# How many stoplights on your typical commute? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [November 14, 2014, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-stoplights-on-your-typical-commute/704623 "2014-11-14T16:27:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Ulf\_the\_Unwashed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Ulf\_the\_Unwashed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ulf_the_Unwashed)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2014, 3:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-stoplights-on-your-typical-commute/704623/61 "2014-11-15T03:11:01Z")
I freelance from home, mostly, so none. The DOT hasn;t gotten around to installing one in the living room yet. When I teach it’s three. Left, left, right. Was trying to figure out if there was some serpentine route that would only have two by virtue of going on side streets and back roads; but I’m pretty sure there isn’t. ---
**Author:** ![GreenElf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/9de053/32.png) [@GreenElf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GreenElf)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2014, 3:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-stoplights-on-your-typical-commute/704623/62 "2014-11-15T03:21:54Z")
three stoplights and two stop signs (a lot for only three miles) ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2014, 3:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-stoplights-on-your-typical-commute/704623/63 "2014-11-15T03:29:49Z")
I have no idea. I suspect it must be greater than 50. Yeah, must be. Maybe even near 100. I’m a home health nurse in Chicago. I drive from home to patient to patient for a minimum of 4 patients and a maximum of 8 patients per day, and then home. I try to plan my day so that people who live nearby are on the same day, but sometimes that’s not possible. And even when it is, it’s not uncommon for there to be a traffic light every 1/4- 1/2 mile on some arterial streets. I drive an average of 275 miles a week. Traffic flow is the single greatest determinant of whether I’m having a good day or not. :mad: ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2014, 3:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-stoplights-on-your-typical-commute/704623/64 "2014-11-15T03:46:49Z")
Zero. I work at home. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2014, 3:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-stoplights-on-your-typical-commute/704623/65 "2014-11-15T03:48:38Z")
30 mile commute. 8 stoplights, 1 stop sign, and one traffic circle. If I hit the lights wrong it can add 10 minutes to my drive. ---
**Author:** ![scabpicker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scabpicker/32/8268_2.png) [@scabpicker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scabpicker)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2014, 4:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-stoplights-on-your-typical-commute/704623/66 "2014-11-15T04:51:04Z")
6 on the way there, 7 and a stop sign on the way back. ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2014, 10:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-stoplights-on-your-typical-commute/704623/67 "2014-11-15T10:51:39Z")
Only about a mile but 3 stoplights. If I go another way it’s slightly longer but only 1 stoplight. My first light is a left turn if I’m taking the “shorter” path, and if I’m not first in line, the next light’s timed so that I have to stop at it around half the time. People who don’t know that light must think I’m crazy when I gun it and then ease up once I’m past the light. ---
**Author:** ![Ms\_Boods](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5e9695/32.png) [@Ms\_Boods](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ms_Boods)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2014, 11:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-stoplights-on-your-typical-commute/704623/68 "2014-11-15T11:56:51Z")
If I take the motorway, there are two sets of traffic lights between my house and when I get to the Park and Ride; five on the way back. All are at the same, major roundabout/sliproad just up the road from the house, leading down to the motorway junction. There are a couple other rouundabouts and t-junctions along the way, but they haven’t got lights and you just give way as normal. About a 15 mile commute, takes anywhere from 30-60 minutes depending on traffic/idiocy. If I go by train, it’s a much shorter route to the station, maybe 10 minutes. Because it’s more suburban and heading into a small town, there are about 4 or 5 lights. At 5.45am, however, they’re all likely to be green in my favour. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Holdsworth\_Effect](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/848f3c/32.png) [@The\_Holdsworth\_Effect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Holdsworth_Effect)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2014, 12:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-stoplights-on-your-typical-commute/704623/69 "2014-11-15T12:10:50Z")
> [@Shagnasty](#): > > I am really lucky. My one-way commute is 30 miles but it is a reverse commute almost all on high-speed roads so it only takes me a very consistent 27 minutes door-to-door. I have 4 stop lights total (2 at each end) and I almost never have to stop for all of them and sometimes none if I time things right. My coworkers who live much closer to work always comment that I live so far away but they don’t realize that it takes me less time to get home than some of them that only live a few miles away from work and have to commute on the much smaller, congested routes. Pretty close- I’m 34 miles, (but it takes 40 minutes, the speed limit here is only 60). Two stop signs to get to a limited access two lane, Hood Canal Bridge, 2 lights to a freeway, then 6 lights, all after getting off the highway. So 8 lights. The bridge closes at random times, and if I’m caught on the wrong side, adds 25-45 minutes. If I’m close enough I can watch a sub go through. ---
**Author:** ![diggerwam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/919ad9/32.png) [@diggerwam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/diggerwam)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2014, 1:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-stoplights-on-your-typical-commute/704623/70 "2014-11-15T13:07:24Z")
20 mile commute to next town to the north. Probably 20 stoplights. 1 roundabout. Couple stop signs. Generally just under 30 minutes. It’s not too bad. ---
**Author:** ![mack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b19c9b/32.png) [@mack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mack)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2014, 1:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-stoplights-on-your-typical-commute/704623/71 "2014-11-15T13:43:48Z")
62 on my most often taken route. Most of those are on 3rd ave in NYC and are timed so I just cruise through. ---
**Author:** ![Cyros](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a698b9/32.png) [@Cyros](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cyros)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2014, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-stoplights-on-your-typical-commute/704623/72 "2014-11-15T14:09:10Z")
My commute is about 8 km and I go through one stop sign, 2 roundabouts and 2 sets of lights. The same minus the stop sign on the way home. ---
**Author:** ![Silophant](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a698b9/32.png) [@Silophant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Silophant)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2014, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-stoplights-on-your-typical-commute/704623/73 "2014-11-15T15:56:44Z")
12 (on foot). I live only a little over a mile from work, but it’s downtown. However, I can get into the skyways after the first four, so I do that when I’m sick of standing on corners in the cold. ---
**Author:** ![california\_jobcase](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9d8465/32.png) [@california\_jobcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/california_jobcase)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2014, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-stoplights-on-your-typical-commute/704623/74 "2014-11-15T16:09:11Z")
11.4 mile commute with two stop signs and six turns on the way in. Six stop signs on the way home, same route. Retired now, so no commute any more. ---
**Author:** ![Ignatz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/3be4f8/32.png) [@Ignatz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ignatz)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2014, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-stoplights-on-your-typical-commute/704623/75 "2014-11-16T20:47:22Z")
One “stoplight”, when it’s red in my direction. None when it’s green. “Traffic signal”, please. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-stoplights-on-your-typical-commute/704623.md?page=3)