Average Commute or Extreme Commute?

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Commute Times & Gas Prices Are Up: How to Cope

A 2007 Gallup poll found that the average American spends 46 minutes commuting to and from work each day. But with the price of gas going up and up, many Americans are making adjustments to the daily trek. Here are some tips to save time, save money, save the planet, or save your sanity while commuting.

How Gas Prices Affect Commute Behavior 

June 2008 Survey from Robert Half shows commuters are changing their habits

Almost half of the workers questioned in a nationwide survey for Robert Half International said gas prices are changing their commuting behavior. As the national average for gas hovered around $4, the survey discovered 44 percent of workers have made adjustments to their commutes, an increase of 10 percent over the number of workers a year ago who said they had made changes due to the high prices of gas. Gas averaged $2.80 a gallon last year when Robert Half conducted the survey.

Survey respondents this year said they've taken the following actions to cope with rising gas costs:

- 46 percent are using carpooling or ridesharing more often
- 33 percent have started driving a more fuel-efficient car
- 33 percent are telecommuting more often
- 30 percent have begun hunting for a job closer to home
- 26 percent are working fewer days of the week
- 18 percent are walking or biking to work

Bike to Work Day 

If you're looking for an alternative to driving, try bicycling

Get motivated with Bike to Work Day.

Bike-to-Work Day is an annual event held on the third Friday of May across the United States and Canada that promotes the bicycle as an option for commuting to work. Leading up to Bike-to-Work Day, national, regional, and local bicycle advocacy groups encourage people to try bicycle commuting as a healthy and safe alternative to driving by providing route information and tips for new bicycle commuters. On Bike-to-Work Day, these groups often organize bicycle-related events, and in some areas, pit stops along bicycle routes with snacks.

Bike-to-Work Day was originated by the League of American Bicyclists in 1956 and is a part of Bike-to-Work Week, which is in turn part of National Bike Month.

Commuting Bikes Can Speed You Up 

Folding bikes fit on trains, buses and subways, oh my!

if you've got to ride at least a couple of miles to get to work, you'll probably want a regular road bike or mountain bike to make the trip. But if you're looking for a way to combine a short bike ride with a trip on public transportation, folding bikes are the way to go. Simply fold them up to squeeze onto the subway, train or bus and unfold them to peddle the rest of the way to work.

Stamina 15-0200 InTone Folding Recumbent Bike

Amazon Price: $179.00 (as of 12/29/2009) Buy Now

Schwinn Hinge Folding Bike

Amazon Price: $196.45 (as of 12/29/2009) Buy Now

Kent Compact 16 Aluminum Folding Bike (16-Inch Wheels)

Amazon Price: $159.99 (as of 12/29/2009) Buy Now

New York City Bicycle Commute 

It's healthy and better for the environment, but better wear a helmet!

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Cut Your Commute with a Scooter 

If biking isn't to your liking, consider a scooter.

For years I engaged in a long, multi-part commute that consisted of driving to the train station, taking the train and then walking to my office. But the walking part alone took 15-20 minutes. After finally deciding that saving even a few minutes in an hour and a half commute was worth it, I bought a simple Razr push scooter, which allowed me to cut my walk time from 15 minutes to five. Scooters are inexpensive, great exercise and fun to ride. They're a great way to commute.

Razor A Kick Scooter (Blue)

Amazon Price: $28.50 (as of 12/29/2009) Buy Now

Razor A Kick Scooter (Pink)

Amazon Price: $29.99 (as of 12/29/2009) Buy Now

Razor A2 Kick Scooter (Red)

Amazon Price: $36.57 (as of 12/29/2009) Buy Now

Razor A Kick Scooter (Green)

Amazon Price: $27.97 (as of 12/29/2009) Buy Now

Kent Super Scooter (Blue/White)

Amazon Price: $70.00 (as of 12/29/2009) Buy Now

Save Time, Money and Sanity with Telecommuting 

Need to convince your boss? Here's why he or she should listen

More and more workers are telecommuting each year. This is good news for workers looking to cut their commute expenses, and it's great news for the environment, as fewer cars on the road mean less global warming gases. It's also good news for employers, most of whom realize see a wealth of benefits when they start letting their employees stay out of the office. If your boss is still an old-school manager who thinks you have to be in the office to be productive, here are some stats from the Telework Coalition to make him or her think again.

