Latest news with #commute
Daily Mail
2 days ago
- Health
- Daily Mail
Feeling breathless and tired? This common deadly heart condition is too often missed in women – this is the simple check-up you must demand from your doctor
Jacqueline Lewis used to power through the brisk ten-minute uphill walk that was part of her daily commute. But three years ago she noticed she was getting breathless even on flat ground. Within weeks, the mother-of-two from Slough – previously a fan of running and yoga – struggled even to walk and talk on her phone at the same time.
Washington Post
4 days ago
- Automotive
- Washington Post
Does D.C. have the worst traffic? Not so fast.
Federal travel data is often used to rank cities on such metrics as 'best for new drivers' and 'most dangerous for going out at night.' Consumer Affairs, an online review platform, last week declared that the District has the worst traffic in the country. Using surveys collected by the Census Bureau, probe data from the Federal Highway Administration and fatal crash data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the platform ranked cities using a combination of their average daily commute times, average length of daily congestion and annual rate of fatal crashes. Consumer Affairs isn't the first to call D.C. out on its congestion — D.C. regularly ranks highly, if not always at the top, on 'worst traffic' lists. With more people commuting and returning to in-office work this year, D.C. traffic is trending back toward pre-pandemic levels. But here's why you should take the report's numbers with a grain of salt. The report says D.C. topped the list of cities with the longest commute times, with the average being 33.4 minutes. The city with the second-longest commute time was Los Angeles, which had an average time of 30.5 minutes. However, that data is from a 2023 Census Bureau survey. Since the census relies on surveys that take time to compile and analyze, the agency is always a little behind. In 2023, we also wrote that commutes were miserable, and that people were driving more and often doing so outside the traditional rush hour. Cellphone data analyzed by the University of Maryland found that average travel time between thousands of neighborhoods in D.C., Virginia and Maryland had increased about 20 percent between 2019 and late 2022. The trajectory suggests commute times may be worse now. (Consumer Affairs did not respond to a request for comment on its report.) The report also used older data on fatal crashes, showing sharp increases in D.C. and New York in 2023. But in both cities, police data indicates that fatal crashes have actually been far lower in 2025. For congestion, the Consumer Affairs report does use more recent numbers collected from vehicle probes by the Federal Highway Administration from January to March of this year. The District ranks badly on that metric, at 6 hours and 35 minutes a day. Congestion has been trending upward and is now close to its 2019 height of 6 hours and 51 minutes. Average commute times are also not a perfect representation of traffic, because they don't account for distance. A commute from far away is going to take more time than a closer one, regardless of how many other cars are on the road. That's why cities with large, sprawling suburbs tend to top these lists. At the time this data was collected, the District (alongside other cities) was seeing a sharp rise in 'super-commuting' — traveling 75 miles or more to get to work, with average travel times of more than two hours. That contributes to a higher average commuting time overall. Cities cited as having less traffic than before, such as Columbus, Ohio, are also seeing their numbers change quickly and dramatically this year as more people work in person. The data firm INRIX uses in-car technology to track actual travel lengths and speed to and from 'major employment centers within an urban area from surrounding commuting neighborhoods.' Its analysis ranks D.C. in the top 25 cities worldwide for traffic delays as of January, but below eight other major U.S. cities including Boston, Los Angeles and New York. Consumer Affairs does note that 'congestion is oftentimes a sign of economic prosperity.' The cities that fare best on traffic measures tend to have shrinking populations and struggling economies. 'It's not news that a successful metropolitan region like the D.C. region has a lot of traffic,' said Stewart Schwartz of the Coalition for Smarter Growth, a nonprofit that advocates for denser urban areas with less need to drive. Concentrating future growth near transit, he said, 'is the best way for our region to grow without choking on traffic.' Congestion pricing, which charges for access to thin out demand, can also improve traffic. New York recently implemented the practice in downtown Manhattan and saw travel times drop significantly; Virginia has engaged in a form of congestion pricing through tolled express lanes. Finally, in some cases transportation planners are intentionally trying to slow down traffic for safety reasons. The Federal Highway Administration measures free-flow speeds as the 85th percentile of observed speeds without traffic signals and other vehicles on the road. Bike and bus lanes, roundabouts, and speed cameras all can keep vehicles from going at the speed of free-flowing traffic — and all these measures are implemented in parts of the D.C. area. Every three years, the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments, a federally mandated regional planning group, does an in-depth survey of local commute times. It looks at commute length and time, where people are commuting from and to, and how they commute. The most recent data collection period just ended, and the report should be out late this year or early next year. Several hundred thousand surveys were issued, and about 8,000 were returned. The group's last report, released in 2022, reflected the pandemic shifts to remote work and more car trips taken alone. The commuting times found in that survey are generally higher than the census data — 37 minutes each way, which was a drop from 43 minutes in its 2019 survey. A key difference is that the Census Bureau considers a much larger and more rural area as part of the D.C. region, stretching out to Shenandoah National Park in Virginia and Harpers Ferry in West Virginia. Anecdotally, Daniel Sheehan of the council said that it is seeing far more interest in its Commuter Connections program, which helps people carpool or take transit to work. 'There are some people here in this region that started three or four years ago, and it's the first time they're regularly going to their office,' he said. What the council doesn't know and hopes to learn from the data is to what extent commuters are taking transit more often because of congestion.
