NF - What is a reasonable commute?

[grimsbylander]

I've found myself in the situation of having to commute about 80kms one way to work. It takes me an hour minimum due to traffic. I'm just curious what you guys consider doable, reasonable, or nuts! I know there are factors such as where you drive and income, but I'm kinda hating this and wondering if it's just me and I was spoiled before.

[davey buoy]

28 years from Barrie to toronto every day.You get used to it.Sure costs though.Woud love to find a bit of work around here for a day or two a week.My minimum commute is 230km's per day up to 350-450 km easily some days.

[Raf]

mine's 65 one way, about an hour as well. don't consider it all that bad?? i do tele/internet commute as well though.

 

when i lived in Toronto my commute time was the same, the distance much less.

Edited August 20, 2014 by Raf

[Rod Caster]

30 mins at most. I have a 20mins commute right now to my office... Almost bought a house 45 mins from town; I'm very happy we found closer.

[Big Cliff]

You really have to balance the time and cost of commuting with the income. Sometimes when you figure out what it is costing you to do the drive every day you'd be a lot better off working locally for less money! You should also factor in your time, it has value! If you are spending 2 hours a day driving back and forth to work that is 40 hours a month (one whole week) you have just spent for nothing. Add that to the cost of fuel, the cost to own and operate your car, and the stress involved in driving in bad weather. Then you can decide if it is worth the commute.

[Old Ironmaker]

From the house to the shop out back. But seriously I did an hour and a half for a few years back and it was enough for me to give up my share of the business. There wasn't any 400 series highways I could take so all 80k back country roads from here to Niagara in winter as well. Just became too dangerous for me after a 10 or 12 hour day.

 

We all have our tolerances and I believe it would be a personal choice. I have a brother that commutes the 403to TO from Hamilton and sits in traffic for hours, no way no how I could stand that. As long as I'm moving I'm OK, sitting in traffic seems to be a waste of precious time.

[mistaredone]

I went from 45 to 5 mins for the last 5 years and I hope I never go back!

[AKRISONER]

funny how everyone is posting these insane distances and claiming it takes an hour and questioning whether its reasonable. We live in Toronto the Gridlock capital of the world lol.

 

Friends, let me explain how there is no escape.

 

I live at Dufferin and Eglington 5.2 kilometers from my job at Yonge and St clair.

 

A car takes half an hour, the TTC takes anywhere from 35 to 60 minutes!

 

I recently started risking my life and riding a bike every day. It has gotten my commute down to 15 minutes, but unless you are young and crazy like myself it isnt worth the risk aha.

 

This whole GTA is a joke!

[crappieperchhunter]

15 minute commute to work for me here in Oshawa...piece of cake. 2000-2002 I transferred to our plant in Mississauga that was 45-50 minutes. Never bothered me but I sure don't miss it. Gas prices have doubled since then but my wages haven't

 

We have been tinkering with the idea of selling our big house in the city and moving to our house/cottage in Bobcaygeon and doing the Caygeon to Oshawa commute for our last few years before we retire. The money we would save on only having one house would easily justify it. Keep hoping Debbe can get a job transfer up that way. The day after that happens our house in Oshawa will be on the market.

 

When I was in Mississauga one of my co-workers commuted from Bethany to Mississauga everyday. That would be out of my comfort zone.

[ketchenany]

I go from Woobridge to Vic Park and Steeles a pleasant drive across, no street cars bikers and pot holes:) 28km

leave at 7:20 or so and sitting at my desk at 8:20

Return trip is 5 minutes longer most of the time but with construction on hwy 7 it can take longer some days.

Better that driving to King and Dufferin

Alway worked within a 30 km radius.

[porkpie]

My commutes have varied from 15KM to 100KM one way over the years. I am a shift worker, and due to hours I was never commuting at peak rush hour times. I now commute 20 minutes or less, never any traffic. I had to give up a wee bit of vacation time to do it, but I get lots of time off anyway! My life has never been better! I can't imagine having to grind it out in traffic in the GTA during peak hours.

[misfish]

 

 

28 years from Barrie to toronto every day.You get used to it.Sure costs though.Woud love to find a bit of work around here for a day or two a week.

 

I was like Dave when I first moved to Barrie. I did 8 years of city and back. Also drove a truck all day down there. Lots of driving. Then looked around local. Found something and now I,m a 7 km drive to work and to my play ground. Lucked out.

