Commuters prefer driving alone over carpools and mass transit because they feel more comfortable and in control during the trip, reports George Mason University PhD candidate Mitchell Baer. In his study, “The Emotional Response to Commuting,” for which he surveyed 900 households, Baer found that solo drivers feel more emotionally satisfied with their commute, even if it ends up taking longer or costing more.
States a GMU press release:
Commuters say driving alone offers up more freedom — choosing when to leave, what route to take, which radio station to listen to, or what temperature to set in the car. In many instances, notes Baer, commuters say that driving alone is the only option, the least expensive option or the quickest option.
“With cars affording more creature comforts and independence and mass transit options becoming more crowded and uncomfortable — especially in light of Metro’s recent experiment to remove seats from its subway cars—it will be difficult to convince commuters to switch away from driving alone to and from work,” says Baer.
Prying people out of their cars, won’t be easy. But Baer’s survey offered grounds for hope. Those who walked or biked to work were the most emotionally satisfied of all commuters.
Baer also suggested new approaches to coaxing people into mass transit. “Transportation planning agencies … should look at transportation strategies that provide mass transit commuters with additional control over their commuting environments and improved comfort during their commutes,” says Baer.
Why can’t an entrepreneur refit a bus to provide more legroom, docks for laptops and a satellite Internet link? Talk about control over your commute! Riders could download and answer their e-mail before they arrive at work, check the news on the Web, finish work projects, and then arrive at the office ready to rock and roll. I think that a segment of the marketplace would find that mode of travel more attractive than listening to talk radio or their iPod while driving solo.