Business & Tech

Poll: How Long is Your Commute, Catonsville?

A new survey ranks commute times nationally, including in Maryland.

Are you spending a ridiculous amount of time on the road on your way to work? Still? In 2012?

A new analysis by The Business Journals could give you the answer you already know.

The network of business news websites recently examined U.S. Census data from the 2009 American Community Survey and ranked commuting times nationally, including in Maryland.

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The result: Grand Forks, ND, emerged as the easiest medium-sized city to get around in. Nearly 70 percent of its workers take less than 15 minutes to get to work, the publication said.

The commuting index was calculated this way: Cities got more points for the number of commuters who had a commute of less than 30 minutes; points were detracted from those who took longer than that.

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In short, that means a higher commuter index and ranking is assigned to cities with shorter commutes.

The rankings included detailed information on commuting times per medium-sized city in Maryland.

 -        Ellicott City had the fourth highest commuting index among 13 medium-sized cities. The highest percentage of commuters had a commuting time of 15 to 29 minutes: 38.82 percent.

-        Columbia had the fifth highest commuting index among 13 medium-sized Maryland cities. The highest percentage of commuters—32 percent—had a commuting time of 15 to 29 minutes.

The analysis also broke down commuter data among small towns in Maryland.

-        Catonsville had the 16th best index among 108 small towns ranked. About 44 percent of commuters spent 15 to 29 minutes in the car per trip.

-        The Lansdowne-Baltimore Highlands community in Maryland had the 13th best commuting index among the 108 small communities ranked. Nearly 50 percent of commuters are in the car 15 to 29 minutes per trip. Arbutus had the 15th best index, with 43 percent of commuters spending 15 to 29 minutes per commute on the road.

-        Elkridge had the 29th highest index among 108 small towns ranked.  About 45 percent of its commuters spent 15 to 29 minutes in the car per trip.

-        Westminster was 41st on the list of 108 in terms of its commuting index. About 32 percent of commuters spent 45 minutes per trip in the car.

-        Savage-Guilford was 49th on the list of 108 in terms of its commuting index. About 25 percent of its residents had a commute time of 45 minutes or more. 

-        Reisterstown’s commuting index was ranked 52 on the list of 108 small towns. Nearly 30 percent of its residents had a commute time between 15 and 29 minutes.

-        Laurel’s commuting index was 65th among 108 small towns. About 28 percent had a commute time of 45 minutes or more.

-        Owings Mills was 69th on the list of 108 small towns in terms of its commuting index. About 28 percent had a commute time between 30 and 44 minutes.

-        Eldersburg’s commuting index was 75 among 108 small towns. About 31 percent had a commuting time of 45 minutes or more.

Maybe it's time to think about telecommuting?

Only 1.3 percent of Maryland government employees in the state personnel management system had telecommuted in the first half of 2011, according to the Maryland Gazette.

Nationwide, 9 percent of people telecommute part-time and 2 percent telecommute full-time, according to the National Technology Readiness Survey.

What about you? Let us know in our poll.


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