Power of 50 ;
50
That’s the average total time an American worker
spends commuting each day. If you’re a man, add
1.7 minutes to that total. Women, you can subtract
1.6 minutes. What’s going on as we hoof, pedal, ride
and—primarily—drive to work?
By Betsy Towner
Minutes on
The Road
1
What distracts us?
Percentage of drivers who say they:
Talk to other passengers
96%
2
3
Adjust vehicle climate/radio controls
Eat
89%
74%
What do we listen to? Top rush-hour radio genres
Morning commute ( 6 to 10 a.m.)
News/talk/information
Country
Urban adult contemporary
Pop
Classic rock
Evening commute ( 3 to 7 p.m.)
Country
News/talk/information
Urban adult contemporary
Pop
Classic rock
8.6%
6.4%
5.4%
9.4%
7.3%
5.0%
1
3
2
4
6
5
7
14.9%
13.9%
13.1%
12.4%
Which
cities have
the longest
and shortest
commutes?
(minutes
each way)
3
4. 6 3 3. 4 3 2. 2 3 0.8 3 0.7
4 Use a cellphone
51%
5 Tend to children 41%
15. 8
15. 5
15.1
14.714.2
6 Read a map 34%
7 Groom19%
How much gas
do we use?
Annual spending
on gas per
household
Ne w York City Washington, D.C. Poughkeepsie, N.Y. Bre m erton-Silverdale, Wash. Chicago
M is s o ula, M o n t.
Grand Forks, N.D.
Lubbock, Texas
Great Falls, Mont.
L e wisto n, Id a h o
$3,235
$700 increase since 2010
Which are the top
metro areas for …?*
How do we get to work?
All ages / 55+
30.5%
76.6% / 78.7%
1 person in a car
NEW YORK CIT Y
taking
public
transit
9.7% /
7.3%
Carpool
15.1%
4.9% /
4.0%
Public transportation
ITHACA, N. Y.
walking
2.8% /
2.3%
Walk
9.3%
1.7% / 1.3%
Taxi, motorbike, bicycle
4.3% /
6.4% Work at home
CORVALLIS, ORE.
bicycling
*Percentage of total commuters.
Sources: Alan E. Pisarski, author of the Transportation Research Board’s Commuting in America III;
Arbitron; OSHA; the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2009 and 2010 American Community Surveys
