How Americans Commute
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American commuting statistics can be a little disheartening, with the vast majority of U.S. workers relying on their cars to get to their jobs. Some cities, however, have been doing a lot better than others in terms of alternative transportation for rides to and from work. We’ve shined a light on the top cities in the nation with the highest percentages of walking, biking, and public-transportation-using workers, as well as showing the means of transportation to work for the top 30 most populous cities in the U.S. Check out the commuting statistics U.S. locals might find surprising:
- Only 49.999% of NYC’s residents drive alone – that’s the lowest percentage of anywhere else in the country.
- New York City also has the highest percentage of people using public transit overall, and the highest percentage of people using subways.
- In NYC, 31.15% of people use public transit.
- The “next best” in the country for public transportation is San Francisco, CA, with only 16.84% of people using it.
- While New York isn’t the top biking city (that honor goes to Corvallis, OR), it is home to the highest population of commuting bicycling: 61,573.
How many people drive to work in the U.S.?
In America, 85.6% of all workers travel via a car, truck, or van: an estimated 127,053,717 Americans total. Commuting to work by car is extremely popular and, unfortunately, driving alone is the top commuting method of all, as it includes 76.4%, or more than three-fourths, of total workers. Only about 9.15% of Americans attempt to carpool. So, only about 10.7% of all of those who (go to work by car) attempt to pick up another coworker or passenger.
Which city has the most drivers who commute alone?
The city which has the highest percentage of lone drivers is Decatur, AL, at 89.11% or 55,254 people. That’s a lot of commuters who could be using transportation or other means if they became more readily available and convenient!
How many people bike to work in America?
Only 0.59% of all workers, bike to work, despite the fact that it might be convenient in many cities in the U.S. That’s only 871,695 Americans. Biking is a heart-healthy way to get exercise, and it’s not as difficult as one may think, though there are things to keep in mind . Bicycle commuting statistics tell us that more workers are doing so – a 60% increase in the last decade . The number of bike trips has also doubled . If you’re not used to biking and wondering if you’d like it, try renting a bike locally for a fun weekend tour! Also, consider participating in bike-to-work days .
Which city bikes to work the most?
If you look at bicycle commuting statistics by city, the top city with the highest percent of bicycling commuters is Corvallis, OR, at 8.57% and 3,511 people. The city has a pretty big bicycling program . Of more populated cities, the United States Census Bureau ranks Portland, OR; Madison, WI; and Minneapolis, MN, as the top biking-to-work cities.
How many people walk to work?
More Americans walk to work than bike to work: 2.73% of all workers walk to work, according to the United States Census Bureau, or 4,049,337 people. In the U.S., because of increasing urbanization, more and more of us are within walking distance of our jobs, but it’s hardly representative of the average American commute.
Which city has the most people who walk to work?
The American city with the highest percentage of people who walk to work is Ithaca, NY, which is home to several colleges, including Cornell University and Ithaca College. If you comb through commute-to-work statistics, you might notice a trend: College towns and large cities tend to be where the most people walk to work. The second top city with the most walking commuters is State College, PA, home to Penn State University.
How many Americans work from home?
About 4.73% of all U.S. workers don’t commute at all – about 7,027,410 people. It’s unlikely that urban planners will be able to convince 85.6% of the U.S. workforce to stop driving and start using public transit, but it is becoming increasingly likely that workers may eventually not need to commute at all , with a sharp 1% increase of stay-at-home workers in 10 years.
Which city has the most at-home workers?
Boulder, CO, which also has a decent bicycling population of commuters, has the highest percentage of workers that stay at home at 11.81% or 19,755 people.
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Hopefully, commuting in America will either become greener, or a thing of the past very soon!