Do you drive to work by yourself? You have lots of company

Sept. 23--Everyone seems to grumble about their morning commute, but most Northwesterners drive to work alone and wouldn't have it any other way, a new poll has found.

Seattle-based PEMCO insurance company's monthly Northwest Poll asked residents of Washington and Oregon about their commuting habits and found that 94 percent of workers drive solo.

Nearly three-fourths of responders cited the convenience of following their own schedule and nearly half said that -- despite traffic -- driving alone is faster.

"I drive alone every day. I like the quiet time," said Kara Holtorf of Lynden.

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Susan Westover of Bellingham is retired, but said she always drove to work alone.

"I liked the flexibility of not having to carpool with anyone," Westover said.

For the poll, FBK Research of Seattle asked 600 Washington residents and 600 Oregon residents questions about their driving habits.

FBK said the study had a 4 percent margin of error.

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Of those surveyed, 94 percent drive alone, 10 percent walk to work, 9 percent take the bus, 6 percent car pool, 4 percent use light rail and 1 percent was "other."

Numbers total more than 100 percent because respondents were told to select all categories that applied, said PEMCO spokesman Derek Wing.

Bicycling was not listed as a response, despite the Northwest's penchant for bikes with four of its cities -- including Bellingham at 21st -- on the list of U.S. cities with the most bicycle commuters.

About 10 percent of those surveyed said they would ride a bike if it were easier and cheaper.

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PEMCO's survey also found that respondents spent an average 53 minutes daily commuting, running errands or getting to regular activities.

"The growth and development we've seen here in the Northwest has certainly had its benefits, but many of us are paying for it with longer commute times," Wing said. "We all know how frustrating it can be to get caught in bumper-to-bumper traffic, so it was surprising to see that so many people think driving themselves is still the fastest or most convenient way to get to their destination."

Only 10 percent of respondents said their time on the road decreased in the past year, with 32 percent saying traffic has increased and 57 percent saying traffic was about the same.

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Increased traffic was cited as the main reason for those who said they spent more time on the road in the past year.

A recent report by the insurance comparison shopping website Insurify listed Seattle and Portland among the top 10 U.S. cities with the longest commutes.

EducatedDriver.org, which offers online driver education and driving-related data, recently found that Bellingham drivers spend almost a year of their lives commuting to and from work.

They created an interactive chart using U.S. Census data to examine commute times in 1,000 cities across the nation.

In Bellingham, residents spend an average 41.6 minutes daily getting to and from work.

Gena Mikkelsen of Bellingham, however, is one of those lucky people whose schedules align with their work and personal lives.

"(My) husband and I both work at Western," Mikkelson said. "We carpool every day even if one needs to get there early or stay late. We save a ton on gas and it's just better for the planet. We also love the perks with Smart Trips."

Robert Mittendorf: 360-756-2805, @BhamMitty

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