minute roundtrip commute and that is too far already.

Audiobooks and cruising along slowly in the slow lane is how I cope. :p I just hate the tailgaters. Left lane is wide open. Use it and leave me alone! :mad:

i used to live 2.5 miles from work. now i'm about 7 miles. I couldn't imagine driving for more than half hour each way to work, i'd go crazy.

Short commutes rule. That said, the MMM article makes two false assumptions (IMO).

1) Driving costs $0.51/mile. It doesn't. Especially to an eco-modder. My car gets relatively poor mileage compared to many on this forum (~32 MPG), and its cost of ownership is well under $0.15/mile. If I paid for maintenance, this would surely increase, but would not even be close to $0.51/mile. Using that figure raises many other questions like: Why are you driving a brand new luxury SUV back and forth to work on your long commute?

2) That your time has monetary value outside of work. Yes, time is money, but not always. If you work salary, working 6 days a week doesn't pay any more that working 5 days a week. If person A makes $100K and works 5 days a week, but person B makes $120K and has a long commute, effectively working 6 days a week... who makes more money? Person B, even though their hourly rate may work out to the same.

I definitely support short commutes, but I also find some irony in the support of such an article on this forum. If your time is truly worth money like the article says, why would you hypermile? Driving slowly on the highway/coasting to stop signs will certainly cost you far more in time than you will save in fuel. If you could double my gas mileage on the way to work, but it only took you 25% longer to get there, I would still be losing money on the deal.

I recently took a trip across the U.S. (helped my sister drive/move home from CA). While driving her Jetta, which did not return good mileage, I was thinking about slowing down to get better mileage. While driving at 50mph vs. 70mph would return much better mileage, it would extend the trip by over 15 hours. This would mean an extra day of driving at a minimum, an extra night in a hotel, 6 extra meals (3 each), and an additional $250 in lost wages/vacation from work. The cost of that extra day would've been more than the gas cost for the entire trip driving at 70mph.

Food for thought.

My commute is 75-120 miles one way depending on where I work that day. Getting into DC can take anywhere from 2-3hrs depending on traffic. Been doing it for about 4 years. Traffic doesn't really stress me out though, Im in field service so once I walk out my door my clock starts. So im getting paid the same if Im at work or reading bumper stickers traffic. The physical comfort thing does become an issue. As well as a long time in the car seems to make one absent minded for a while. Dangerous in electrical environments I must say.

This article/study was on people commuting in, near, and to a large city. To encompass everyone into the findings is ridiculous.

I commute 20 miles, one way,every day. The closest thing to a traffic jam that I have is on my return trip home at the only stop light in downtown where one might be caught for 5 minutes of stop and go. People who don't like stop lights(like me) change their route to avoid the light.

My commute is also the longest uninterrupted time that I sit in one place all day. Does this really make me obese?

I love traveling by motor vehicles. I got my drivers license as soon as I possibly could and have enjoying every minute of driving ever since. My commute is, almost always, the only driving I do now. Don't try to tell me that one of my favorite experiences of the day makes me a more angry person, causes me stress, or is shortening my life.

As for cost, I don't spend as much in a year on my commute as has been said I could save.

YMMV

I'm confused by this...

Used to car share for commute to my current post (50 mile round trip in heavy traffic)

Now I'm driving myself:

Got my tunes on the Radio

inside lane50-60mph

328i on LPG (28imp mpg on gas= monitary equiv of 52mpg from a diesel, with low emissions and less complexity than a modern TDI)

Ability to take at least another 2 routes if I feel the need to change the scenery.

Use the time to figure out life's conundrums- saves wasting valuable "non work" time for considering things



That said, I could get a job that pays £250 a month LESS if I had a job within a mile or two of where I stay..

If you have a long commute (as I used to -- over 90 miles round trip in heavy traffic), then ecodriving makes it far less stressful, in my experience. By focusing on something that you have, at least some control over, can greatly reduce stress. And saving money also helps.

I'm a long commuter. My previous job was 67 miles EACH WAY, with a travel time of ~110 minutes. I was spending just under 4 hours a day in the car.

I've got a new job now, that's 53 miles away, but the commute time is only 65 minutes. I don't feel stressed about the commute at all. I'll get there when I get there, I leave enough time to do so without rushing, and there's always room to pass.

My gasoline cost per mile is between 6 and 7 cents. If maintenance were to be included, I'd be looking at about 13 to 15 cents per mile.

