« When Does The Expense of Driving Out-Weigh the Revenue of Commuting? »

I’ve been pondering this question for almost a year now. Since moving out the GTA a few years ago, and switching to a more friendly organization, I’m a fairly hard core teleworker these days. It helps that 90% of the work I do involves people outside of the province, out of the country and out of the continent, and the support of the organization has been outstanding. I suppose it also helps that there are no wee monsters running around the home office. It’s peaceful and productive.

That being said - every time I drive into the analog workplace, I’m consumed by the question of how folks can afford to commute full time. I see the 404. How many of those people are going to be able to afford to drive downtown every day when gas prices hit $1.20/litre? Dont’ even get me started on the 400. What would companies have to do in terms of pay increases to keep their workforce in an office downtown? How many folks are going to ditch their jobs that require commuting and search for employment either close to home, or EASILY accessible via transit?

I can tell you, even if I *wanted* to take transit to my analog office, I don’t think I could. It would take about 3.5 hours… each way. There goes my workday. :-(

• Viva bus south for an hour to the subway.
• Subway south halfway through the city.
• Another subway to the west end of the city
• Bus north-west to the airport area.
• walk the last 2 km to the office.

I tell you. It wouldn’t work.

In the long run, either companies are going to *require* folks to work remotely, to avoid pay increases, or they are going to run the risk of losing employees, simply because a $60K job isn’t worth the $600/month in gas.
A $40K job is going to look so much more attractive, if there isn’t the expense of travel and commuter time attached to it.

CityNews: Gas Prices Soar To Highest Levels In Three Years

Technorati Tags: Gas prices, Petro Canada, teleworking, commuting

Comments

[Matt]

$600/mth in fuel?... drive something commute worthy instead of the family mover.

[jules]

I knew that was going to grab you.
That being said - my commuter friendly Matrix, if I were to drive every day, from my house to downtown Toronto would ring me over $400/month.

:-(