Forbes
6 days ago
- General
- Forbes
1 Simple Shift To Restore Your Inner Balance — By A Psychologist
Your 9-5 grind may be leaving you more exhausted than you realize. In a life of endless deadlines ... More and meetings, here's what you need to do to feel more invigorated. As we go through life today, many of us feel entirely cut off from the natural world. We work in brightly lit air-conditioned office cubicles that might feel too hot or too cold. Sometimes, the only time we even think of nature on a random workday is when we're complaining about the weather and how difficult it was to commute to work, perhaps because of the rain. Maybe at lunchtime, you even remember that you forgot to water your plant again. You wonder, would it survive another day? You shrug and go about yours, mostly unbothered. After all, you can always buy another houseplant. The problem, of course, isn't that we forget to care for our plants. It's that we're so cut off from the natural world that we don't 'feel' for it as much anymore. We tend not to think of nature as a living, breathing entity in the way we think of humanity. Instead of thinking beyond ourselves, we hustle and grind and try to squeeze in more work, staying glued to our screens in the limited time of day we have. We want to thrive, but we forget how deeply tied our survival and well-being is to nature. One way to get past this disconnection is by building a sense of 'nature connectedness.' Nature connectedness refers to how close or emotionally attached a person feels to nature. It's feeling that nature is a part of who you are, something you feel 'one' with. Not only does this connection recharge us and ease screen fatigue, but it also reminds us why caring for nature matters in the first place. Why Does Nature Connectedness Matter? Our environment plays a huge role in how close we feel to nature. It can feel especially difficult to forge that connection later on in life, if we've only grown up seeing apartments and high-rises. Societal factors like wealth, urbanization and consumerism can weaken nature connectedness. Even our cultural and familial attitudes can shape our relationship with and access to nature. For instance, a 2020 study published in The International Journal of Ecopsychology explains how, from an Australian Aboriginal standpoint, nature connectedness is viewed as the balance of all living things — linked by kinship relationships between people, country and ancestors. Living in harmony with this connection also means following certain values like respect, responsibility and giving back. This is a mindset we can all benefit from, especially in light of the current climate crisis. Our connection to nature strongly indicates how well we care for ourselves and our environment. It's also well-established that contact with nature can enhance our mental health and strengthen community ties. For instance, a 2024 study published in Scientific Reports found that people who visit public greenspaces often had lower stress, anxiety and depression scores. How Do You Start Building Stronger Ties To Nature? 1. Have meaningful contact. Spend quality time with nature, just like you would with another person. Breathe in forest air, listen to the birds and animals that thrive in any ecosystem and observe the greenery around you mindfully. You can start with activities such as nature walks, birdwatching or simply just going to the park for a stroll. Techniques like mindful walking and meditation in the outdoors can help you have meaningful contact with nature. It's not about the quantity of time you spend in nature, but the quality of your engagement with it. 2. Invoke positive emotions, especially awe and gratitude. Not all positive feelings work the same way. Self-transcendent emotions such as awe, gratitude and inspiration tend to have the strongest link with nature connectedness. Journaling is a deeply reflective way to capture these feelings. Imagine finishing a hike, reaching the top of a mountain and taking in the view of the entire city beyond. How would you feel then? Being connected with nature expands our sense of self. We remember that we're part of something much bigger than ourselves, and that we have a finite amount of time to experience it. Additionally, the 2020 study on Aboriginal knowledge systems also distinguishes between two types of a sense of self: Nature connectedness can help us cultivate an