Longer commutes ahead for Texans, researcher says

If you're one of those people who sits in the car for more than an hour every day on your way to and from work, we're sorry — and there's bad news: It may be getting worse. According to a transportation researcher, Texas' strong population growth over the next 20 years or so will mean that we'll see more and more "extreme commutes" of an hour or more. Better invest in some books on tape, eh?

Researcher Alan Pisarski said 9.7 of Houston-area residents and 7.2 percent of people in the Dallas-Fort Worth area have commutes of more than an hour. That's far less than other cities — for example, 8.4 percent of New Yorkers commute for more than an hour (though it's different for them: They ride trains and can do things while commuting, like catching up on their reading or meeting new friends, whereas most Houstonians spend their commutes in their cars, where their activities are limited to far lamer options). The problem, Pisarski said, is Texas' projected population growth through 2030, which is expected to account for 15 percent of the U.S. total. You know how that goes: More people = more cars = more traffic, at least in the absence of a viable rapid transit system.

So what's the solution? Well, Pisarski didn't offer any opinions, but we think it's worth noting that he was speaking at the opening session of the Texas Transportation Forum in Austin, which coincides with the release of a TxDOT audit suggesting that the state's best chance at keeping up with its transportation needs is to build more toll roads with higher tolls. That stance was reiterated by Gov. Rick Perry, who also spoke at the Forum: "If we don't build roads with innovative financing and tolls, roads are not going to be built in our state," he said.