JULY 2, 2008

I Love Commuting

This summer, I drive over 100 miles a day to get to and from work. Yes, you heard me right, I said 100. To be exact, it’s 101.8 miles roundtrip to get from my home in Round Hill, Va., to my internship in Arlington, Va., which translates to about 2 hours in traffic each day. I understand that most people probably think I’m crazy, but don’t worry, I have done the analysis and have come to the conclusion that this is the best option for me.

I grew up in Sterling, Va. so I understand the joys and pains of commuting in this area. I’ve accepted the fact that five miles can mean 30 minutes. Round Hill is about halfway between Winchester, Va. and Dulles International Airport, to give you an idea about where I live. And it’s the part of Loudoun County that has yet to be truly hit by the vast expansion of the D.C. metropolitan area.

This summer I will pay $5 in tolls (by taking what I think is the overpriced but at the same time wonderfully traffic-free Dulles Greenway) and $5 in parking per day, not to mention use up a quarter tank in gas for a roundtrip. My small sedan has an 18-gallon gas tank that I fill up at least twice a week. I have to get my oil changed every 1.5 months. While all of these costs add up to a hefty bill at the end of the month, it was still cheaper than trying to find temporary housing for three months during the summer. And if nothing else, I view this summer of commuting as a crash course in how to live on a budget.

The latest American Community Survey conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau in 2006 found that the average commute to work for someone living in the Washington, D.C.-Virginia area is 33.4 miles. That’s only 17.5 miles less than I travel one-way each day.

Forbes.com also wrote articles in April and May 2008 about the best and worst commutes around the country and cities with the worst fueling costs, respectively. D.C. ranks 7th for the worst commute in the country with 15% of drivers traveling over an hour to get to work and only 26% of drivers commuting less than 20 minutes. Forbes also ranked D.C. as the 3rd worst city for fueling costs with D.C. commuters spending an average of $6.32 a day for commuting (that was calculated with the average gas price of $3.72, so it’s a little higher now), which is about $14 less than what I pay a day. But on the flip side, D.C. also ranked second best for efficiency in carpooling, public transportation and walking.

Honestly, I’m not upset or frustrated by any of this. While it does hurt to put so much money towards commuting and not towards other “useful” things such as clothes or shoes, I actually enjoy commuting to work. I don’t know whether it’s the quiet time or the fact that I finally get a break from the constant human contact that comes with living in this area—but I LOVE commuting.

I used to commute alone, but I started to commute with my boyfriend this year. At first, I was a little hesitant because I was very protective of my alone time in the car. But with the cost of everything going up it didn’t make sense for us to commute separately. After a short adjustment period, I now love commuting with a passenger too.

The Washingtonian recently released its “Best of Washington List” and I-66 is ranked the second worst traffic bottleneck. I take this road every day (and get to take advantage of the HOV-2 restrictions) and feel proud that I am able to conquer this horrible road. I realize that I am only on the road for about 8 miles, but it’s great to move without stop and go.

I’ll stop rambling on more about my daily commute, and will simply add this: If you have to commute this summer, try to to embrace it, because it could make the time in the car very enjoyable.