Confronting Commuter Concerns
The recent terrorist bombings of London’s tube and bus transit have added a somber new concern to commuting. Just as the 9/11 attacks in the U.S. heightened anxiety about air travel, these newest events raise the issue of the safety of ground travel. Though these public transit bombings must be seen as the extreme end of a continuum of commuter concerns, they prompt us to reexamine the escalating stress, frustration and expense many workers already encounter on their daily commutes.
Terrorism concerns are likely to result in new aggravations for commuters in areas such as New York City, where Mayor Michael Bloomberg has already announced that police will start doing random searches of the bags carried by subway passengers (Kugler, 2005). But terrorism is only the latest and most extreme problem faced by users of public transportation.
In Japan, for example, so many women have reported incidents of groping and fondling that several train and subway lines have introduced “pink trains,” designated for women only. Participation is voluntary, and men cannot be barred from boarding these designated trains. Yet the measure does set a trend and responds to a growing need for security (“Women-Only Trains,” 2005).
Commuting by personal vehicles also has many drawbacks. The 2005 Urban Mobility Report by the Texas Transportation Institute notes that between 2002 and 2003, U.S. traffic delays increased by 79 million hours, and fuel consumption due to such problems was up by 69 million gallons (“American Traffic Gridlock,” 2005). On average, in 2003 commuters took 24.3 minutes daily to reach their workplace (Buckner & Gonzalez, 2005). T he typical U.S. worker spends more total time traveling to work each year than what’s considered the norm for vacation time .
Then there is the rising cost of gasoline. This is a particular headache in the U.S., where vehicle ownership is much more typical than in some other countries. But actual gas prices are even higher in many of those other nations. As of March 2005, CNN reports that prices per gallon are a whopping $6.48 in Amsterdam, $6.27 in Oslo and $5.96 in Milan (“Gas Prices,” 2005).
The good news is that driving has become somewhat safer in the U.S., where the motor vehicle fatality rates per 100 million miles traveled declined from 1.48 in 2003 to 1.46 (the lowest rate on record) in 2004 (“Traffic Death Rate,” 2005). But the overall volume of traffic has grown, and in many cities worldwide, the roadways have not kept pace with this rising volume. In China particularly, and other nations where industrialization is booming, traffic congestion is a growing concern (Hutzler & Chen, 2005).
There’s also the problem of road rage. R esearch by psychologist Arnold Nerenberg suggests that 53% of U.S. motorists surveyed admitted committing acts of rage while in their vehicles (Flander, 2004).
Public policies and some company programs have tried to address commuter woes, though these attempts sometimes fall short. For example, while many U.S. roadways have carpooling lanes, interest in ride-sharing programs set up in the workplace has waned, often because of the prohibitive demands of working parents who find it difficult to commit to a schedule that serves the needs of a whole carload of people and still has the leeway to transport children to and from school, day care or activities.
Some companies have offered public transportation vouchers to lighten the burden for low-wage earners (Barto, 2002). Others, such as Hyperion, are providing incentives for employees to purchase fuel-efficient cars (“Company’s Perk,” 2004; Hyperion, 2004).
Still other businesses are eliminating the problems associated with commuting altogether by offering telework. In fact, telecommuting ranked seventh among the top 10 employment trends, according to a SHRM 2004-2005 survey of HR professionals (Schramm, 2004). Workers often benefit when they don’t have to tackle the roadways or spend money for professional dress. What’s more, working from home can help employees gain not only auto and homeowners’ insurance discounts but also greater lifestyle flexibility and a better balance of work/life issues. Employers can benefit, too, as they save money that might have gone for physical office space and other furnishings.
For the millions of other workers who continue to face the daily challenges of commuting, relief may eventually arrive piece-meal, through improved personal resources, changing societal attitudes and revised corporate and public policies.
Still, many challenges lie ahead. The recent indiscriminate acts of terror in London prompted one eyewitness to ponder the randomness of survival and death: “One minute you’re on the way to work, and the next second people are being blown out of the windows of a bus by somebody’s bomb” (Lyall, 2005). But the tragedy and the peril have also inspired many Londoners to commute as usual. Refusing to succumb to the disruption terrorists want to inflict, British workers are displaying a level of commuter grit and resilience that approaches heroic.
For more information on Hyperion’s incentive program, click here.
