Mayonnaise
Drivers stuck in the slow lane
Chicago's commute among worst in U.S.
By John McCormick
Tribune staff reporter
Published March 31, 2005
Chicago remains the Second City when it comes to commute times, a gas-guzzling and time-wasting distinction that city officials recently vowed to try to change.
But for now, city residents face the second-slowest commute among the nation's largest cities, behind only New York, according to new rankings released Wednesday by the U.S. Census Bureau.
The average one-way commute for Chicago residents is 33.2 minutes, essentially unchanged from the 33.1 minutes recorded in a 2000 census survey. Several area counties also reported average commutes of more than 30 minutes.
The latest figures come from the American Community Survey, a relatively new census program that is expected to provide more frequent updates for certain questions that had traditionally been asked only once a decade.
Friday marks the exact midpoint between the 2000 census and the 2010 census, a nationwide effort held every 10 years on April 1. The ACS data and an abundance of special censuses in Illinois help ease some of the data withdrawal experienced by hard-core census geeks, but not entirely.
"The 10-year number is going to continue to be the gold standard," said Kenneth Johnson, a demographer at Loyola University Chicago. "We will have a lot of data, but there is still nothing like the census itself."
The newly released data show the average American spends more than 100 hours a year getting to work, with the typical one-way trip taking 24.3 minutes in 2003.
Illinois ranks fourth nationally, with frequent gridlock in the Chicago area driving up the statewide average to 27 minutes. New York (30.4 minutes), Maryland (30.2 minutes) and New Jersey (28.5 minutes) lead the nation.
The American Community Survey will offer demographic snapshots of communities, starting with cities and counties with populations of 250,000 or more and gradually expanding to smaller geographic units.
The survey is expected to eventually replace the census long form, which is randomly distributed to one in six households and asks about everything from commute times to a home's toilet facilities. The tally of residents used for population figures, political districts and the allocation of U.S. representatives will continue every 10 years through the traditional short form.
Although the survey has yet to provide data for smaller cities and counties, the counting has never really stopped in many Illinois communities since the last official tabulation on April 1, 2000.
Illinois easily ranks first in the nation for the number of special censuses since 2000. Growing municipalities that want to prove they have more residents and deserve more state or federal funds pay for the recounts.
At least 74 have been done in the state since 2000--nearly 80 percent of the nationwide total. The state's top ranking is partly attributed to rapidly growing suburban communities around Chicago.
Census officials said the state also has done a good job of informing municipalities of the benefits of special censuses, as well as the option of doing a special count of specific neighborhoods, rather than a more costly recount of an entire town.
Joliet, for example, has already completed one special census since 2000 and plans another this summer at an estimated cost of about $200,000. The first supplemental count took the city's official population from 106,221 to nearly 127,000.
"The special censuses usually pay for themselves within a year in terms of the additional revenue that you will realize," said Kendall Jackson, city planner for Joliet. "You are giving up additional revenues if you don't do it."
Mark Thomas, the information services manager for the Northeastern Illinois Planning Commission, said demographers will probably be cautious about giving too much weight to the survey's data until it has a longer track record.
The totals, for example, do not include "group quarters" populations, such as those in prisons, nursing homes and other institutions.
"It's not totally reflective of the population," he said. "It's hard to compare it to the 2000 census because of the different methodology."
Still, Thomas said the survey offers a way to look for societal trends in such categories as poverty, educational attainment and commuting times.
So far, the American Community Survey is only able to provide estimated commuting times for nine large Illinois counties, where enough interviews have been done to provide a statistically valid sample. For some lesser-populated areas, it will take three to five years to accumulate a sufficient sample. And as with any poll, the numbers reported have a margin of error.
Among the Illinois counties in the 2003 survey, McHenry County ranked first for longest average commute, at 35.1 minutes. It was followed by Will County (32.1 minutes), Cook County including Chicago (30.8 minutes), Lake County (30.1 minutes), Kane County (27.6 minutes), DuPage County (27.0 minutes), Madison County (23.4 minutes), St. Clair County (21.7 minutes) and Winnebago County (20.3 minutes).
This month, Chicago officials announced plans for a multiyear traffic reduction effort, including a new quick-towing policy at accident scenes starting next month.
A national study last year said the average Chicago area driver wastes about 61 hours a year stuck in rush-hour delays, part of a nationwide problem that costs nearly $70 billion annually in time and gasoline.
Travel times
Chicago has one of the longest average commute times among large cities. The national average is 24.3 minutes for a one-way trip.
CITIES WITH WORST COMMUTE
Average one-way travel times for cities of 250,000 or more
New York City 38.3 min.
Chicago 33.2
Newark, N.J. 31.5
Riverside, Calif. 31.2
Philadelphia 29.4
Baltimore 29.0
Los Angeles 29.0
Miami 29.0
San Francisco 28.5
Washington, D.C. 28.4
Note: Based on survey responses from sample households.
