Field Guide to Home Buying & the Commute to Work
(Updated June 2007)
If your commuting options are long and longer you're not alone. Work travel times have been creeping up for a number of years. Does commuting impact where people choose to live? The American Institute of Architects latest survey indicates an increase in the importance of access to public or alternative transportation. Many search out homes near mass transit, though that may not make for a shorter commute (just ask Chicago commuters). (D. Foligno, Project Specialist)
Contents:
Commuting Issues | Commuting & the Home-Buying Decision | Impact on Communities | Green Commuting | Websites | eBooks & Other Resources
Commuting in America in the Last Decade
The number of cars on the road increased by 30-million
Single-occupant drivers grew nearly 13-million in the 90's
Men are the majority early morning commuters; women are later morning commuters
Age 65+ workers increased by 21%
Carpooling has increased in the West; decreased in the East and Midwest
Increases in those commuting 60+ and 90+ minutes
Number of people working from home has increased
4% of workers have no car
Source: Commuting in America III, (Transportation Research Board, Nov/Dec. 2006). - Third Nat. Report on Commuting Patterns & Trends.
Commuting Issues 
There and back again, (New Yorker, Apr. 16, 2007).
Public transportation saves $6,200 per household, (Public Transportation.org, Jan. 9, 2007).
A heavy load: the combined housing & transportation burdens of working families, (Center for Housing Policy, Oct. 2006). - Affordable housing savings may be lost to transportation costs.
Asleep at the wheel? Morning rush hour now starts at 5a.m., (Wall Street Journal, Oct. 17, 2006). Q
Which reduces vehicle travel more: jobs-housing balance or retail-housing mixing?, (Journal of the American Planning Association, Autumn 2006). Q
Mass transit is gaining riders, and cachet, as gas prices rise, (Wall Street Journal, June 20, 2006). Q
The Long and grinding road, (MSNBC.com, May 1, 2006).
Subdivided: expatriots from the suburbs, (Google.com, Apr. 14, 2006). - Documentary suggesting longer commutes lead to social isolation.
One-plane garage with a view, (San Francisco Chronicle, Mar. 5, 2006).
Americans spend more than 100 hours commuting to work each year, (Census Bureau, Mar. 30, 2005).
Extreme Commuting, (Business Week, Feb. 21, 2005).
The driving factor, (Pennsylvania Environmental Council, Oct. 5, 2003).
Commuting & the Home-Buying Decision
Transit-oriented developments, (On Common Ground, National Association of REALTORS ® Government Affairs, Winter 2008).
Yours for $225,000: a place to park, (CNN Money, July 12, 2007).
Driven to extremes, (Washington Post, June 3, 2007).
Light-rail line powers Utah housing, (Chicago Tribune, May 6, 2007).
Could rising gas prices kill the suburbs?, (MSN.com, 2007).
Demand for housing near mass transit, (National Association of Home Builders, Dec. 11, 2006).
Now is the time for TODs, (On Common Ground, National Association of REALTORS ® Government Affairs, Summer 2006).- Homebuyers are waiting in line for transit-oriented development.
Commute time influences homebuyers, (Tierra Grande, July 2006).
Despite planners' best efforts, many people choose the commute, (Seattle Times, July 28, 2006).
Deciding where to live, (CNN.com, Apr. 14, 2005).
Impact on Communities
Commuting to opportunity: the working poor and commuting in the United States, (Brookings Institution, Mar. 14, 2008).
Lack of affordable housing near jobs: a problem for employers and employees—new survey from ULI looks at impact of commuting, (Urban Land Institute, June 4, 2007).
Build it near transit, diversity will come, (Realty Times, Nov. 16, 2006).
Preserving and promoting diverse transit-oriented neighborhoods, (Center for Transit-Oriented Development, Oct. 2006).
Cheap house, costly commute - gas prices hurt affordable areas, (Puget Sound Business Journal, June 2, 2006).
Smart growth policies hurt, (National Center for Public Policy, June 2006).
High cost or high opportunity cost? Transportation and family economic success, (Brookings Institution, Dec. 2005).
Green Commuting
Transportation becomes architecture in MIT's city car, (MIT Center for Real Estate, Oct. 9, 2007).
Cities encourage commuters to take to the water; new water-taxi, ferry routes aim to ease traffic, pollution; the pier-to-office challenge, (Wall Street Journal, Sept. 2006). Q
Tips to save gas and improve mileage, (Houston Association of REALTORS®).
Green your commute, (Monster.com).
Going green, (HR Magazine, Oct. 2006). Q
In the urban jungle, bike commuters must remain fearless, (Advertising Age, Oct. 2006).
Best workplaces for commuters, (Department of Transportation).
iGo, (iGo Cars.org). - Car-Sharing Service.
Websites
The true cost of driving, (Commute Solutions.org). - Commuting calculator.
Commuter choice primer, (U.S. Department of Transportation). - Government and business program offering commuting options to employees.
2005 Annual Urban Mobility Report, (Texas A&M University).
Best places to live 2006, (Money Magazine). - Shortest commutes.
Commuter Choice Brochure, (U.S. Department of Transportation). - Addresses commuting's impact on communities and businesses.
2004 American Community Survey, (Center for Transit-Oriented Development, Oct. 2004).
Hidden in plain sight - capturing the demand for housing near transit, (Center for Transit-Oriented Development, Sept. 2004). - Transit-forecasting profile.
eRideShare.com - Free carpool matching service.
Biking to Work, (Bike Traffic.org). - Tips and advice for bicycle commuters.
Walk Score, (WalkScore.com). - Find out how "walkable" your home is.
U.S. Local & State Transit Links, (American Public Transportation Association).
Commuting distance sensitivity by race and socio-economic status, (University of California & State University of New York, May 2002). - Analyzes how race affects decision of where to move in relation to work.
eBooks & Other Resources
eBooks.realtor.org
The following ebooks and digital audiobooks are available to NAR members:
The 30-second commute (Adobe eReader)
Field Guides & More
These Field Guides and other resources in the Virtual Library may also be of interest:
Field Guide to Home Offices
Field Guide to Smart Growth & Growth Management
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