Complete Health Indicator Report of Community Design: Commute Time

Definition

Commute time using different modes of transportation

Numerator

Number of workers 16 years and older driving 20+ minutes to work [[br]] [[br]] Number and of workers 16 years and older taking public transit 45+ minutes to work [[br]] [[br]] Number of workers 16 Years and older walking 10+ minutes to work

Denominator

Workers age 16 years and older in a given geographic area

Data Interpretation Issues

This dataset only captures commute time to work and does not capture the distance of the trip. [[br]] [[br]] Personal preference and economics also influences commute choices, not just community design. [[br]] [[br]] The American Community Survey (ACS) is a nationwide, continuous survey designed to provide communities with reliable and timely demographic, housing, social, and economic data every year. However, because ACS data are based on a sample, they are subject to sampling variability and include a range of uncertainty. [[br]][[br]] While the ACS provides population, demographic and housing unit estimates, the Census Bureau's Population Estimates Program produces and disseminates the official estimates of the population for the nation, states, counties, cities, and towns.

Why Is This Important?

Americans spend considerable time traveling to and from work. In 2013, 86% of American workers commuted by car, while the remainder used other forms of transportation such as public and active (e.g., bicycling and walking) transportation.^1^ [[br]] [[br]] Time spent commuting is associated with several health outcomes, dependending on the travel mode. Longer commute times are generally linked to decreased mental health. Commuting by car for longer periods of time is associated with reduced physical activity and increased levels of obesity. Walking, bicycling, and taking public transportation to work are shown to increase physical activity and weight loss. Tracking how Utahns travel to work and for how long allows for a better understanding of the environmental exposures and health outcomes related to commuting.[[br]] [[br]] ---- 1. McKenzie, B., Who Drives to Work? Commuting by Automobile in the United States: 2013, in American Community Survey Reports. 2015, U.S. Census Bureau.