There and Back Again. The Soul of the Commuter
2007; Condé Nast; Volume: 83; Issue: 8 Linguagem: Inglês
ISSN
0028-792X
Autores Tópico(s)Transportation and Mobility Innovations
ResumoNot long ago a man in California was awarded a prize for America's longest daily commute, three hundred and seventy-two miles, round trip. While a seven hour travel day is very unusual, four hour and three hour round trip days are becoming more frequent. In Commuting in America III, published by Transportation Research Board of National Academies, commuting was characterized as the interaction of demography with geography. Many, many years earlier railways allowed people in larger urban centers such as New York, Boston, Philadelphia and Chicago option of living in more appealing and less congested suburban areas. By time automobile made significant inroads into habits of daily life and started being viewed as a necessity, commuter pattern was well established. Today, as a national average, nine out of 10 people drive to work and of those, 88% drive alone. However, there is a price to pay for rewards of suburban and exurban living and that is commuting is consuming more time each day resulting in less time to enjoy home, family and friends. The very reasons move to less congested areas was appealing in first place are being lost. The author rides along with some commuters in New York city and Atlanta recounting their travel times, good and bad days on road, delays and reasons they continue to do so.
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