Originally Posted by
FiftySix
IMO, the distance needs to be measured in time not miles. The article in the first post touches on this.
"In the biggest cities, the radius from downtown accessible within an hour—generally considered the limit for daily commuting—by transit was fully developed by World War II. Cars dramatically extended that radius, and made it very hard for conventional transit to compete."
So, 1 hour on average by foot, bicycle, transit, or car. I don't know many that will walk or bike an hour one way to work, though.
Edit to add:
Back in my youth (20 y.o.), when my 400cc motorcycle would break down I would walk to the nearest bus stop and take a bus to work. The walk and bus ride would take at least 90 minutes.
When my motorcycle was running, I could make the trip to work in 30 minutes.
The distance was only 13 miles. Clearly, I would have never taken that job if I had not owned motorized transportation.
I have read studies on this and you have a valid point. In fact it was one of the selling points the advocates made trying to get HSR passed. It would allow people to live farther away from where they work.
The Suburbs are a natural growth by people looking for more affordable housing and the spread of cities out from a common core. If you can get to work in a hour by car it often seems worth it rather than waiting for mass transit. And it gives the people freedom of spontaneous movement that few other forms of transportation address.
Add to all else it makes working in different locations much easier.
https://www.pewsocialtrends.org/2018...or-urban-areas