Expect Your Commute To Be More Than An Hour If You Live In These Areas
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MIAMI (CBSMiami) -- As a commuter in South Florida, your patience is probably one traffic jam away from a full-on honking explosion.
We all roll our eyes at the amount of time we spend in traffic here but some have it worse than others.
Jaycee Garcia a local commuter to Downtown Miami talked about what her traffic nightmare looks like.
"The worst experience I've ever had was going from Kendall all the way over here....which was like almost 2 hours," said Garcia.
A recent South Florida Business Journal article ranks zip codes with the worst commute times. The top 5 worst zip codes mostly reside in Miami-Dade County.
About 16% - 24% of commuters in those zip codes spend an average of 60-89 minutes in traffic during their commute.
- Miami Beach 33109
- Miami 33187
- Miami 33196
- Homestead 33032
- Miami 33183
Broward County did not even make the top 10 worst zip codes to drive from. Fort Lauderdale and Hollywood were neck and neck, ranking at 25 and 24.
The number one worst zip code to commute from was Miami Beach - Fisher Island to be exact. This is most likely due to the limited way on and off the island - a ferry.
Last year Miami drivers spent an average of 64.8 hours driving in congested traffic according to a study by INTRIX, a Washington tech company. That's a little over a 2-day vacation.
For Garcia, public transportation has been a way to save money and avoid a traffic nightmare.
"You don't have to pay insurance. You don't have to pay gas and it's readily available. The public transportation in Miami is pretty good. It's not that bad," said Garcia.
So here are the tips we found most helpful to avoid some of that traffic:
- Leave earlier. Beat the morning rush hour and find a gym close to work. Exercise is never a bad idea.
- Check out South Florida Commuter Services. There are many options to help you navigate your commute with public transportation.
- If you are stuck in traffic, have a "soothing songs" playlist for your portable music device. You'd be surprised at how it can physically change your body's response to stress.
- If all else fails, call a loved one just to say hi. We just don't do that enough. Use hands-free of course!
If you are driving, you can check our traffic section for current traffic conditions daily.
