This Is the Worst Place to Commute from in the United States

[BernieP]

Oh look, we made the news

Worst Place to Commute from in the United States

While you’re sitting in traffic on the way to work, you may think that you’ve got it bad. But you may be surprised to find out that the most arduous commute isn’t to and from huge city hubs like New York City or San Francisco.


The worst place for people to commute from? Charles County, Maryland. In 2017, residents of southern Maryland county outside of Washington D.C. spent an average of 388 hours getting to and from work, according to a recent analysis by Bloomberg. That’s the equivalent of about two-and-a-half weeks! Thankfully, though, while Maryland houses the county with the longest commute, it’s not one of the states with the most dangerous commutes.

Using data from the 2017 U.S. Census, Bloomberg calculated the opportunity costs of commuting, based on how expensive it was, the percentage of income people spend on getting to and from work, and the percentage of commuters who leave before 6 a.m. to try to beat the crowds.

Commuters from Charles County earned an average of $75,254, and spent 19.4 percent of their income on commuting, Bloomberg found. That’s the equivalent of about $14,612. And 27.8 percent of commuters in Charles County started their journey to work before 6 a.m.

Four of the other counties that made the top five for highest commuting costs were also in the Washington, D.C. area: Fauquier and Stafford counties in Northern Virginia, and Calvert County in Maryland. (Contra Costa County outside San Francisco also made the list.)

 

[ReadingTheNews]

And here I've been telling myself, "it's not that bad; it could be worse....", etc.

 

[Kyle]

Looks like I won't be picking Fauquier or Stafford for a future resettlement.

 

[Chris0nllyn]

Bloomberg calculated a county resident’s opportunity cost by converting hours spent commuting into a dollar amount based on the average annual income of a full-time worker. The index also factored in the percentage of workers who commute before 6 a.m. under the assumption that leaving that early is undesirable for most and warrants a higher opportunity cost.

I think anyone who has sat in rushhour traffic on the beltway would still take the Chuck County commute.

 

[Gilligan]

I have to "commute" frequently from St. Mary's to DC area to get to airports or attend meetings or support project work at naval facilities. For 34 years and counting...and I've always been totally amazed that anyone can do that every day.. I know I couldn't.

 

[SamSpade]

I have to "commute" frequently from St. Mary's to DC area to get to airports or attend meetings or support project work at naval facilities. For 34 years and counting...and I've always been totally amazed that anyone can do that every day.. I know I couldn't.

Like any trip you make often - you get used to it. I used to visit my parents here when I lived in Boston. For me, a 10-11 hour trip. After a dozen times - barely registered with me.

I commuted to DC from Lusby every day for six years. A 55 mile trip one way. First week was murder. After a few months I could do it in my sleep.

 

[Gilligan]

Like any trip you make often - you get used to it..

Obviously, some do. I never could. I cannot stand the commute when I have to make it only maybe once a month now. I commuted 1-1/2 hours to and from work for one short period of two years and swore I'd never do that again...and it was a commute largely free of traffic too.

I think for me it's the whole "wasted hours in my life" aspect of it that I can't deal with...

 

[black dog]

I would have thought either the 66 or 95 commute in VA would be worse.

 

[StadEMS3]

Going on 10yrs from Mechanicsville to DC. Due to my position and the possibility to COOP, I have to drive in. I drive all the back roads for some sanity. Although I think 235 is the craziest part of it, people be driving +80mph at 5am just to end up at a red light, lol.

 

[SamSpade]

Obviously, some do. I never could. I cannot stand the commute when I have to make it only maybe once a month now. I commuted 1-1/2 hours to and from work for one short period of two years and swore I'd never do that again...and it was a commute largely free of traffic too.

I think for me it's the whole "wasted hours in my life" aspect of it that I can't deal with...

Mostly - I am on a bus. I can sleep or read. That's not time wasted.

 

[BernieP]

I would have thought either the 66 or 95 commute in VA would be worse.

There are a lot of places I can think of that are just traffic nightmares, I merely posted the story, no idea how they arrived at that conclusion.
I will tell you that the lack of rail service into Charles and Calvert is a real killer.
Buses are not the answer, they get caught in the same traffic and their stops are typically more frequent and longer than trains / subways. plus move fewer people.
But between NIMBY, red tape, and corruption, we can't build a sidewalk in under ten years.

 

[TCROW]

There are a lot of places I can think of that are just traffic nightmares, I merely posted the story, no idea how they arrived at that conclusion.
I will tell you that the lack of rail service into Charles and Calvert is a real killer.
Buses are not the answer, they get caught in the same traffic and their stops are typically more frequent and longer than trains / subways. plus move fewer people.
But between NIMBY, red tape, and corruption, we can't build a sidewalk in under ten years.

I remember a few years back, Charles County was trying to get bus rapid transit lanes designated to head north on 5/301. Not sure whatever happened with the effort (I think I recall the proposal was the use the shoulders for bus-only traffic), but discussion about it ended fairly quickly as I recall. Ken Robinson wanted to revive the train tracks that come down through that area, but as I recall the issue was that these were only single tracks and there weren't enough passing loops to accommodate the traffic that would be expected.

 

[SamSpade]

I remember a few years back, Charles County was trying to get bus rapid transit lanes designated to head north on 5/301. Not sure whatever happened with the effort (I think I recall the proposal was the use the shoulders for bus-only traffic), but discussion about it ended fairly quickly as I recall. Ken Robinson wanted to revive the train tracks that come down through that area, but as I recall the issue was that these were only single tracks and there weren't enough passing loops to accommodate the traffic that would be expected.

A shame, too, because I've seen several things that say Southern Maryland commuting is one of the largest in the area and commuter bus usage IS the largest in the DC area. Certainly the ridership is there.

 

[stgislander]

Plus those tracks do not head into DC. They run up towards Annapolis

 

[luvmygdaughters]

One of my daughters lived in Chesapeake Beach and commuted to Alexandria, VA. She said that was nightmare. The farthest commute I've ever had was from Eastern Shore, Kent Island to Clinton, MD. It wasnt too bad, except during the summer!! I did that for approximately 3 years. I now commute from Leonardtown to La Plata. 45 minute drive, like anything else, some days not to bad, other days its horrible.

 

[Gilligan]

Sometimes I struggle with the 150' I have to navigate to and from the office every day.

 

[stgislander]

Sometimes I struggle with the 150' I have to navigate to and from the office every day.

And you don't have to deal with bridge traffic. (lucky bastid!)

 

[TCROW]

Plus those tracks do not head into DC. They run up towards Annapolis

That’s right — maybe they run by Suitland or another Metro station? I seem to remember the plan was to be a link to Metro, not a direct route to DC.

 

[BernieP]

I remember a few years back, Charles County was trying to get bus rapid transit lanes designated to head north on 5/301. Not sure whatever happened with the effort (I think I recall the proposal was the use the shoulders for bus-only traffic), but discussion about it ended fairly quickly as I recall. Ken Robinson wanted to revive the train tracks that come down through that area, but as I recall the issue was that these were only single tracks and there weren't enough passing loops to accommodate the traffic that would be expected.

Probably because adding a lane was not practical, each intersection poses a problem for a dedicated lane - somebody has to cross it / use it to make a turn on or off the main route.
A lot of places have rail lines in the median, gates block the intersection when trains are coming through
St. Mary's made sure rail service would never be implemented when it ripped up the tracks and converted the old right of way to a trail.

 

[black dog]

Plus those tracks do not head into DC. They run up towards Annapolis

Yep, didn't they run to pax delivering coal for the steam plant like at the Academy when they ran coal down Richie Hwy through Arnold and across the Severn.