- Telecommuting is good for productivity. British Telecom has found productivity rose 31 percent among their telecommuters, Dow Chemical saw a 32.5% increase in productivity, and JD Edwards says telecommuters are 20 - 25% more productive than their office coworkers.

- Telecommuting is good for retaining employees. AT&T found two-thirds of workers offered jobs by other companies remained with AT&T, and telework was one of the major factors in their decisions

- Telecommuting saves money on absenteeism. Employers can save 63% of absenteeism costs per worker per year. A 1999 study showed the potential US employer annual savings through telework from reduced absenteeism, recruiting costs, and increased productivity could be as high as $441 billion.

Still don't think your boss will be convinced? Then check these links:

CareerBuilder
Telecommute Connecticut
Telework.gov
Quintessential Careers
CNN.com

Hypermiling tips to help you save gas and money 

You'll get better gas mileage and save money

Hypermiling is a term coined by Wayne Gerdes to describes techniques used to exceed a vehicle's EPA rated fuel economy. Using simple techniques, you can save up to 30% on gas consumption. Here are a few tips:

- Accelerate slowly from green lights and brake slowly for red lights

- Use cruise control on the highway

- Use engine oil of a low viscocity

- Remove cargo racks to cut down on drag

- Don't carry excess weight in your car

- Group errands together rather than making multiple short trips

For more information, visit:

CNN.com

TreeHugger

CleanMPG.com

A Car That Gets Over 100 mpg? 

It could coming soon to a dealer near you

Hypermilers on Wikipedia 

Hypermiling is the act of driving using techniques that maximize fuel economy. Those who practice these techniques are referred to as "hypermilers."

Hypermiling is defined by the New Oxford American Dictionary as the attempt to maximize gas mileage by making fuel-conserving adjustments to one's vehicle and one's driving techniques.http://apps1.eere.energy.gov/news/news_detail.cfm/news_id=12181

In 2008, the word hypermiling was selected as the best new word of the year by New Oxford American Dictionary.[http://money.cnn.com/2008/11/11/news/economy/wordof_year/index.htm Word of the year: 'Hypermiling']

Hypermiling, which can be practiced in any vehicle regardless of its fuel economy, has gained in popularity as a result of the rise in gasoline prices during the 2000s.Hypermilers stretch their gas mileage - The Denver Post While common techniques can be carried out by average motorists making minor changes in their driving habits, many hypermilers use more advanced techniques, some of which are illegal in most if not all jurisdictions.[http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/article.aspx?subjectID=15&articleID=20080717_15_E3_spa462136 Tulsa World: 'Hypermiling' tricks sometimes unlawful]

Extreme Commutes 

Extreme commuters walk, bike and ride extreme distances to get to and from work

While the average American spends 46 minutes in round trip commuting time every day, these New York workers exceed the average to an extreme.

Extreme Commuter: 8 hours every day

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NYC Extreme Commuter: Four-hour trip

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Extreme Commuter

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Extreme Commuter 2

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Traffic, Traffic, Traffic! 

Photos from Flickr. Is this what you're looking at every day on the way to work?

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New Motor Trend Photo Gallery 

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How Do You Commute? 

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  • Reply
    MontagueBikes MontagueBikes Jun 11, 2009 @ 3:54 pm
    hey, check out my links for great full sized mountain bikes that just happen to fold.
  • Reply
    Nov 14, 2008 @ 5:14 pm
    Where I live, drivers tend to race between traffic lights knowing they will have to wait when they get to the next light. Then they slam on the brakes. It wastes gas and brakes, but they don't seem to mind. The behavior is a problem for drivers like me who cruise smoothly to catch the green lights. They want me off their racetrack! Maybe if gas goes to $5 they'll come around to my way of thinking.

Celebrate Dump the Pump Day! 

Dump the Pump Day is dedicated to raising awareness about the benefits of public transportation. The American Public Transportation Association says the benefits include "the opportunity for people to beat the high price of gasoline and support public transportation as an important travel option that helps reduce our dependence on foreign oil as well as reducing the amount of harmful greenhouse gases that are emitted into our environment."

The third annual Dump the Pump Day was held June 19, 2008. Watch for the next one in 2009 and dump the pump!

by lisadh

I used to commute over two hours a day. Now I work from home. Woohoo! I also run Collectibles4WorldHunger.com, a place to buy collectibles and do a go... (more)

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