America's 25-Minute Commute

Posted by: Nate Berg

14 October 2007 - 5:00am

This report from NPR looks at the results of a report on the commuting habits and trends of American drivers.

"A new study shows the average American commutes an average of 25 minutes. That's almost nine full days a year behind the wheel. Commutes have worsened over the last two decades because highways haven't kept pace with population growth and urban sprawl. If you work in New York City, your average commute is the worst in the country: almost 36 minutes long. For the nation's easiest commutes, you have to turn to the colder climes of Omaha and Buffalo."

Full Story: Study: Americans Commute an Average 25 Minutes

Source: NPR, October 12, 2007

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The Real Problem

Submitted by Charles Siegel on Mon, 10/15/2007 - 09:54.

"Commutes have worsened over the last two decades because highways haven't kept pace with population growth and urban sprawl."

We have finally discovered the real problem: if only we built enough highways to keep up with urban sprawl, then our cities would be wonderfully convenient places.

The best response to this business-as-usual attitude is the Andy Singer cartoon that you can see at
http://culturechange.org/cms/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1...

Charles Siegel

The problem of binary logic

Submitted by Dano on Mon, 10/15/2007 - 10:32.

Good point Charles.

I think a contributor to this issue is the binary logic problem in our country - you are either x or y. The solution is y or z (liberals say y, clear-thinking individuals say z).

Commutes have worsened because of a number of factors. Sprawl occurs because of a number of factors. Jobs are offshoring because of a number of factors.

Our national dialogue has regressed to binary logic in too many media outlets because of a number...

You get the idea.

Best,