TRB has released the third edition of Commuting in America. The report was prepared by author Alan E. Pisarski under a joint project of the National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP) and the Transit Cooperative Research Program (TCRP). Commuting in America III is one of the most comprehensive documents of its kind. Based on the latest census information available, it contains 155 figures, 79 tables, and some 100 "factlets" that tell the story of America's commuting trends and patterns over the last ten years. This publication will be a valuable reference for the transportation community--practitioners, researchers, and decision makers--who wish to understand how individual behavior and public policies have affected, and will continue to affect, commuting patterns. A press release and factsheets on information contained in Commuting in America III is also available.

Brief 1: Overview provides an overview of the development of the Commuting in America 2013 series and establishes institutional context, objectives, importance, data sources, and products to be produced. Brief 2: The Role of Commuting in Overall Travel presents national trend data on the relative role of commuting in overall person travel, and explores commuting as a share of trips, miles of travel, and travel time at the national level. Brief 3: Population and Worker Trends provides very basic and key national demographic data. Brief 4: Population and Worker Dynamics focuses on the dynamics of the population and workforce, and includes data on migration, immigration, and differential rates of growth. Brief 7: Vehicle and Transit Availability reports on vehicle ownership and licensure levels and the availability of transit services. It also references factors influencing the availability of bike, walk, and carpool commute options. Brief 8: Consumer Spending on Transportation explores household spending on travel. Brief 10: Commuting Mode Choice addresses national and regional trends in mode use. It also explores the relationship between commuting mode choice and: commuters' socio-demographic characteristics, the geographic distribution of residence and work places, and the quality and availability of modal options. Brief 11: Commuting Departure Time and Trip Time provides quantitative data regarding work-trip departure times and trip travel times. Brief 12: Auto Commuting presents data describing private vehicle use trends and relationships.

Nearly everyone experiences fatigue, but some professions--such as aviation, medicine and the military--demand alert, precise, rapid, and well-informed decision making and communication with little margin for error. The potential for fatigue to negatively affect human performance is well established. Concern about this potential in the aviation context extends back decades, with both airlines and pilots agreeing that fatigue is a safety concern. A more recent consideration is whether and how pilot commuting, conducted in a pilot's off-duty time, may affect fatigue during flight duty. In summer 2010 the U.S. Congress directed the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to update the federal regulations that govern pilot flight and duty time, taking into account recent research related to sleep and fatigue. As part of their directive, Congress also instructed FAA to have the National Academy of Sciences conduct a study on the effects of commuting on pilot fatigue. The Effects of Commuting on Pilot Fatigue reviews research and other information related to the prevalence and characteristics of commuting; to the science of sleep, fatigue, and circadian rhythms; to airline and regulatory oversight policies; and to pilot and airline practices. The Effects of Commuting on Pilot Fatigue discusses the policy, economic, and regulatory issues that affect pilot commuting, and outlines potential next steps, including recommendations for regulatory or administrative actions, or further research by the FAA.