Our mortgage PLUS insurance PLUS taxes is $546 per month. If we moved, the cheapest we could realistically find to replace our house with is probably in the $700-$800/month range. Also, we'd lose closeness to friends/family, which would mean we'd end up driving more and probably needing paid babysitters more (we often 'kid swap' - we'll watch theirs one day if they'll watch ours another; it's a great free system).

I've always commuted between 40 and 50km.
Though it takes some time, I start off early so there's no need to stress.

For me the commute is a clear dividing line between work and home.

Surpeisingly, the people who live closest to work are the ones who are most often late.

So far my car has cost 8077 euro a year all in - not just commuting - and disregarding any future resale value (even as scrap).

So, trading USD for EUR I could move 10 miles closer to work and drive for free ?
(At the official 1.3 to 1 rate it'd take 13 miles)

I commuted for 34 years, 3-80 miles RT, and only did single occupant car driving ~3 years of that time. I vanpooled, carpooled, rode ferries, BART, buses, motorcycles, and bicycles 90% of the time. Although it wasn't part of my daily commute, I put on more miles commuting by airplane to jobs around the world than I did on the daily drudge.

Coincidentally, the 3 mile RT for 2 years was the one I drove in my car alone, because bicycling on a major arterial in coastal GA in the summer was more stressful than driving.

67 miles each way to/from work. Mostly paved rural, about 20 miles of city to city commuters always running late. Drive gets better each day as the familiar commuters get used to my slow steady driving. The day truckers are getting better too - they remember when you are courteous and share the road. When I flash for them to come back in after they pass and they give me a quick signal of thanks - I know we are on good terms. I have a CB in the car, but these quiet communications are kinda nice. Lessens the stress when we can all just get along.

1) Driving costs $0.51/mile. It doesn't. Especially to an eco-modder. My car gets relatively poor mileage compared to many on this forum (~32 MPG), and its cost of ownership is well under $0.15/mile. If I paid for maintenance, this would surely increase, but would not even be close to $0.51/mile.

Actually the per-mile cost is likely higher. Much higher. You are confusing fuel cost with the greater "ownership cost": purchase price, finance charge, depreciation, tawes, insurance, registration, etc. Fuel cost is less than half, on average.

The way this is figured is car-centric. Pointed out above is the need for a house with a garage (land & building) thus a greater mortgage, insurance and upkeep on that structure. Which also keeps that land thus used from a higher & better purpose, etc.

The cost-per-mile is a handy way of understanding that particular expense, but it has to be related to net income. The more that is tied by by transportation the worse is the situation for a family.

The penalty for lack of walking access (under 2-miles) to grocery, post office, library schools, and governmental offices is huge. It, then, has to be factored back into the home cost which itself must be factored back into the cost of the car.

Cars, per se, have not been the leverage to a better life since 1972. The cost is hidden, and it is subsidized.

Take some time to understand the full range of how your life would be different if it were not required that you have a car.

The cost of fuel is a trifle when placed in context. The availability of fuel is what will be life-changing (by price or literally). MPG is just whist-playing as the drilling & production costs rise.

A long commute is just a good way to waste a good vehicle. Part of what makes too much of America a bad place in comparison to civilized countries.


.

There are a few things to keep in mind when reading an article like this.

1. It is likely biased.

2. It is likely aimed at specifict group of people. In this case probably agressive suv drivers.

3. The group here can not in any way be considered Joe average as far as the motoring public.


Just a rough calculation on the cost of ownership for my truck $0.30 per mile which is high because things like purchase price and insurance are independant of mileage which I dont rack up a bunch of.

Nope. Just like the article says: I drive otherwise, so I am required to have insurance. That is not strictly a commuting cost. Nor are taxes. I'm not discussing having a car vs. not having a car - the discussion is about reduced commuting distance.

My last car I paid $1000 for. I drove it 40k miles and averaged 29mpg. Lets say I put $500 into it in basic maintenance/repairs (this is likely high). I sold the car for $1300. So my net loss was $200 in 40k miles. Thats $0.005/mile + fuel costs.

Side note: My real cost was much lower, because I was paid $1600 for damages caused when someone rear-ended me. I didn't fix anything and I pocketed the change. So it was really more like getting paid $0.035/mile.

Absolutely. This is why it seems illogical to do the math using a "good" vehicle. Anyone fiscally responsible will be using something cheap, reliable, with low depreciation for this type of commute. My example is a little on the low side for ownership cost, but certainly not extreme.

That'd be easy : transport unions would decide where and when you could go if it's beyond biking range.
They go on strike when their own farts smell bad.

