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[infopri]

There's a clear trend in this thread.  The people who have had commutes by car find it gets old.

It did have its advantages, though.  I had plenty of time to think about things, particularly my lessons for the day.  And when the weather wasn't threatening my life (I regularly had to drive through long stretches of whiteouts), it was actually rather relaxing, in a zen sort of way.  But I do like the 1.5-mile commute better, 'tis true.

I think these decisions are really complex.  I'd encourage anyone with anything over an hour to consider public transit or a vanpool - even if it takes longer, it'd improve your quality of life.

I would have loved to take public transit, but there was none available.  And a van pool implies that there were other people making this commute, and on the same schedule.  Nice ideas, but not everyone has these options available.

[smurfette]

Right now I'm a 10 min drive/bus ride away from campus. In the past, I had a 40 min commute and it was ok. Also: there is a difference between 40 min actually driving and 40 mins going in slow traffic.

My upper limit is 1 hr. If I was just 1 hr closer to Smurf we could live together. 2 hrs is just too much for me, especially when you factor in the weather. Also, I'm not a fan of driving. I agree with the poster who said that commuting by public transportation is a different story. Maybe if there was a train that I could take for 2 hrs, that would be ok for me.

[miraceli]

For two years I taught at a college 65 miles away: 20 minute walk to the train station from my house, one hour train ride, then 30 min subway ride to the school. But it was only twice a week for the first year and three times a week the second year.

I loved that I did not have to drive (because of the horrible traffic on the road, it would easily have taken me more than 2 hours anyway).

At the beginning of the semesters, I was able to read, grade papers and plan classes on the train. Towards the end, however, I would fall asleep before the train left the station...

Just for the record, now I can walk (30 minutes), bike (10  minutes) or drive (5 minutes) to work, and it would be hard to consider a 2 hour commute again.

[frazali]

I went from a 12 minute walk/4 minute drive in a small town to an hour long (if I go from my house) to 1.5 hour (from BF's house) long commute via public transportation in a large city. Wouldn't mind if the commute were shorter, but the difference in opportunity (both career and other-wise) is immeasurable, and I absolutely made the right decision.

Bring on the longer commute if it means living in a better place.

[nothuntingnow]

I am three minutes away from my office.  By foot.

Don't hate me.

[plantscience]

At my current school I'm a VAP and I only have a 20 minute drive/park/walk routine...I'll miss it when the appointment ends this semester.....

[limbo_postdoc]

The best commute is a short one, no matter how it's done.

Mine is 45 minutes each way, by foot and by bus. 90 min total each day. I live 2 miles from my office. Walking takes 45 minutes, and driving my own car takes 10-15. I take the bus because parking permits are prohibitively expensive at my university. I'd walk, but safety is a concern here, and we have cold, dark winters.

I disagree with other contributors that public transportation can be productive time. Whether or not commuting time is lost time is a toss-up. It entirely depends on the system, and how much you are willing to adjust your schedule in order to avoid peak travel times. For example, if I take bus A to work at 8.30, I always get a seat and can work on the way. If I miss bus A at 8.30, I'm out of luck until 30-60 minutes later, despite the fact that 10+ buses serve my neighborhood's many stops at regular 5-10 minute intervals. Things are even worse on the way home, particularly between 4.30-6, as the busses are so packed that fewer than half of the riders typically get seats. I don't know about you, but it's hard to be productive if strangers are rubbing up against you in an attempt to get off the bus!

Can you work at home certain days in order to avoid the commute? I do this as much as is feasible, typically 2-5 days/month. It's not a huge time savings, but during crunch time on certain tasks, it makes a huge difference. It's always nicer to work in sweats, anyway!

[ab_grp]

I'd agree that public transit is not always a positive and productive experience.  While I may get reading done on the 45-minute train ride to campus, I get very little done on the way back home.  It's due mostly to what time of day I travel, whether or not I get a seat, and who is on the train with me.  Similarly, a 1.5 hour train ride into the city is normally productive and uneventful, but when I'm trying to return home to my family in the evening and trains are delayed due to weather, other trains, or a "tragic incident", it's not fun and arrival home can be unpredictable.  I like the control of driving my car and being able to take alternate routes if possible and necessary, but I also enjoy being able to just be a passenger on the train and get some work or leisure reading done.  I guess it comes down to how an individual handles those different stresses.   Me personally, I prefer not to have longer than a 30 minute drive or a one-hour train ride.

[case_insensitive]

I commuted one hour (if no blizzards or hurricanes) while living in two different parts of the US, a total of 8 years of that sort of commuting.  Currently, I commute (by car) 5 minutes or (by bike) 15 minutes max.  I love it.

I've never lived anywhere with trains and such like. I think a longer commute is probably more tolerable in those circumstances.

[sunsearching]

Wow, thanks for putting that in perspective - that it is spending 40 hours in the car a month!! (for an hour one way commute which is about what I'm doing).  I've been doing it just for a little while, but already seeing how it is taking a toll on my energy level and free time....
   

[case_insensitive]

Wow, thanks for putting that in perspective - that it is spending 40 hours in the car a month!! (for an hour one way commute which is about what I'm doing).  I've been doing it just for a little while, but already seeing how it is taking a toll on my energy level and free time....
   

Books on tape is a wonderful idea.

[ab_grp]

You could also practice lectures or presentations while driving.  Sometimes I dictate drafts of papers, or thoughts on research.  It can be a good use of time, and aside from having to delete the driving-related expletives it enables me to save all those "ingenious" ideas I have on the way to work that I forget by the time I get there.   You'd have to consider potential stresses as well as what you can do with your time in each scenario.

[sunsearching]

I've thought about this many times when I read posts about couples/spouses who don't live in the same town and who are commuting.  I understand that in some circumstances, it is absolutely impossible for both people to work in the same place, but am I the only one that thinks that for the long-term this is a really odd and unpleasant situation??  Do couples do this in the idea that it is temporary or do some just stay together and live apart indefinitely?  I am surprised that a relationship can survive this and that any job is worth a situation like that. 
   

[frack]

I've thought about this many times when I read posts about couples/spouses who don't live in the same town and who are commuting.  I understand that in some circumstances, it is absolutely impossible for both people to work in the same place, but am I the only one that thinks that for the long-term this is a really odd and unpleasant situation??  Do couples do this in the idea that it is temporary or do some just stay together and live apart indefinitely?  I am surprised that a relationship can survive this and that any job is worth a situation like that. 
   

Good questions all. Alas, I'm not sure there's anything beyond anecdotal data on this. My guess is that most of us start off trying to find positions in the same area or close to it, think we'll "do the long distance thing" for awhile, then adjust. Or not.  One couple I know of had a weekly commute from Chapel Hill to one of the SUNY schools for _years_.

[neutralname]

I am three minutes away from my office.  By foot.

Don't hate me.

I used to be 5 minutes walk away - I prefer being further away, because I don't want to be too close to the students, and I don't want to bump into other faculty outside of times I'm on campus.  I also find the some physical separation helps the psychological separation.