Posted on 06/09/2005 2:59:47 PM PDT by NCjim
RALEIGH, N.C. -- People in the Triangle actually spend more money each year on their commute than people in Los Angeles, according to a recent study by Sperling's Best Places.
The report ranks Raleigh-Durham ninth on a list of most expensive places to drive, with commuters spending over $4,100 annually on gas and driving 58.6 miles daily.
Several factors contribute to the Triangle's costly commute. About 78 percent of drivers do not car pool, which adds up to more cars on the road.
About 12 percent of the population works in a different county. And only 3.04 percent of commuters use public transportation, according to Sperling's.
Julie Woosley, director of Research Triangle Park's Smart Commute, said she is not surprised by the new study.
The transportation management association, which addresses common transportation concerns in RTP, conducts an annual survey of transportation in the area in which many large companies in Durham and Wake counties participate.
"We saw a 20 percent increase in distance that commuters travel everyday to get to work," Woosley said.
Sperling's study, which bases its findings on a typical family that has two wage earners commuting in separate vehicles, ranked Atlanta as the most expensive place for driving at just over $4,500 per year. Other cities earning a spot in the top ten included Birmingham, Nashville, Orlando, Indianapolis and San Francisco.
(Excerpt) Read more at wral.com ...
The complete list is here.
Boston was listed as Mass, N.H. Maine, that's not quite right I.M.O. -it should have included the BOSCON.. (Boston to N.Y.)
That would have skwered the numbers BIG time.
Boston was listed as Mass, N.H. Maine, that's not quite right I.M.O. -it should have included the BOSCON.. (Boston to N.Y.)
That would have skwered the numbers BIG time.
NC Ping?
Do these costs include repairs and maintenance of cars that get the crap beat out of them on the horrible North Carolina roads?
Cry me a river. They pay a third of what I pay here in Dallas for their insurance premiums.
I have a friend who moved here from NC and he was shocked at how much we pay here.
That's because we have fewer car thieves. The criminals are too lazy here. Actually, we have a well regulated insurance industry and they are forced to give refunds when they overcollect on premiums.
I was in Durham and Chapel Hill this past weekend and thought the roads were excellent compared to MD. Road signs, on the other hand...
The carpool lanes are what contribute to the costly commute, not lack of carpoolers.
Here in So Cal, those *^&%$#! carpool lanes slow everything down because they take up so much room. These MORONS seem to think that carpooling is a matter of choice and/or convenience. It's not. I couldn't carpool if I wanted to because the nature of my work precludes it, as is the case in MANY peoples' circumstances. We are stuck in the regular lanes, while most of the people using carpools are there because they happen to have somebody else in the car -- they're on the road en route to a social occasion with spouse or friend, shopping with friend or family member, or going somewhere with kids in the car. I remember cruising in the carpool lane with my husband down to San Diego one Friday afternoon for a weekend social event, nothing important, zipping along at 60. Meanwhile, hard-working folks with busy lives were crawling along at 15 mph in the regular lanes. It proved the total farce of carpool lanes.
On a five-lane freeway where one of the lanes is designated for carpooling, that's a 20 percent loss of freeway area. But our Big Nanny Federal Gov't' has decided that we all need to carpool, so for a state to get federal highway monies, they must include carpool lanes in their plans.
Carpool lanes are wasteful, discriminatory, and cause an increase in traffic jams (and therefore pollution).
Like polls and Michael Moore flicks, the liberal socialism machine cranks out their version of reality.
The goal is confiscation.
Even the little tobacco tax will drive thousands of business people out of work.
North Carolina wants to be part of the Northeast. Now the ACC even has Boston.
Monorail! Monorail! Monorail! [/Simpsons reference]
I am sorry, but I can't believe you if you keep Durham in there.
Chapel Hill == nice roads (YES)
Durham == nice roads (WHATEVER YOU ARE SMOKING, PLEASE PASS IT AROUND)
Road signs in North Carolina are a deliberate attempt to screw over any Yankees who drive here. Such things as a warning sign that a lane is coming to an end are unheard of.
Traffic signals in North Carolina: Green = Go, Red = Stop, Yellow = "Floor It!"
Most road signs (hazards and standard signage) seem to be normal however, there is a construction zone in Maryland that I saw where, instead of a "Lane Ends Merge Left/Right" sign, the sign reads "Form Single Lane" I was a bit surprised they left the decision process up to the drivers. Especially in a place (MD) where I've nearly been creamed by 3 different school buses that have all run red lights in front of me. It took me a few tries, but I have learned to pause an extra second after my light turns green before proceeding into the intersection.
I worked in DC and Maryland for years. I did notice that they have a problem with merging. They are as rude about allowing you to merge into traffic as Massachusetts drivers.
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