Drive Alone to Work

Drive Alone to Work in Colorado

Colorado

Commuting is a daily necessity for many people and driving alone is by far the most common mode of transportation to work. There are environmental and individual health concerns associated with daily driving; driving alone to work involves extended periods of social isolation and physical inactivity, and more motor vehicles on the road means more air pollution, noise pollution and transportation congestion. Congestion, a common occurrence in large cities, creates concentrated areas of air and noise pollution, which disproportionately affect those with lower socioeconomic status. Long commutes can also increase the risk of high blood pressure, obesity and physical inactivity.

The prevalence of driving alone to work is higher among men compared with women. Other populations that spend more time driving include:

• Adults ages 25-74 compared with younger and older adults.
• White adults compared with those in other racial/ethnic groups. 
• Adults with a college degree or some college education compared with those with less than a high school education.
• Married couples or cohabitating partners compared with adults who are widowed, divorced or separated, or who never married.
• Adults living in the Midwest, South and West regions compared with those in the Northeast.
• Adults living in rural areas compared with those living in urban areas. Moreover, the shift from driving to biking or using public transit is occurring more in cities than rural areas. 

Strategies to promote modes of transportation other than driving, particularly driving alone, include:

• Increasing flexibility to work from home.
• City planning to balance out geographic distribution of places of employment.
• Building pedestrian- and cycling-friendly infrastructure.
• Increasing access and reducing the distance to public transportation.

A Healthy People 2030 transportation objective is to increase the trips to work made by mass transit.

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