Survey Finds 80 Percent Of State’s Commuters Drive Alone

By John Christoffersen

Associated Press

STAMFORD — Four out of every five commuters in perpetually congested Connecticut drive to work alone, the US Census Bureau estimates.

In a state where gridlock ranks fourth among the concerns of residents surveyed by Quinnipiac University, ahead of health care and crime, less than 9 percent of workers age 16 and over carpool. Fewer than 2 in 100 take the train, the census estimates.

Yet an estimated 70 percent of people who work outside the home usually get to their jobs in 30 minutes or less, the agency estimated.

The report released Monday is titled the “Census 2000 Supplementary Survey” and based on a questionnaire distributed to 700,000 households in 1,203 counties nationwide. It was administered at the same time as Census 2000, but the results are separate from those of the actual headcount.

The numbers offer timely guidance as Connecticut considers spending billions of dollars in the coming decade to address growing traffic congestion.

“It clearly shows most of the people still drive alone to work,” said Harry Harris, public transportation bureau chief for the state Department of Transportation. “There’s a fertile field for alternatives if we’re able to put them in place.”

The survey estimated that nearly 1.3 million of the state’s 1.6 million commuters drive alone; while 143,000 are in a car pool.

Some 40,000, or 2.5 percent, walk to work; another 40,000 take the bus; and 28,000, or 1.73 percent, take the train.

About 3 percent of workers age 16 and over, some 48,000 people, work at home, the survey estimated.

The Associated Press reported late last year that transportation problems in Connecticut are more than inconvenient; they make travel in the state hazardous and, in the words of one consultant, threaten to make the state “an economic cul-de-sac.”

During the session that ended earlier this summer, the General Assembly established a 15-member Transportation Strategy Board, charged with developing a 10-year plan for easing traffic congestion.

State officials are well aware of the solo commuter problem. Mass transit options are limited outside of trains in southern Connecticut and a small number of bus routes, mostly within metropolitan areas. Some observers suspect the number of people who drive to work alone is even higher than 80 percent.

But several officials said the carpool estimates were higher than expected. That may be because people who ride with neighbors or family members aren’t counted by the formal, state-funded programs.

“That shows people are willing to car pool if it makes sense,” said Joe McGee, vice president of public policy for SACIA, the Business Council in Stamford. “The common wisdom is people hate carpooling.”

State transportation officials believe the number of train riders is probably closer to 40,000. McGee, who lives in Fairfield and works in Stamford, is among the growing numbers taking Metro North Railroad to avoid severe congestion on Interstate 95.

“I realized I drove my car to work and I was becoming increasingly frustrated,” McGee said.

Like many commuters, McGee found the adjustment difficult.

“I kept missing the train,” McGee said.

McGee said he realized the train was much more reliable and he came home from work in a better mood. The walk to the train even helped his aching back.

Yet McGee’s experience also shows why many people still drive in Connecticut. If he were unable to walk from his home to the train station in Fairfield, McGee would have had to wait years for a parking space at the station.

Transportation planners say they are adding parking, new train cars, and making other improvements.

The consensus during this years legislative session that congestion must be addressed has left some optimistic that the number of solo drivers will decrease.

“Everyone is mobilized now to improve the commuting situation in Connecticut,” said Peggy Hetherington, vice president of marketing for MetroPool, a Stamford-based group which promotes carpooling and other commuting alternatives. “The problem is absolutely being addressed.”