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wikiHow to Shorten Your Commute

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Here are some tips how to shorten your commute from home to work and home again...in traffic. Some of this info comes from an article from Wired magazine's "How To" special section; Most comes from the author's experience.


  1. 1
    Time your normal original commute and record that time. For a more accurate time, try recording your commute several times and averaging the times out.
  2. 2
    Start observing the route you take. Identify spots on the road that slows and sections of the freeway that are much faster: Lane merges, interchanges, exits, lane openings, and turns.
  3. 3
    Refer to your road map and start exploring different detours. Alternate freeways, side streets, alleys, highways, and long-cuts (detours that are longer in distance, but shorten the time it takes to get to your destination). Make sure you do this during daylight; you could get lost (Here's where the compass and cell phone kicks in if you happen to have a friend who knows the area more).
  4. 4
    Start timing your commute with your alternate routes. Compare with your old commute way.
  5. 5
    If you can, start changing the times when you leave work or home and negotiate with your boss. The more your times are further from rush hour, the more minutes you can shave off your commute. Also identify the days that traffic is the worst and suggest telecommuting.
  6. 6
    Plan errands (shopping, bank deposits, mail) or spend activities (Spa, Gym, movies, visit a friend/family, read/write in Barnes and Noble or a Starbucks)in the same area you work in before you head home. You might as well use the time and gas you spend in traffic on something productive. And leaving later for home also makes the drive shorter.
  7. 7
    Carpool with someone, but don't always use the carpool lane. Having someone in the car gives you the alternative to use the carpool lane if it is faster than the rest of the freeway.
  8. 8
    Take toll roads or toll lanes if you're willing to pay.

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  • The advantage of taking side streets depends on the speed of the freeway and the number of stops, traffic lights, and cars on the side streets. Rule of thumb: if you do not know how fast the side streets are, do not take them unless the freeway is less than 25 mph (40 km/h).
  • Look ahead of you and be aware of brake lights, especially when a freeway slows down and hits traffic. Looking ahead will give you the time and judgement to find a faster lane to change into. Some lanes will come to a complete stop while other lanes move smoothly on the first half mile of traffic.
  • Lane changes and freeway patterns: Freeways, believe it or not, have a flow pattern when it comes to traffic. Start identifying which lanes are faster and slower on the freeway. If you can identify and change lanes at the right time, you can take advantage of the pattern of movement and spare plenty of minutes. Make sure you have enough space to give yourself momentum and time to find a space and make the lane change (But make sure another car doesn't steal the space in front of you either).
  • If you still have a hard time identifying what lanes are fast, look for a particular car in the freeway on a different lane you think might share the same route as you (people who look like commuters). For several miles, compare between your position and that car's position in time. Did you lose sight of it as it went ahead of you? You might as well take that car's lane next time.
  • Avoid lanes: that have lane merges, including merges that come from a freeway interchange. Keep two lanes away from these sections of the freeway. Avoid sections of the fast lane where carpool lanes open up before a freeway interchange.
  • Fast Lanes: are usually new lanes that have opened up in freeways. Try getting into that lane as soon as it opens. Also identify sections in the slow lane that have a major exit/outlet, and very few cars that merge afterwards. Also avoid carpool lanes unless they are free; They are the slowest lane in traffic and you cannot change lanes and bypass the cars in front of you every mile and a half.
  • Avoid getting "trapped" (behind slow cars, big rigs, and drivers on cell phones). If you have to, slow down, change lanes around the vehicle, and move to a faster lane to bypass them.
  • Start observing other drivers around you and their driving styles (Fast? Slow? Aggressive? Lets people into a lane? Likes to weave in traffic?) By getting a feel of the drivers around you, you can determine a path of getting ahead of other drivers.
  • When you find a "Gap" in a lane ahead of you (usually caused by a driver on the lane who is way slower than traffic and loves plenty of space in front of them) get in there.
  • Try taking the U-turn maneuver if you are trying to get into a crowded exit, an interchange ramp, or a crowded left turn lane (or a crowded left turn light that takes way too long) into another street. Skip your exit/ramp, exit into the next street (U turn on a less busy intersection on the side streets), get back on the freeway in the opposite direction and take your exit from there. The travel distance may be longer and will not always shorten your time getting to your desired ramp or exit. Be sure the flow of traffic after the exit/ramp and the flow of traffic in the opposite end of the freeway are free.
  • You can also try taking the side streets before a busy interchange to get back onto the next freeway or to your destination. On side streets, if you want to make a right turn on a very busy intersection, cut through a parking lot before the intersection then turn into your next street. Check local laws before doing this, because it is illegal in many states.


  • Abide all traffic laws.
  • Definitely look where you're going.
  • Wear a seat belt.

Things You'll Need

  • stopwatch
  • maps (Thomas Guide, Google Maps, Mapquest, etc.)
  • compass
  • cell phone
  • a monster truck (optional)

Article Info

Categories: Efficient Driving

Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 5,881 times.

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