interrelated sense of self. This sense of connection makes people more mindful of how their actions impact others, as well as the world around them. For example, in times of conflict, a sense of interconnectedness can help us pause and carefully choose words that dissipate tension, instead of pushing for our beliefs irrespective of how others feel. It can also help us tune into subtle emotional cues in our surroundings. For instance, if someone senses that a friend is uncomfortable in a social setting, they may step in to offer support without their friend having to say anything. So, after a stressful day, seek out a quiet park or beach to let the natural sounds and sights calm your mind. Walking barefoot on grass, listening to ocean waves or watching sunset are some other activities that can help you realign your inner state with the natural world. As we restore our sense of inner peace, we begin to overcome our apathy toward the destruction of nature or our lack of access to it. The more time we spend in nature, the more invigorated and recharged we're likely to be. Given the daily anxieties we face in our lives, turning off our phones, laptops and TVs to explore and experience nature can make us feel alive again in a way not much else can. How connected do you feel to the natural world? Take the science-backed Connectedness To Nature Scale to find out.
BBC News
7 days ago
- Business
- BBC News
Washington DC overtakes Los Angeles for worst American traffic
Washington DC has overtaken Los Angeles as the US city with the worst traffic, in annual rankings from Consumer around the US capital spend more time in traffic than in any other city, with average daily commute times of 33.4 minutes, according to traffic data from the 50 biggest metropolitan areas in the average length of weekday congestion - the morning and evening rush hours - is six hours and 35 minutes, second only to Los Angeles, according to the report. That adds up to 71 days' worth of sitting in Affairs is a private company that reviews and provides reviews on a variety of American products and services. Miami, San Francisco and Atlanta round out the top five cities for worst traffic. Boston, Denver, Portland (Oregon), Chicago and Austin are the best."The cities with the worst traffic in America are among the cities with the highest economic output," Consumer Affairs said in its findings. That's because a region with a growing economy will attract new residents, while keeping current ones, who often choose to drive to work, Michael Manville, an urban planning professor at the UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs, told Consumer Affairs. "Congestion is oftentimes a sign of economic prosperity," he notorious for traffic jams, Los Angeles is still the city that has the most congestion, with almost eight hours of traffic each day. However, the average commute time there is just over 30 minutes. President Donald Trump's orders that federal workers return to their offices, after years when many were allowed to work from home, has contributed to Washington's new top spot. While more people in the region are taking public transportation on weekdays than during the pandemic, bus and train use is still well below 2019 commuter Jonathan Roush told radio station WTOP he was not surprised by the findings, saying traffic in the D.C. region "stinks.""I schedule my work hours accordingly so I can avoid the traffic," he cities with the least traffic congestion in the rankings are Rochester, Salt Lake City, and ClevelandThose cities were once "centers of industry", but no longer are, said Mr Manville, and have more road space for vehicles.
CTV News
22-07-2025
- Climate
- CTV News
Flooding from persistent rain closes sections of Stoney Trail
The Sarcee Trail S.W. exit to Tsuu T'ina/Stoney Trail has been closed due to flooding on July 22, 2025. Drivers who use the south portion of Stoney Trail will need to plan another route for their morning commute Tuesday, thanks to relentless rain overnight and into morning. Flooding on the roadway shut down southbound Tsuu T'ina Trail from Glenmore Trail to 90th Avenue S.W. Calgary police said it was expected to be closed for most of the morning. Police are also cautioning drivers to take extra caution on their drive in to work with heavy rainfall overnight creating large puddles and pooling of water. Flooding from persistent rain closes sections of Stoney Trail
