We're wasting away ...

[spooker]

New study just published showed how much time we're wasting stuck in traffic ...

https://www.citylab.com/transportation/2018/02/traffics-mind-boggling-economic-toll/552488/

Of course it's the big cities that have the worst scores, LA has an average waste of 102 hours per year ... almost a whole week stuck in traffic?

In the Okanagan we're not up to that level, but you gotta wonder about those coming from the westside over the bridge ... and for those who might think we just need more roads, LA has 12-lane highways and still is the most congested ... time to start thinking about our future without the SOV blinders on ...

Not sure if taxis/Uber are the way forward as suggested here ... https://forums.castanet.net/viewtopic.php?f=23&t=75693

[GordonH]

New study just published showed how much time we're wasting stuck in traffic ...

https://www.citylab.com/transportation/2018/02/traffics-mind-boggling-economic-toll/552488/

Of course it's the big cities that have the worst scores, LA has an average waste of 102 hours per year ... almost a whole week stuck in traffic?

In the Okanagan we're not up to that level, but you gotta wonder about those coming from the westside over the bridge ... and for those who might think we just need more roads, LA has 12-lane highways and still is the most congested ... time to start thinking about our future without the SOV blinders on ...

Not sure if taxis/Uber are the way forward as suggested here ... https://forums.castanet.net/viewtopic.php?f=23&t=75693

Greater LA area has population 19+ million, then add in those just outside that area. That number would jumped
They have huge public transit system as well, I can only imagine if those users were added to vehicle problem.... Wow.

[Verum]

I commute for about 40 minutes round trip each day, roughly 200 days per year, which is around 130 hours per year. Most people I know are doing similar or greater commutes (time wise). The average for Canada is almost 1 hour round trip each day. That's about 240 hours per year. The US is a hair better at about 200 hours per year.

Does it really matter if one spends the time in traffic or travelling further? Surely what matters is total commute time and this study doesn't address that at all.

[TreeGuy]

I’d rather be wasting away in Margaritaville while looking for my lost shaker of salt.

I had a 1 hour commute from Westbank to Vernon. That was crazy.

[CapitalB]

A lot of traffic problems we have could be solved by smart traffic lights. They systems have been around for years though toronto is the first canadian city to try them out.

[spooker]

If we don't worry (and say something about them) before they become the size of Godzilla we're just screwing ourselves and our kids ...

While we tend to accept our commute as the price we pay for all the other things (big yard, quiet neighbours, etc) is that price worth it? back in the late 90s I was driving about 75km one-way to get to the office ... just took it in stride since I lived in such a big city at the time ... took me about 5 years of living in Europe to understand that that's not the way we should live ...

No, moving closer to work is not the answer for everyone ... smart lights, tolls to help push carpooling, better transit, etc ... we need to figure this out

[Jflem1983]

Could always take perfectly good roads and turn them to bioe lanes. Works for Vancouver

[Poindexter]

Decades ago I used to commute 2 hours a day and when I moved here I actually missed it. Back then though driving was a sanctuary with beaded seat covers and cassette briefcases. Even now I put on Howard Stern and find myself sitting in my car at work because the commute didn't last long enough for the segment they were airing. In my opinion, either leave earlier or get known for being late, there's no need to rush. Driving is what you make of it and you're only wasting away if you waste your time in the car worrying about how long the trip will take.

Added: it occurred to me that maybe one of the reasons I don't mind sitting in traffic is the introvert in me enjoys the time alone in the car.