Most New York City residents do not lack for access to some form of public transit. And advocates are always extolling the virtues of subway, bus, rail or ferry over sitting - and stewing - in gridlock inside a car.
But while public transit might be preferable when it comes to controlling stress, driving is still the fastest way to get and from work. At least that's what a recent Census Bureau survey found.
The mean travel time for public transportation riders was more than 47 minutes, compared with under 32 minutes for people who drove themselves and 37 minutes for people who car-pooled. One-third of mass transit riders spent an hour or more commuting, according to the 2011 American Community Survey released by the Census this month.
Driving has been a quicker way to get to work for New Yorkers than public transit for several years.
But no matter how people get to work, New Yo rkers spend more time getting there than those living in any other large city, though residents of Chicago, Philadelphia and Washington were not too far behind.
The survey did not ask why people traveled one way or another, but 4 in 10 of those who took public transportation said they also owned one or more vehicles. And 2 in 10 reported earning $75,000 or more annually (although the median earnings of mass transit riders was $34,005, compared with $43,230 for people who drove alone).
The 2011 American Community Survey also found workers in the region reported the longest commute - 33.8 minutes - of any metropolitan area.
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