Is your Chicago Drive to Work a Nightmare? (Hoffman Estates, Ashland: living in, bus)

[Jesse69]

Is your Chicago Drive to Work a Nightmare? Where do you start & stop and how long does it take you?

My fear is I will get a far suburban job from Wicker Park and then I'd have to deal with nasty time wasting commutes, especially from the slow traffic jammed 90/94. I really loved living in Houston as my last job was only a fast 30 minute commute with often no traffic jams. You gotta live in the right places in Houston to avoid traffic jams and nasty commutes - but this won't work in Chicago because the 290 and 90/94 are slow at ruch hour. Don't know about the 55.

Don't ya hate Chicago's Rush Hour traffic?

[andrew61]

I don't do it now, but for several years I commuted from East Lakeview to a job in suburban Hoffman Estates. I had to drive since there was no public transportation serving the immediate area where I worked. We were allowed somewhat flexible hours, to an extent, and I'd leave around 6 am in order to make it to work by 7 am. My morning commute was nearly always pretty consistent at about 55 minutes or so (and that included a stop at the McD's drive-thru for a large Diet Coke which I'd use for my daily caffeine fix instead of coffee). The afternoon commute home, however, was much more unpredictable, ranging from 55-60 minutes on a good day (usually Mondays) to an hour and a half most Fridays... the rest of the week averaging about an hour fifteen or so. Sometimes, however, in inclement weather, it could take two hours to get home, and I had a few evening commutes during snowstorms where it took three or four hours -- but luckily, it was only that bad about once a year back when I was doing it (1995-1999).

[jwaiter]

Originally Posted by Jesse69

My fear is I will get a far suburban job from Wicker Park and then I'd have to deal with nasty time wasting commutes

Try very hard to get a job downtown. I live near Division and Ashland, take the bus or the L, and can be at work (downtown) in 30 minutes.

[jwaiter]

Originally Posted by jwaiter

Try very hard to get a job downtown. I live near Division and Ashland, take the bus or the L, and can be at work (downtown) in 30 minutes.

That's door to door time.

[NYrules]

Originally Posted by Jesse69

Is your Chicago Drive to Work a Nightmare? Where do you start & stop and how long does it take you?

My fear is I will get a far suburban job from Wicker Park and then I'd have to deal with nasty time wasting commutes, especially from the slow traffic jammed 90/94. I really loved living in Houston as my last job was only a fast 30 minute commute with often no traffic jams. You gotta live in the right places in Houston to avoid traffic jams and nasty commutes - but this won't work in Chicago because the 290 and 90/94 are slow at ruch hour. Don't know about the 55.

Don't ya hate Chicago's Rush Hour traffic?

55??? 55s at an F-ING standstill most of the day thanks to it being the only in and out route for all of us in the SW burbs. It's only about 40 years behind times with it's whopping 3 lane capacity. ooooohhhh

[skipcromer]

Originally Posted by NYrules

55??? 55s at an F-ING standstill most of the day thanks to it being the only in and out route for all of us in the SW burbs. It's only about 40 years behind times with it's whopping 3 lane capacity. ooooohhhh

Hmm...coming from the SW Suburbs into the city. What is one to do!

Ahha!

metrarail.com

[oakparkdude]

I read somewhere that the Chicagoland has fewer expressway lane-miles per capita than any other metro area. I wish I could find the citation to back that up. Perhaps the crosstown expressway would have made things better?

[long101]

30ish minutes door to door here

[solymar78]

Chicago doesn't have a rush hour. It has many Rush Hours.

Originally Posted by Jesse69

Is your Chicago Drive to Work a Nightmare? Where do you start & stop and how long does it take you?

My fear is I will get a far suburban job from Wicker Park and then I'd have to deal with nasty time wasting commutes, especially from the slow traffic jammed 90/94. I really loved living in Houston as my last job was only a fast 30 minute commute with often no traffic jams. You gotta live in the right places in Houston to avoid traffic jams and nasty commutes - but this won't work in Chicago because the 290 and 90/94 are slow at ruch hour. Don't know about the 55.

Don't ya hate Chicago's Rush Hour traffic?

[deechee]

Ah that commute to my kitchen table is HORRENDOUS!