Changing the length of marathon commutes in Washington

WASHINGTON – Does your commute feel like it takes an eternity?

The hope is that in the future, it will no longer be that way. More than a quarter of America’s 600,000 mega-commuters, or those who take 90 minutes or longer to get to work, are from the Washington area, according to the United States Census Bureau.

The bureau’s annual American Community Survey finds the average commute is about 34 minutes, up from 32 minutes in 2000.

However, Robert Griffiths of the Council of Governments hopes to change the number by championing job relocation to Tysons Corner to encourage reverse commuting against the flow of traffic.

Griffiths says his organization is also pushing activity centers, or places where people can live, work and play. But he adds if Loudoun, Charles and other counties can provide more opportunities for people to work near their homes, it will benefit everyone’s commute.

WTOP’s Ari Ashe contributed to this report. Follow WTOP on Twitter.

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