According to a new report from the Texas Transportation Institute, the Washington metropolitan region has the worst traffic congestion in the country. The average commuter in this area wastes three full days stuck in gridlock and spends nearly $1,500.00 merely by sitting in traffic.
And if that sounds wasteful, consider the price tag of congestion nationwide — a whopping $100 billion per year! Unfortunately for D.C. and other gridlocked cities across the country, there’s just no perfect and readily available fix. More roads, tolls, and public transit options can help, but associated costs and construction timelines prevent these options from catching up with growth.
So, if we can’t build our way out of the problem, perhaps we should consider adding another solution to the list: the underappreciated, misunderstood art of telecommuting.
According to findings from the Telework Research Network (TRN), if all of the 41 million Americans with telework-compatible jobs worked at home just one day each week, the U.S. could reduce emissions of greenhouse gasses by roughly 423,000 tons, commute costs would be slashed by $494 million, U.S. oil needs would be reduced by 2.3 million barrels, and savings from fewer traffic accidents would amount to nearly $93 million.
And the benefits for employers are staggering, too. According to another TRN study, businesses that let 100 employees work half of their time from home can save more than $1 million a year, save money on gas, and not to mention the significant savings accumulated from lower electricity, real estate, maintenance and supply costs.
Earthgarage – Greener Car. Fatter Wallet