Source: American Community Survey (2003)
Chicago Tribune
Chicago's commute among worst in U.S.
By John McCormick
Tribune staff reporter
Published March 31, 2005
Chicago remains the Second City when it comes to commute times, a gas-guzzling and time-wasting distinction that city officials recently vowed to try to change.
But for now, city residents face the second-slowest commute among the nation's largest cities, behind only New York, according to new rankings released Wednesday by the U.S. Census Bureau.
The average one-way commute for Chicago residents is 33.2 minutes, essentially unchanged from the 33.1 minutes recorded in a 2000 census survey. Several area counties also reported average commutes of more than 30 minutes.
The latest figures come from the American Community Survey, a relatively new census program that is expected to provide more frequent updates for certain questions that had traditionally been asked only once a decade.
Friday marks the exact midpoint between the 2000 census and the 2010 census, a nationwide effort held every 10 years on April 1. The ACS data and an abundance of special censuses in Illinois help ease some of the data withdrawal experienced by hard-core census geeks, but not entirely.
"The 10-year number is going to continue to be the gold standard," said Kenneth Johnson, a demographer at Loyola University Chicago. "We will have a lot of data, but there is still nothing like the census itself."
The newly released data show the average American spends more than 100 hours a year getting to work, with the typical one-way trip taking 24.3 minutes in 2003.
Illinois ranks fourth nationally, with frequent gridlock in the Chicago area driving up the statewide average to 27 minutes. New York (30.4 minutes), Maryland (30.2 minutes) and New Jersey (28.5 minutes) lead the nation.
The American Community Survey will offer demographic snapshots of communities, starting with cities and counties with populations of 250,000 or more and gradually expanding to smaller geographic units.
The survey is expected to eventually replace the census long form, which is randomly distributed to one in six households and asks about everything from commute times to a home's toilet facilities. The tally of residents used for population figures, political districts and the allocation of U.S. representatives will continue every 10 years through the traditional short form.
Although the survey has yet to provide data for smaller cities and counties, the counting has never really stopped in many Illinois communities since the last official tabulation on April 1, 2000.
Illinois easily ranks first in the nation for the number of special censuses since 2000. Growing municipalities that want to prove they have more residents and deserve more state or federal funds pay for the recounts.
At least 74 have been done in the state since 2000--nearly 80 percent of the nationwide total. The state's top ranking is partly attributed to rapidly growing suburban communities around Chicago.
Census officials said the state also has done a good job of informing municipalities of the benefits of special censuses, as well as the option of doing a special count of specific neighborhoods, rather than a more costly recount of an entire town.
Joliet, for example, has already completed one special census since 2000 and plans another this summer at an estimated cost of about $200,000. The first supplemental count took the city's official population from 106,221 to nearly 127,000.
"The special censuses usually pay for themselves within a year in terms of the additional revenue that you will realize," said Kendall Jackson, city planner for Joliet. "You are giving up additional revenues if you don't do it."
Mark Thomas, the information services manager for the Northeastern Illinois Planning Commission, said demographers will probably be cautious about giving too much weight to the survey's data until it has a longer track record.
The totals, for example, do not include "group quarters" populations, such as those in prisons, nursing homes and other institutions.
"It's not totally reflective of the population," he said. "It's hard to compare it to the 2000 census because of the different methodology."
Still, Thomas said the survey offers a way to look for societal trends in such categories as poverty, educational attainment and commuting times.
So far, the American Community Survey is only able to provide estimated commuting times for nine large Illinois counties, where enough interviews have been done to provide a statistically valid sample. For some lesser-populated areas, it will take three to five years to accumulate a sufficient sample. And as with any poll, the numbers reported have a margin of error.
Among the Illinois counties in the 2003 survey, McHenry County ranked first for longest average commute, at 35.1 minutes. It was followed by Will County (32.1 minutes), Cook County including Chicago (30.8 minutes), Lake County (30.1 minutes), Kane County (27.6 minutes), DuPage County (27.0 minutes), Madison County (23.4 minutes), St. Clair County (21.7 minutes) and Winnebago County (20.3 minutes).
This month, Chicago officials announced plans for a multiyear traffic reduction effort, including a new quick-towing policy at accident scenes starting next month.
A national study last year said the average Chicago area driver wastes about 61 hours a year stuck in rush-hour delays, part of a nationwide problem that costs nearly $70 billion annually in time and gasoline.
Travel times
Chicago has one of the longest average commute times among large cities. The national average is 24.3 minutes for a one-way trip.
CITIES WITH WORST COMMUTE
Average one-way travel times for cities of 250,000 or more
New York City 38.3 min.
Chicago 33.2
Newark, N.J. 31.5
Riverside, Calif. 31.2
Philadelphia 29.4
Baltimore 29.0
Los Angeles 29.0
Miami 29.0
San Francisco 28.5
Washington, D.C. 28.4
Note: Based on survey responses from sample households.
Source: American Community Survey (2003)
Chicago Tribune