What's a long commute for each city? What are the worst commutes you know of?

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by le calmar

A lot of people commute from Wakefield which is about 30 min north of Gatineau and in a hilly/natural setting. If you hit the traffic during rush hour and you work in Downtown Ottawa, I imagine the commute would take over an hour, probably 1:15 to 1:30. Many residents of Wakefield are Anglo and don't speak French, but the area is known to be Anglo friendly, or at least very bilingual.

I seriously doubt that the commute from Wakefield is that long more than a handful of times a year - when there is a big accident or iif a snowstorm happens right at rush hour.

I am pretty sure those going to downtown Ottawa easily average no more than 45 minutes.

The A-5 route to/from the north is the best commuting secret in Canada's capital region.

It's got very few dense suburban areas along it (the only one is fairly small and is in the Hautes-Plaines in the north end of Hull) and then you're into very low density exurbia extremely quickly - barely 10 km north of Parliament Hill. It's populated for sure but not to the point that commuters from there will overwhelm a four-lane divided highway that goes straight across the river.

Also, the urban portion of A-5 doesn't have that many access points in the city so many people who live in Hull will take other urban roads to get to work.

Obviously it does get busier once you get into the city but at that point you're almost at the bridge.

[kwoldtimer]

Originally Posted by megadude

I was in KW and area last year. Stopped by New Hamburg to have a look at the Nith River. I drove through a mature neighbourhood close to the river and then parked by the dam.

I got a good feeling about the place. I thought that if I ever lived in KW, I would want to live in a place like this, about a half hour drive in a place that had more of village type feel in a rural setting but not too far from the city.

I think New Hamburg is a nice town, with a few amenities including some decent restaurants and a brew pub. Halfway between Kitchener and Stratford, so very convenient to either. Elmira, north of Waterloo is similar in size and feel. Both now have some bus service into K-W.

[Acajack]

In Ottawa-Gatineau a 45-minute commute is not considered exceptional, but people don't think it's ideal either.

For most people I'd say 30 minutes is acceptable, and 15 minutes is close to ideal (as in the best you can probably hope for).

There are lots of people who commute an hour or more each way, and of course they're not envied and may hear occasional comments like "how do you do it?" or "why don't you move closer in?"

In my experience the hour+ commute here isn't seen as run of the mill as it is in the Montreal or Toronto areas.

[Drybrain]

Originally Posted by megadude

And how about Halifax. Plenty of ocean front land. Do many people live on the ocean and drive say 45 minutes and it doesn't seem that long to them?

You can get from oceanfront property to downtown Halifax in the amount of time it might take you to get from Yonge to Bathurst on the 501 on a bad day, so definitely yes. There are a fair number of people in outlying suburbs or rural areas with oceanfront property who commute in. I don't think it's an enormous number of people who do that, but it's definitely a viable choice if you don't mind the time in the car.

I live in the central part of the city, so my commute is about 20 minutes by bike, 15-25 minutes by car depending on traffic, 30 by bus, or 45-50 walking.

[rousseau]

Originally Posted by megadude

I was in KW and area last year. Stopped by New Hamburg to have a look at the Nith River. I drove through a mature neighbourhood close to the river and then parked by the dam.

I got a good feeling about the place. I thought that if I ever lived in KW, I would want to live in a place like this, about a half hour drive in a place that had more of village type feel in a rural setting but not too far from the city.

Originally Posted by kwoldtimer

I think New Hamburg is a nice town, with a few amenities including some decent restaurants and a brew pub. Halfway between Kitchener and Stratford, so very convenient to either. Elmira, north of Waterloo is similar in size and feel. Both now have some bus service into K-W.

New Hamburg is about 15 or 20 minutes to King St. in either Kitchener or Waterloo. It might be closer to a half hour if you're going to the southern reaches of Cambridge during rush hour.

It's even closer if you're in Luxemburg, which is just outside of New Hamburg. It would be a bit farther if you moved to Punkeydoodles Corners, but I don't know why anyone would want to live in a place like that.

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by rousseau

New Hamburg is about 15 or 20 minutes to King St. in either Kitchener or Waterloo. It might be closer to a half hour if you're going to the southern reaches of Cambridge during rush hour.

It's even closer if you're in Luxemburg, which is just outside of New Hamburg. It would be a bit farther if you moved to Punkeydoodles Corners, but I don't know why anyone would want to live in a place like that.

I could understand the appeal of living there just to say that you do. (To be able to say the name.)

[kwoldtimer]

Originally Posted by rousseau

New Hamburg is about 15 or 20 minutes to King St. in either Kitchener or Waterloo. It might be closer to a half hour if you're going to the southern reaches of Cambridge during rush hour.

It's even closer if you're in Luxemburg, which is just outside of New Hamburg. It would be a bit farther if you moved to Punkeydoodles Corners, but I don't know why anyone would want to live in a place like that.

You know, I have never been to Punkeydoodles Corners. Is it anything more than just a crossroads?

[rousseau]

My commute during summer is about ten seconds of paddling down the hall to my office after throwing on a pair of boxers and basketball shorts, but it ramps up to a minute or longer in the winter, what with the sweaters and sweatpants and socks I need to bundle myself up with.

My wife grew up in Taiwan. She loves the winters here, but she doesn't have to leave the house in the cold and crack open a frozen car at 7 in the morning Monday to Friday. Winter is great when you're warm.

[rousseau]

Originally Posted by kwoldtimer

You know, I have never been to Punkeydoodles Corners. Is it anything more than just a crossroads?

It's a teeming hive of scum and villainy. The O'Malleys of Oxford County don't speak to the O'Rourkes of Waterloo County, and the Fitzpatricks of Perth County cross the street at the sight of the Fitzgeralds, also of Perth County.