...this is exactly *why* I chose to drive in to work BEFORE 0600 and drive home from work AFTER 1800...to literally AVOID all the congestion and mid-morning Monte Carlo-wannabees. Made for some LONG days but at least I wasn't clenching my teeth BEFORE the work had even begun!

I have a 15 mile commute every day but it's all in traffic most mornings. My friend drives a '98 Saturn Sl1 auto and drives 114 miles a day to and from school. His car burns an average of 1 quart of oil a week while my '98 Civic HX 5 Speed gets around 42 mpg in traffic, city and normal highway driving conditions. I would definitely want to live close to my school, and if I were my friend, I would get a dorm rather than drive that distance every day.

Not just money, also a colossal waste of time. My 20 mile 45 minute one way commute sucks an hour and a half out of my day a week. I'd rather be walking my dog. Even better, what if i instead went fishing for an hour and a half everyday! That would be a great stress reliever.

That's an interesting read, but most of it (for me) just isn't true.

I choose to live outside the suburban sprawl, mainly for lifestyle, partly for cheaper housing.
I accept that that means I have to travel longer distances for work.

I choose jobs, partly, by their proximity to the motorway, partly for the start time to be outside normal rush hours.
I drive 52km each way, about 45 minutes, for a 6:00 start or 14:00 start depending which shift I'm on that week.
I leave at 5:00 or 13:00 so I'm not rushed and can cruise under the speed limit, with minimum stress.

I'm not obese. I'm not divorced (29th anniversary this month).
I'm not paying stupid amounts for car repayments, my car cost about 3 weeks pay, and returns 6.2 l/100km average. Would I like that to be lower still?... You Bet!... but that's why I'm here.

I'm not saying that article isn't true for some people, but not me.:thumbup:

True story lol! I live 5 miles from work and often find myself leaving 8 minutes before the time I'm supposed to clock in vs. leaving at least 15 minutes before (like I should be). Often times when I leave 8 minutes before I clock in, I come real close to being late or actually being late (like today). lol

There is something about knowing that you are so close to work and knowing that you can get there super quick that you risk playing game of getting there just on time when all it takes is a slight amount of traffic or an extra red light to make you late.

I had a pretty good job a few years ago, it was about 4 miles round trip. Then the company moved 50 miles away, a full one hour drive, and I hated it. The part that bothered me most was the fact that 2 hours of my day were lost, I ended up getting fired pretty quick, and didn't really mind, in fact it felt great. Right now I drive 15 miles to and from work, and that's about as much as I want. As far as blocking the sun during long drives, I had a friend who made a light weight driving sleeve for his left arm, he said it worked pretty good.

I guess I'm with D.O.G here. I live very rural now - needed the 80 acres for the horses. Would have liked to live closer to work but there just isn't any REAL horse property in town (1/4 acre IS NOT horse property). Commute is longer, but relatively quiet paved rural roads. Reduced my daily dirt road part of the commute from 22 miles, down to 5 miles - easier on the tires.

The 3/5 Metro saves gas as a commuter car - but I take this as a "hobby" rather than a necessity for saving money. I leave at 4:30 to get to work at 6. Leave work mostly at 14:30, get home at 16:00. It's just a relaxing drive, I can think thoughts and figure $hit out, make plans, drive 10 under the speed limit (55 in a 65 isn't too drastic, but I sometimes go 45-50 with no one following).

I wonder what the emission difference between an ultra short commute (4 miles one way) and a longer commute (20 miles each way) is. I would bet that the difference is less than you would think. On the short commute, the engine and cat do not get a chance to warm up, whereas on the longer commute it does. Just a question to ponder.

I am one of those people with a 4 mile commute. I would ride my bicycle but there are a) too many large hills, and b) no proper bicycle routes. Not to say I haven't done it before, but it is scary to say the least. I commute with my DRZ400S. Puts a smile on my face all the way to work (which quickly fades once I get there....). Gets about 65 mpg without trying, the last time I checked.

The engine and cat still need time to warm up. If you count emmissions per mile the longer commute would be lower but total emissions would be higher. Its still good to get the car out and do a long drive to get it fully warmed up from time to time for various reasons.

I agree 100%! My hour and a half round trip commute for work each day is not only murder to the wallet, but it becomes mentally overbearing in that its eats even more of my "down" time.
On the other hand it does give me some time to be at peace and just drive, which could be a bonus, but many times I just am not in the mood for it...

On the flip side, if I'm 15 minutes late I will stay 15 minutes later and still get home before most of my coworkers.