Travel Time to Work

The Travel Time to Work indicator measures the average amount of time, in minutes, it takes for an individual to commute to work. Long commute times are often associated with an increase incidence in absence from work and decreased leisure time. Long commute times are also associated with health-related behaviors such as lack of physical activity, unhealthy diets, and sleep deprivation; and health outcomes such obesity, asthma, stress, exhaustion, low self-rated health, and physical ailments. Long commutes also contributes to traffic congestion and air pollution. Urban design and planning can affect commuting patterns, by promoting efficient traffic networks and public transportation to mitigate the negative effects of long commute times. Though featured under the Employment Opportunities domain, the Travel Time to Work indicator is also linked to the Transportation Services, Housing, Employment Opportunities, Economic Health, Health Systems and Public Safety, Social Cohesion, and Neighborhood Characteristics domains. The Travel Time to Work indicator is considered an “inverse” measure, i.e., the higher the commute time, the more negative the impact is on the neighborhood. The Travel Time to Work indicator data is available from the U.S. Census.

Neighborhoodsort descending Indicator Value Rank
Acipco-Finley 24.3 45
Airport Highlands 30.8 95
Apple Valley 29.2 91
Arlington - West End 24.2 44
Belview Heights 26.7 75
Bridlewood 26.6 73
Brown Springs 25.9 63
Brownsville Heights 30.7 94
Brummitt Heights 19.2 10
Bush Hills 20.7 21
Central City 15.5 1
Central Park 29.2 91
Central Pratt 26.3 72
College Hills 21.2 27
Collegeville 27 79
Crestline 20.3 16
Crestwood North 18.4 7
Crestwood South 20.7 21
Dolomite 28.2 87
Druid Hills 21.1 26
East Avondale 24.7 51
East Birmingham 18.3 6
East Brownville 27.6 82
East Lake 24 42
East Thomas 21.5 32
Eastwood 20.6 19
Echo Highlands 29.5 93
Enon Ridge 18.5 8
Ensley 23.9 38
Ensley Highlands 28 85
Evergreen 17.5 4
Fairmont 20 13
Fairview 23.9 38
Five Points South 17 3
Forest Park 19.8 12
Fountain Heights 20.1 15
Garden Highlands 24.4 50
Gate City 25.4 59
Germania Park 24 42
Glen Iris 20.6 19
Grasselli Heights 46.1 99
Graymont 21.7 33
Green Acres 28 85
Harriman Park 20 13
Highland Park 15.8 2
Hillman 34.8 97
Hillman Park 26.8 77
Hooper City 25.9 63
Huffman 25.3 56
Industrial Center 23.9 38
Inglenook 24.7 51
Jones Valley 24.9 54
Killough Springs 26.2 68
Kingston 18.5 8
Liberty Highlands 25.9 63
Maple Grove 25.7 60
Mason City 36.4 98
North Avondale 20.9 23
North Birmingham 21.2 27
North East Lake 21.2 27
North Pratt 26.7 75
North Titusville 25.3 56
Norwood 24.3 45
Oak Ridge 28.2 87
Oak Ridge Park 21 25
Oakwood Place 20.9 23
Overton 24.7 51
Oxmoor 23.9 38
Penfield Park 25.7 60
Pine Knoll Vista 19.2 10
Powderly 22.5 35
Redmont Park 17.9 5
Riley 24.3 45
Rising - West Princeton 27.2 81
Roebuck 26.1 66
Roebuck Springs 27.1 80
Roosevelt 26.6 73
Sandusky 23.7 37
Sherman Heights 27.7 84
Smithfield 29 90
Smithfield Estates 26.2 68
South East Lake 25.7 60
South Pratt 31.6 96
South Titusville 20.3 16
South Woodlawn 21.3 31
Southside 22 34
Spring Lake 27.6 82
Sun Valley 28.9 89
Tarpley City 25.3 56
Thomas 26.2 68
Tuxedo 26.2 68
Wahouma 20.5 18
West Brownville 24.9 54
West End Manor 22.7 36
West Goldwire 24.3 45
Woodland Park 24.3 45
Woodlawn 21.2 27
Wylam 26.1 66
Zion City 26.8 77

Key Citations:
1. American Community Survey (ACS), 2011. U.S. Census Bureau.
2. An, Jane, et al. “Issue Brief #9 Exploring the Social Determinants of Health; Work, Workplaces and Health” (2011). Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.
3. Cervero, Robert and Michael Duncan. “Which Reduces Vehicle Travel More: Jobs-Housing Balance or Retail-Housing Mixing?” (2008). Journal of the American Planning Association.
4. Christian, Thomas J. “Trade-offs Between Commuting Time and Health-Related Activities” (2012). Journal of Urban Health: Bulletin of the New York Academy of Medicine.
5. McConnell, Rob, et al. “Asthma and School Commuting Time” (2010). Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine.
6. National Household Travel Survey (NHTS), 2009. U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration.
7. Redmond, Lothlorien S. and Patricia L. Mokhtarian. “The positive utility of the commute: modeling ideal commute time and relative desired commute amount” (2001) Transportation, Kluwer Academic Publishers.