Here’s a compelling chart, from a Canadian study, that attempts to measure the vague notion of “happiness” and/or “satisfaction.” Check out the different commute modes:
This shouldn’t be rocket science to anyone who spends much time stuck in traffic on the freeway. Here’s what Citylab had to say:
The first thing that’s clear is that, in keeping with previous surveys, active commuters tend to enjoy the journey more than those who passively endure either traffic congestion or transit crowds. But commuter-rail passengers in this survey enjoyed the trip, too—in this sample, even more than bike riders. That result likely speaks to the ability to be productive on the train.
For my mind, I’m curious about the huge gap between “bus” and “train.” In theory, these two modes shouldn’t be that different; in practice, they’re very far apart.