The Rise of the 'Reverse Commuter'

There are about "300,000 people who live in New York City and make their way to jobs in the suburbs every day, part of a fast-growing segment of the work force that has turned the traditional idea of bedroom communities on its head. The group includes young workers in high-skilled professions, as well as tens of thousands of others up and down the income spectrum who prefer city living or cannot afford the suburban dream."

"Planners and business groups across the region have increasingly come to realize that these commuters are a critical part of their economic prospects and are vigorously promoting transportation initiatives to encourage them. But they face considerable obstacles."

"Many who travel to work against the tide have arduous commutes - long drives on crowded highways, or, for those who do not want or cannot afford cars, combinations of trains, buses, car pools and taxicabs cobbled together on transit systems that were not designed to accommodate them."

"In spite of that, the number of city residents working in the suburbs grew 12 percent from 2000 to 2005, according to census figures calculated by the Queens College sociology department for The New York Times. About one in 11 city workers has a job in the suburbs, and the number is growing faster than any other segment of commuters."