Transportation for America has set up a new site called My Commute Sucks to serve as a forum for collective venting and (it's not all negativity) a mobilizing tool to lobby our government to spend transportation money wisely. They say:"...every six years, Congress writes a transportation bill governing billions in transportation investments-and the new version, which could allocate nearly a half-trillion dollars, is being written right now....The transportation system our country invests in this year will define our nation for generations, just as the highway system we envisioned more than 60 years ago still defines us today.If we continue with business as usual, there will be nothing in the legislation to ensure we're investing in the best projects-those that can build communities, make neighborhoods safer, and move people in the cleanest and most efficient ways."This is a great cause. And while there isn't a broad consensus among Americans about our commutes sucking (this 2005 poll indicates that 60 percent of Americans like their commute), there's tons of unnecessary driving happening. According to a 2007 Gallup poll, 85 percent of Americans drive to work alone and 70 percent have a commute that's longer than 30 minutes. Building denser developments and better public transportation options would reduce travel times, traffic, and carbon emissions.What are your circumstances? Does your commute suck? Is it efficient but unpleasant (a crowded subway, perhaps)? Pleasant but inefficient (like a 20-minute drive alone)?Photo (cc) by Flickr user Cindy47452.
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