Reverse Commuting

Commuting is taking transportation for some distance to go to work, attend school, or for some other regular activity. After World War II, a great many people moved from the city to the suburbs. From there, many middle- and upper-income workers then commuted into the city from their homes in the suburbs. They then returned at night from their city jobs to their suburban homes. The commuters used trains, buses, and automobiles in order to make their commutes. However, more recently, some have begun to commute from their home in the city to a day job in the suburbs and then to return at night to the city. This phenomenon has been termed “reverse commuting” as the commuting direction is the reverse of what has been the normal commuting direction, which is from the suburbs to the city.

There are benefits to reverse commuting. One benefit is that the reverse commuter travels in the opposite direction to the main body of traffic. This is usually less stressful because most of the traffic is moving in the opposite direction, which opens the road for the reverse commuter. It also benefits the transportation company in the case of buses or trains because their passenger load is increased.

Generally, the reasons for commuting even long distances have been lower housing costs and better schools in the suburbs offsetting the cost of travel to jobs in central cities. However, for reverse commuters a good job in the suburbs may or may not be matched in the inner city, where housing costs may be higher and the schools often of lesser quality. On the other hand, the cities are centers of culture and entertainment so young people may find reverse commuting to be rewarding. In contrast, the family interests of those commuters with children may direct them toward suburban living and urban employment.