Spending about an hour commuting seems to be in our genetic make-up. Throughout history, humans have sought to keep their commutes to this time. All of the ancient cities like Rome encompassed a space 5 km or less in diameter – the size where a person can walk from the edge of town to the center and back in one hour. People eventually traded walking for horse carriages, then electric trains, then cars. With the quicker modes of transportation, people have been able to move farther away from the city and work. But one thing has remained constant- the center of the city (or work) has remained about 30 minutes away. As traffic gets worse and it takes longer to travel the same distance every day, many people are deciding to move closer.
The best solution to saving money and time each day might be to give up the commute all together and live near work. The financial cost of commuting is well documented. Solo drivers in the United States spend on average $4,000 per year on driving to and from work. The environmental impacts by commuters are gaining increased attention. But less discussed are the social implications in commuting.
People that commute less tend to be happier. In a German study, it was concluded that a person’s life satisfaction steadily decreases with longer commutes. One reason, according to Robert Putnam (Harvard University professor and leading author) is that a person’s social connections are reduced by 10% for every 10 minutes of commute time. This reduces the number of interactions with friends and the community. People have less time to spend on personal relationships, attend events and have fun.
There are also health benefits to reducing a commute. First, commuters have less time to eat well, get good sleep and participate in physical activities. Additionally, a University of California at Irvine study has shown that commuting stress takes a major toll on health. High levels of stress can lead to increased blood pressure, a weakened immune system, and a number of other physical symptoms. In fact, a BBC study concluded that commuters had higher blood pressure levels than pilots and police officers in training exercises. Finally, sitting in a car for extended periods of time can easily lead to back problems. Reducing one’s commute provides an opportunity to reduce health risks and have more time to take care of one’s self.
Downtown Bellevue has a number of downtown housing options to bring people near work. In fact, there are over 6,000 units in the downtown core and over 3,300 new units have been added since 2005. An extra hour each day is five hours per week. Over the year, this is an extra ten days to do something other than being stuck in traffic- that adds up to two full work weeks! A move downtown can bring financial savings, physical well-being and increased life satisfaction!
-Michael
