A Very Brief History of Why Americans Hate Their Commutes

Americans stuck in traffic may take some solace in the fact that the nature of the daily commute has changed dramatically over just one or two generations. Travel between home and work little resembles commuting by our grandparents. The evolution of our commuting habits reflects broader social change affecting every dimension of urban life.

Throughout history, most people have worked at home, and around the world, most still do. Eighteenth century industrialization led to increased separation between home and factories or workshops, but most work trips were short and were made on foot. Port workers lived near the waterfront and steel workers near the mills; garment workers walked to small-scale local shops and often brought their work home. Though the trip to work was short, it was not pleasant. People lived in dense city centers in wooden tenements located in the shadows of factories. The streets were filled with garbage and ubiquitous manure from animals that hauled wagons. The air was dense with smoke from coal and wood fires, which gave off sparks that led to frequent conflagrations.