Commute - Would You Rather? (Leesburg: home, school, maintenance)

[spencgr]

My commute is extremely long (1.5 hours each way), and most people would never even think of doing it. But, my commute is 100% better than before, when it was 45 minutes. Why is that? Because, most of the time, I am driving at speed, not stuck in traffic. While long, it's normally a very pleasant commute. So, assuming everything else is the same, which would you rather do?

1 - 1 hour commute with no traffic.
2 - 30 minute commute, but stuck in "stop and go" traffic the entire time.


(and I think this is certainly NOVA related, because only those in this area, who regularly deal with long commutes and traffic, can really make an informed decision.)

[stpickrell]

#1 easily.

[michgc]

#2. For only 30 minutes, I can put up with stop-and-go. If you asked about an hour with stop-and-go versus an 1 1/2 hours smooth sailing, my answer would be different. Because one hour of stop and go is very frustrating. But for only 30 minutes of frustrating, I'll take the extra 30 minutes at home to relax.

[toosie]

If it's 30 minutes in stop and go traffic then it'll be even faster at off times. I'd choose the faster commute.

[bornindc]

I'd take a 30 minute "slow" commute over a commute of any type twice as long. That's an extra hour a day sitting in your car! I'd rather be doing something with the kids or mowing the lawn even than sitting in the car an extra five hours each week.

[newnewsmama]

#1. I read that stop and go traffic could raise people blood pressure and stress level significantly and was very bad for your health.

[scottfs]

30 min for sure. Then when you're going at off-times, or on a weekend it'd be much less than that. Presumably you'd be closer to home and your kids' (if you have any) school during the day in case of something unexpected. Plus if there's an "incident" somewhere along the way home, as there's bound to be now and then, the hour commute could easily become 1.5 or 2 hours.

[tysonsengineer]

Originally Posted by scottfs

30 min for sure. Then when you're going at off-times, or on a weekend it'd be much less than that. Presumably you'd be closer to home and your kids' (if you have any) school during the day in case of something unexpected. Plus if there's an "incident" somewhere along the way home, as there's bound to be now and then, the hour commute could easily become 1.5 or 2 hours.

#2 because if it truly takes 30 minutes in stop and go, then you are likely only going about 5-6 miles. And if it is that stop and go, there is likely multiple alternatives if I wanted to bus, rail, or bike. Also if its only 5 to 6 miles as opposed to 40 miles Id be saving about 200 bucks a month on gas (not to mention maintenance on driving those extra miles).

[hilsmom]

yeah, half hour stop and go isn't so bad. When it approaches an hour is when it gets incredibly frustrating and I'd consider going over as long as you are moving the entire time.

However, Most of my adult life, I have avoided having to drive myself. In this area, even the areas where driving would take you an hour or more have public transportation options. Busses and trains mean I get to read a paper and relax while someone else deals with the stop and go traffic.

[KenInMA]

The problem is that if it's stop-and-start traffic, it can be 15 minutes or an hour or more depending on the day. To say that it's 30 minutes every day just isn't plausible. If you don't believe me, take 7 from Leesburg to Tysons every day for a week and keep track of your times. They'll be all over the place. And after you've checked yourself out of rehab because of a opiate addiction due to the stress, come back to this thread and tell us your times.

I'd take the (nearly) guaranteed 1 hour.