Documents used in the preparation of this TrendWatcher include:
“American Traffic Gridlock Has Worsened, Study Finds.” Wall Street Journal Online [Associated Press] [online.wsj.com]. May 9, 2005.
Barto, Michael. “Employers Should Get on the Move with Transit Benefits.” Employee & Compensation Solutions, March 2002, pp. 20, 22.
Buckner, Stephen and Joanna Gonzalez. “Americans Spend More than 100 Hours Commuting to Work Each Year, Census Bureau Reports.” U.S. Census Bureau. Press release [www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/american_community_survey_acs/004489.html]. March 30, 2005.
“Company’s Perk: $5,000 to Buy Clean Car.” MSNBC.com [www.msnbc.msn.com]. November 29, 2004.
Flander, Scott. “Drivers on Their Own in Avoiding Aggressive Drivers.” Knight Ridder Tribune Business News. ProQuest. April 9, 2004, p. 1.
“Gas Prices from Around the World” [bigpicture.typepad.com/comments/2005/05/gas_prices_from.html]. Obtained July 12, 2005.
Hutzler, Charles and Kathy Chen. “China Grapples with Social Ills.” Wall Street Journal Online [online.wsj.com]. March 2, 2005.
Hyperion. “Hyperion Offers Employees $5,000 Toward Purchase of Fuel Efficient Cars.” Press release [www.hyperion.com/news_events/news_releases/press_release_2004_00460.cfm]. November 29, 2004.
Kugler, Sara. “Police to Check Bags on NYC Subways.” Yahoo!News, July 21, 2005.
Lyall, Sarah. “Overslept? You Lived. Caught the Bus? You Died.” New York Times Online [www.nytimes.com]. July 9, 2005.
“Recent Incidents Bring Home Dangers of Road Rage.” Knight Ridder Tribune Business News. ProQuest. June 26, 2005, p. 1.
Schramm, Jennifer. “SHRM 2004-2005 Workplace Forecast: A Strategic Outlook.” June 2004.
“These Call Centers Quite Homey.” Omaha World-Herald [Associated Press], May 8, 2005, pp. 1D, 2D.
“Traffic Death Rate at Record Low.” Omaha World-Herald [Associated Press], April 22, 2005, p. 4A.
“Women-Only Trains Split Japan.” Omaha World-Herald [Knight Ridder Newspapers], June 5, 2005, p. 21A.
Terrorism concerns are likely to result in new aggravations for commuters in areas such as New York City, where Mayor Michael Bloomberg has already announced that police will start doing random searches of the bags carried by subway passengers (Kugler, 2005). But terrorism is only the latest and most extreme problem faced by users of public transportation.
In Japan, for example, so many women have reported incidents of groping and fondling that several train and subway lines have introduced “pink trains,” designated for women only. Participation is voluntary, and men cannot be barred from boarding these designated trains. Yet the measure does set a trend and responds to a growing need for security (“Women-Only Trains,” 2005).
Commuting by personal vehicles also has many drawbacks. The 2005 Urban Mobility Report by the Texas Transportation Institute notes that between 2002 and 2003, U.S. traffic delays increased by 79 million hours, and fuel consumption due to such problems was up by 69 million gallons (“American Traffic Gridlock,” 2005). On average, in 2003 commuters took 24.3 minutes daily to reach their workplace (Buckner & Gonzalez, 2005). T he typical U.S. worker spends more total time traveling to work each year than what’s considered the norm for vacation time .
Then there is the rising cost of gasoline. This is a particular headache in the U.S., where vehicle ownership is much more typical than in some other countries. But actual gas prices are even higher in many of those other nations. As of March 2005, CNN reports that prices per gallon are a whopping $6.48 in Amsterdam, $6.27 in Oslo and $5.96 in Milan (“Gas Prices,” 2005).
The good news is that driving has become somewhat safer in the U.S., where the motor vehicle fatality rates per 100 million miles traveled declined from 1.48 in 2003 to 1.46 (the lowest rate on record) in 2004 (“Traffic Death Rate,” 2005). But the overall volume of traffic has grown, and in many cities worldwide, the roadways have not kept pace with this rising volume. In China particularly, and other nations where industrialization is booming, traffic congestion is a growing concern (Hutzler & Chen, 2005).
