The Big Commute

There are about 300,000 people who live in New York City and make their way to jobs in the suburbs every day, part of a fast-growing segment of the work force that has turned the traditional idea of bedroom communities on its head. The group includes young workers in high-skilled professions, as well as tens of thousands of others up and down the income spectrum who prefer city living or cannot afford the suburban dream.

Planners and business groups across the region have increasingly come to realize that these commuters are a critical part of their economic prospects and are vigorously promoting transportation initiatives to encourage them. But they face considerable obstacles.