Yes, it's more than a crossroads. It's a crossroads where the borders of three counties bump up against each other. That's always going to be a source of friction and unrest. The unwary tread here at their peril: https://www.google.ca/maps/@43.35335...7i13312!8i6656

[esquire]

What's interesting about the commuting discussion is that from what I recall reading on the subject, people prefer having at least some kind of commute... the idea of living across the street from your workplace appears to hold little appeal.

Of course, there's the rousseau situation where home is your workplace, but that's a different kettle of fish.

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by rousseau

It's a teeming hive of scum and villainy. The O'Malleys of Oxford County don't speak to the O'Rourkes of Waterloo County, and the Fitzpatricks of Perth County cross the street at the sight of the Fitzgeralds, also of Perth County.

Yes, it's more than a crossroads. It's a crossroads where the borders of three counties bump up against each other. That's always going to be a source of friction and unrest. The unwary tread here at their peril: https://www.google.ca/maps/@43.35335...7i13312!8i6656

Definitely looks like a scary place.

[rousseau]

Originally Posted by esquire

What's interesting about the commuting discussion is that from what I recall reading on the subject, people prefer having at least some kind of commute... the idea of living across the street from your workplace appears to hold little appeal.

Of course, there's the rousseau situation where home is your workplace, but that's a different kettle of fish.

There must be an optimal distance/time, I imagine. Far enough away that you feel viscerally that you're leaving the workday behind, but not so far that getting away involves traffic jams and excessive tedium.

You have to have the right temperament to make a home office work. Cabin fever can be a problem, especially in winter. With the other three seasons you can step outside and say hi to the neighbours or take a short walk to a commercial street for a coffee or just to soak in the ambiance. That is, if you live in an older, denser area closer to a commercial district where people are out and about. I couldn't imagine doing this in a suburban area where houses guarded by garages are empty during the day.

[le calmar]

Originally Posted by Acajack

I am pretty sure those going to downtown Ottawa easily average no more than 45 minutes.

The A-5 route to/from the north is the best commuting secret in Canada's capital region.

Fair enough, my estimation was probably exaggerated.

[MonctonRad]

Originally Posted by kwoldtimer

You know, I have never been to Punkeydoodles Corners. Is it anything more than just a crossroads?

PEI has a few interesting placenames.

I've always liked Traveler's Rest, just outside Summerside. It just has such a bucolic feel to it.

The provincial penitentiary outside Charlottetown is located in Sleepy Hollow. I always thought that rather ironic.........

[SignalHillHiker]

Filmed my commute home this evening - just before rush hour. Traffic was like a Sunday at 2 a.m., , but fuck it, I'll share the commute anyway. In total it was 10 minutes - and a portion of that was stopping at the superette. Every light except the last one is usually a two or three cycle wait during rush hour, which isn't bad. On a bad day, it takes about 10 minutes to the brick building and I'd just park at my house then and walk to the superette. An easy commute overall. I'll film the one to my parents' when they're back on the island next week. That one is less embarrassing small town.

• Video Link

[Acajack]

Nice left turn on the yellow-red there towards the start of the commute.

[harls]

Originally Posted by Acajack

The A-5 route to/from the north is the best commuting secret in Canada's capital region.

For many years. Makes me want to buy a cheap condo in Low.

(or build one)

[megadude]

After reading some posts here and thinking about some of the questions I asked, I wonder what I would do if I suddenly got a good job in the core of a city under 1m or 500k.

The equity in my house would make for a sizable down payment in this smaller market. So I would basically have my choice of being across the street from work, a 10 minute drive in a nice walkable neighbourhood, or perhaps half hour but be on the ocean or a lake or in a mountain. Give in to the allure of a really short commute but settle for less house and property or take the bigger space and privacy but deal with the longer commute, though it would still be significantly shorter than my current one!

And being a stranger to the place, I wouldn't already know what the vibe of each place is. It would be overwhelming. Would have to rent for a year and explore all the places in the meantime.

Someone at my work was here for a couple of years. She's from London and got this job downtown TO. She bought a house in Burlington because that's what she could afford that was somewhat comparable to her London house. Commute was 1:15 to 1:20 for driving, GO train and walking.

Then her daughter in London had a kid and she got a job offer in London. So she moved back and bought a house really close to her daughter. It was smaller but she was fine with that since she is getting older. Anyway, she chopped her commute by more than half. And she already knew the lay of the land.

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by harls

For many years. Makes me want to buy a cheap condo in Low.

(or build one)

They have condos in Lowquebec? (Ever notice that's how most everyone calls it?)

[megadude]

Originally Posted by rousseau

There must be an optimal distance/time, I imagine. Far enough away that you feel viscerally that you're leaving the workday behind, but not so far that getting away involves traffic jams and excessive tedium.

You have to have the right temperament to make a home office work. Cabin fever can be a problem, especially in winter. With the other three seasons you can step outside and say hi to the neighbours or take a short walk to a commercial street for a coffee or just to soak in the ambiance. That is, if you live in an older, denser area closer to a commercial district where people are out and about. I couldn't imagine doing this in a suburban area where houses guarded by garages are empty during the day.

True. That balance/compromise is key. Same with a cottage.

I've talked to people who live now or grew up in places like Peterborough and Kingston. Basically cities that are surrounded by water. They told me their family cottages are in this area or that area and I would stop them and say wait a minute, you guys were driving over an hour away to a cottage when cottage country is only 15 minutes away from you? It's because they wanted it to be far enough away from home that it felt like they were getting away for the weekend.