[Governator]

I moved to Barrie from Aurora with zero intention to commute.

 

30sec walk down the stairs last 7 years. The odd meeting in Toronto (once a month if that) which I'll book no earlier than 10:30am. #livingthedream

Edited August 20, 2014 by Governator

[Gerritt]

I live in brighton and commute to belleville. I too am now a shift worker for the past two years. 12 hr shifts allow me a lot of time off. I work 14-15 days a month not including overtime. The commute for me is between 35-45 minutes... Depending on traffic. But it seems this stretch is a magnet for issues on the 401... The highway is two lanes here, nutcases doing 140 and truckers doing 105... Make for strange bedfellows all jockeying for position to be the first stuck behind the other.... It's madness..

 

Add winter weather into this mix and well it leads to multiple closures.... Meaning my short commute can take hours..

 

Looking to move closer to work within the next couple of years. Away from the 401 corridor.

 

.

[4x4bassin]

I am a shift worker as well so I am never driving in any real traffic . I live 75 km from work (airport) and it takes me roughly 1 hour each way and its

not that bad . The only rough bits are dealing with wildlife on the roads late at night , bad weather in winter going up and down the hills in Dufferin

County during the winter and dealing with the crazy drivers around Brampton/airport . I live in a beautiful part of the province and that makes all

the commuting worth it to me . I don't now if I could do anymore km's in a day so I would say 80-90 km would be my max !

[Sinker]

Ive done the commuting, and to me its worth it to live in the country and travel to work, but thats just me. I couldnt live in the city.

 

Right now im driving 30km one way, with 3 stop signs and no stop lights. Hwy 115 is a little crazy in the winter, but as long as youu watch out for the idiots, its not too bad.

 

If I take the trail from home to work its only 13km....i do that when im running late

 

S.

[Joeytier]

I used to commute from Callander to North Bay and I really didn't care of it. I now live about 900 meters from my work and it's pretty damn sweet

[leaf4]

Hamilton to Stoney creek here, 25kms - 20 mins in good traffic, took a bit of a pay cut going to this job just based on hours as I work a 40 and rarely have overtime, but being home at or before 5pm every weekday and now I can wake up at 7am, snooze and up and at 'er. Instead of the 5am wake up and go, and get home around 6 on the early side, 7 was the usual.

 

oh and I now never work weekends, old job Saturdays were the norm and somehow I didn't mind it... guess that's why I didn't fish back then haha

Edited August 20, 2014 by Lucas F

[DRIFTER_016]

I did a 90+ KM commute for years.

My commute now is about 6 minutes!!!

I like the new commute waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay better.

[kickingfrog]

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Hard to say what is right for you.

 

The same people who think my wife is nuts for commuting from Barrie to downtown Toronto spend almost the same time as her getting to/from work. The difference for us is that downtown T.O. money spends better up here then in the GTA house/land wise. If her job existed up her she'd switch in a heartbeat for 10% less money. Twenty percent less would likely still be worth it since we have young kids.

[googleme]

I used to drive from Port Perry to Toronto everyday when the gas was cheaper. It is so hard to justify going that far now. O.o

[BillM]

So many factors.. I did the commute from St.Catharines > Mississauga daily, then did the Barrie > Toronto commute daily.. I did that for probably close to 10 years. Now I mostly telecommute. The older I get the more I refuse to spend hours in a car driving back and forth from work. I'd love to find a job in Barrie, but there's no way they'd pay me what they do in Toronto.. And lets face it, Barrie isn't exactly the IT hub of Ontario

 

Rob, does your wife take the GO Train? I'd do that in a heartbeat if my office was anywhere near Union station, that would make the commute a whole lot easier...

[kickingfrog]

She does take the GO as much as possible. Her office is a short walk up from Union. She drives if she has late meetings and can't make the last train or has meetings at Amex in Markham.

[bigugli]

I did the long commute Toronto to Beamsville for enough years. Found it was easier to drop the job, than commute. 3 hours of time I could be spending with my kids. Cars falling apart after 3 years of 50,000 km per year. $500 a month in daycare costs chopped. Less stress......

After the move I was earning half the Toronto wage, working 20% fewer hours, but had more left over in the bank at the end of the month.

[grimsbylander]

Interesting views. It looks like driving an hour one way is not optimal but certainly not all that rare. I guess I need to suck it up! Haha. Thanks for the perspective guys.