There’s also the problem of road rage. R esearch by psychologist Arnold Nerenberg suggests that 53% of U.S. motorists surveyed admitted committing acts of rage while in their vehicles (Flander, 2004).
Public policies and some company programs have tried to address commuter woes, though these attempts sometimes fall short. For example, while many U.S. roadways have carpooling lanes, interest in ride-sharing programs set up in the workplace has waned, often because of the prohibitive demands of working parents who find it difficult to commit to a schedule that serves the needs of a whole carload of people and still has the leeway to transport children to and from school, day care or activities.
Some companies have offered public transportation vouchers to lighten the burden for low-wage earners (Barto, 2002). Others, such as Hyperion, are providing incentives for employees to purchase fuel-efficient cars (“Company’s Perk,” 2004; Hyperion, 2004).
Still other businesses are eliminating the problems associated with commuting altogether by offering telework. In fact, telecommuting ranked seventh among the top 10 employment trends, according to a SHRM 2004-2005 survey of HR professionals (Schramm, 2004). Workers often benefit when they don’t have to tackle the roadways or spend money for professional dress. What’s more, working from home can help employees gain not only auto and homeowners’ insurance discounts but also greater lifestyle flexibility and a better balance of work/life issues. Employers can benefit, too, as they save money that might have gone for physical office space and other furnishings.
For the millions of other workers who continue to face the daily challenges of commuting, relief may eventually arrive piece-meal, through improved personal resources, changing societal attitudes and revised corporate and public policies.
Still, many challenges lie ahead. The recent indiscriminate acts of terror in London prompted one eyewitness to ponder the randomness of survival and death: “One minute you’re on the way to work, and the next second people are being blown out of the windows of a bus by somebody’s bomb” (Lyall, 2005). But the tragedy and the peril have also inspired many Londoners to commute as usual. Refusing to succumb to the disruption terrorists want to inflict, British workers are displaying a level of commuter grit and resilience that approaches heroic.
For more information on Hyperion’s incentive program, click here.
Documents used in the preparation of this TrendWatcher include:
“American Traffic Gridlock Has Worsened, Study Finds.” Wall Street Journal Online [Associated Press] [online.wsj.com]. May 9, 2005.
Barto, Michael. “Employers Should Get on the Move with Transit Benefits.” Employee & Compensation Solutions, March 2002, pp. 20, 22.
Buckner, Stephen and Joanna Gonzalez. “Americans Spend More than 100 Hours Commuting to Work Each Year, Census Bureau Reports.” U.S. Census Bureau. Press release [www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/american_community_survey_acs/004489.html]. March 30, 2005.
“Company’s Perk: $5,000 to Buy Clean Car.” MSNBC.com [www.msnbc.msn.com]. November 29, 2004.
Flander, Scott. “Drivers on Their Own in Avoiding Aggressive Drivers.” Knight Ridder Tribune Business News. ProQuest. April 9, 2004, p. 1.
“Gas Prices from Around the World” [bigpicture.typepad.com/comments/2005/05/gas_prices_from.html]. Obtained July 12, 2005.
Hutzler, Charles and Kathy Chen. “China Grapples with Social Ills.” Wall Street Journal Online [online.wsj.com]. March 2, 2005.
Hyperion. “Hyperion Offers Employees $5,000 Toward Purchase of Fuel Efficient Cars.” Press release [www.hyperion.com/news_events/news_releases/press_release_2004_00460.cfm]. November 29, 2004.
Kugler, Sara. “Police to Check Bags on NYC Subways.” Yahoo!News, July 21, 2005.
Lyall, Sarah. “Overslept? You Lived. Caught the Bus? You Died.” New York Times Online [www.nytimes.com]. July 9, 2005.
“Recent Incidents Bring Home Dangers of Road Rage.” Knight Ridder Tribune Business News. ProQuest. June 26, 2005, p. 1.
Schramm, Jennifer. “SHRM 2004-2005 Workplace Forecast: A Strategic Outlook.” June 2004.
“These Call Centers Quite Homey.” Omaha World-Herald [Associated Press], May 8, 2005, pp. 1D, 2D.
“Traffic Death Rate at Record Low.” Omaha World-Herald [Associated Press], April 22, 2005, p. 4A.
“Women-Only Trains Split Japan.” Omaha World-Herald [Knight Ridder Newspapers], June 5, 2005, p. 21A.