Let's Talk about Commuting to Work

[TheIronMaiden]

Okay, how about this: whats the longest commute you've done before?

[Muta]

I live close to downtown, and getting to the Beltline for work can take me anywhere between 10 minutes and 30 minutes, depending on the traffic on 9th Avenue, construction and weather conditions.

I'd use the bike lanes or train if I could, but a) I am lazy and hate hills, and b) I refuse to walk from downtown to the Beltline in sub -10 degree weather, because I'm extra. Plus, I have a free parking spot at my office that would make all Lilac Festival goers jealous.

[Locke]

Originally Posted by verda13

Morning 10 minutes
Afternoon 10 minutes

Airdrie - Downtown.


Honest average is 30 min in the AM, 45-60 in the PM.

Oh my God! You're alive! But you're in Airdrie so death would likely be preferable.

[Bunk]

If I walk - 15 minutes. Drive is 3-4 minutes. Hillhurst *to* Kensington.

My commute is a goddamn mess though right now with child pick up and drop offs - especially now in the summer when school is out and day camps are in. One child in daycare.

Honestly though, I feel my quality of life is drastically improved by the lack of a real commute. Time saved, money saved, stress saved.

[Mazrim]

I drive most of the time, bike occasionally.

Morning: 18 minutes
Afternoon: 23 minutes
(Thanks Google for tracking my daily commutes - it's fairly consistent since I try to avoid rush hour)

Biking - 35 minutes each way.

When I first moved to Calgary, I lived in the far North end and worked in the far South end. My commute was 40 minutes there, and 60 minutes back. I'm so glad I don't do that anymore.

[Scroopy Noopers]

1.5hrs if I take the toll road or leave before 5:15am.

[moncton golden flames]

45 minutes one-way on a good weather/traffic day. Upwards of 1.5 hrs one-way on real bad weather days.

Commuting from Cochrane to Glenmore/Blackfoot.

[N-E-B]

Auburn Bay -> Downtown

I drive. 20 minutes during dayshifts (I leave the house around 4:45am), nights (4:45pm departure) can take 25-30 minutes depending on traffic, though it's usually not too bad.

[Buff]

Living in Lethbridge I drive from the deep south to the mid north part of town. Takes me 9 minutes. I go home at lunch every day. Commute time is a huge factor that is keeping me in Lethbridge. Trains make me want to leave though. If I get stopped by a train it can take me 20 minutes or more.

[PsYcNeT]

I drive from Harvest Hills -> Downtown (to drop off my wife) -> Manchester Industrial and then in reverse to go home.

Takes about 30 minutes in the morning and 50 minutes in the evening each day, unless some thing stupid happens (I have to cross rail tracks on each route).

[Wormius]

Originally Posted by TheIronMaiden

Okay, how about this: whats the longest commute you've done before?

90 minutes each way from downtown Vancouver to Langley on Skytrain and bus.


Current commute is about 45 minutes on good days, combination of express bus and CTrain. I am sure it would be 25 minutes or something if I drove to work at the same time I am taking transit.

[Amethyst]

I live in one suburb and work in another nearby. I usually drive and it's 5-10 minutes each way. In the winter, I sometimes take the bus and it's 10-15 minutes.

Edit to add: I did have a summer job one year that had me working in a small town and living in Saskatoon. I think it was around 45 minutes - an hour and I hated it mostly for the traffic. It was a busy, non-divided highway, so trying to pass slow traffic was a nightmare.

[Lubicon]

Originally Posted by TheIronMaiden

Okay, how about this: whats the longest commute you've done before?

Summer job back in university but the full time guys had the same:

80-90 minutes, 115km.

Lived in town and worked at a remote site. Put on another ~300km per day for the job itself so a little over 500km/day driving. We miled out our company trucks every 10 months or so.

[JohnnyB]

I hate the commute I've had over the last half year. 50 minutes one way, at least 90 minutes return. Almost 60kms each way... Has been brutal.

90 minutes return is also since I switched to car part way and subway the rest to avoid traffic. Before making that switch there were times it would take well over 2 hours to get home in the evening. It is enough to start planning to leave a job.

I get out the door at 6AM to beat the traffic too.

I do get through a tonne of audio books, but the amount of sitting kills me. Makes me long for the 25-minute bike rides I used to have for my commute.

Edit: actually, when I think back on it, the worst commutes I had home in the evening would be a 3 hour ride if the traffic was bad.... so terrible

[mikephoen]

Before we built our new house, my commute was about a 6 minute walk. But now it's a 6 minute drive. Oh well, what can you do.

Hillhurst to Mount Pleasant. Previously Mount Pleasant to Mount Pleasant.

[topfiverecords]

Originally Posted by surferguy

When I am working it's about 15 seconds across my back deck to my work shop.

I could never handle going back to a long commute like that now since I’ve lowered mine down to 1 second.

Sit up in bed and open Calgarypuck on my iPhone. The problem is the job pays nothing monetary.

[manwiches]

One of the biggest reasons I love living in a small city. My commute went from 45-60 minutes one way when I lived in Calgary, to 7 minutes door to door in Regina.

Recently starting a new job though, my commute is 45 steps, from my bed to my basement office.

I love not driving in rush hour now, no matter what city I'm in.

[flamesgirl18]

3 minute walk, 2 if I jaywalk We used to do the commute from the deep NW to downtown. Moving to Eau Claire a few years ago was one of the best decisions we could make as we've saved a ton of money by not having to drive and pay for parking and/or paying for transit passes for two people.

[BigNumbers]

Originally Posted by N-E-B

Auburn Bay -> Downtown

I drive. 20 minutes during dayshifts (I leave the house around 4:45am), nights (4:45pm departure) can take 25-30 minutes depending on traffic, though it's usually not too bad.

Auburn Bay is the new Airdrie!

I just used google maps and looked - if you want to go from Auburn Bay school to downtown at 830 AM, Google says 35-55 minutes, average 50 minutes!

Going the other way, aiming to be home at 5pm, it says it will take you 55 minutes!!

Holy hell... That's 1.5-2hrs a day lost in your car...

[TheIronMaiden]

In you opinion is driving 1.5 hours one way, 4 times a week, for a year doable?