20 Daily Commute Habits From the 1960s That Would Surprise Commuters Today

The act of daily commuting in the 1960s represents a moment in transition in how we moved around. We still used old systems of transportation like streetcars, commuter trains, ferries, and walking routes connecting us from our homes to our workplaces. At the same time, new factors were on the rise: interstate highways, suburbanization, and more cars on the road changing how we moved around. The way we moved around in the mornings varied greatly depending on where we lived, what we did for a living, and how we accessed transportation systems. People who lived in cities used subways, buses, elevated trains, and taxis to access downtown office buildings.

1. Morning Streetcar Commutes

In many cities in the early 1960s, the day would start with the constant clatter of streetcars moving smoothly over steel tracks. People would shuffle out before dawn and head a few blocks to the nearest streetcar stop. In cities such as Toronto, San Francisco, and New Orleans, the streetcar was not only a means of transportation but the very lifeline of the daily grind. A line would quietly form along the sidewalk as all would hold a briefcase, a folded newspaper, and/or a small lunch pail as they awaited the arrival of the streetcar. Upon its arrival, the bell would ring out, and the door would open with a familiar clank. People would enter the streetcar and take a seat—either wooden or metal and in the direction they were going.

2. Carpooling to Expanding Suburbs

The 1960s saw the emergence of the suburban boom in the U.S. and some parts of Europe. Families were moving out of the crowded city center to the newly developed suburbs, exchanging the city’s density for the greenery and space the suburbs offered. With limited public transportation, getting to work relied on the availability of cars. Hence, people whose workplaces were located in the same city areas began to share transportation. Some even coordinated the household members’ schedules so they could be ferried by someone going in the same direction to the city center in the morning, with three to four people per vehicle. Station wagons and sedans were the cars of choice for these commutes.

3. Riding the Early Morning Commuter Train

In the great cities of New York, Chicago, and London, the commuter trains were the heartbeat of daily transportation. Long before the first rays of the sun broke the horizon, people stood in line on the platforms, clutching briefcases and paper tickets in hand. These trains connected the outer suburbs and towns to the crowded heart of the cities. They linked the quiet neighborhoods with the heartbeat of the business districts. The conductor moved up and down the platform, announcing the arrival of the train as the steam or diesel engines strained in the distance. When the train finally pulled in, the commuters rushed to board, secured a seat in the small cars, and settled back into a pervasive, expectant calm.

4. Walking Through Neighborhood Streets to Work

In many towns in the 1960s, the day began with a simple walk to work. Not everyone needed to drive to work in a car or take a bus. In many smaller towns and densely populated neighborhoods, jobs were often just a few miles away from home. Factory workers, shop workers, and mail carriers emerged early in the day, following the familiar route of the sidewalk to their jobs. Slowly, the streets began to fill with people moving in the same direction as the others. Some carried a lunch pail made of metal, others carried a leather briefcase or a canvas bag. The soft thud of footsteps on pavement added to the sounds of the morning day.

5. Riding City Buses Through Busy Routes

City buses were the lifeblood of the city in the 1960s. Large diesel-powered buses traveled set routes, connecting homes in the suburbs with the busy shops and offices in the city center. Every morning, people congregated at bus stops identified by plain metal signs on the sidewalk. Some waited with great anticipation, while others checked the time as they waited, not wanting to miss the next bus. As the bus came into view, its engine roared to life, and the road seemed to vibrate as it came to the curb. The driver swung open the front doors and greeted the people as they boarded the bus. Coins were inserted into the fare box, and people found seats as they became available.

6. Cycling Through City Streets

Bikes continued to be useful for commuting to work in the 1960s. While cars continued to gain popularity, cycling remained a cheap and uncomplicated option for short-distance travel. In European and some North American cities, residents used sturdy steel bicycles on residential roads, heading for work or other destinations. Some began their days at dawn to avoid heavy traffic on main roads. Some bicycles had a small basket at the front, while others had a metal rack at the back for carrying bags or a lunchbox. Bicycles glided by on these roads, passing through lines of parked cars and small shops, offering a speedy alternative for short-distance travel.

7. Taking the Subway Into Downtown Districts

In the big cities of the 1960s, one of the fastest ways to get to the heart of the business districts was via the subway. Thousands of people slid down long stairways into the underground subway each morning with a blend of sounds of metal clanging and the distant rumble of the trains in the background. On the tile floors of the platforms, people stood waiting with newspapers and briefcases in hand, ready to board the trains. In cities like New York, Boston, and London, the subway system was already transporting millions of people each week. When the doors of the subway opened, people rushed on board the trains. The seats were quickly taken, and many people stood holding the rails or poles as they rode the subway.

8. Driving Along Newly Built Interstate Highways

A complete change in the way people traveled to work characterized the 1960s, and it was facilitated by the interstate highways boom. Due to the Federal Aid Highway Act of 1956, the United States constructed thousands of miles of modern highways, and by the early 1960s, lengthy commutes from the suburbs to the city center became the standard. Every morning, commuters converged on highways that connected residential areas with the grand design of the traffic infrastructure. Automobiles, station wagons, and compacts jammed the multiple lanes as they proceeded towards the downtown areas. The commute began as early as dawn, which was intended to avoid the peak traffic that could occur later in the day.

9. Boarding the Ferry Across Busy Harbors

Ferries were the lifeline for day-to-day life in coastal towns and cities in the 1960s. People who lived on the nearby islands or across the expansive harbors relied on the ferries to access the mainland job centers. At the break of day, people would congregate at the ports, observing the water flowing slowly past the wooden docks. Cities like Seattle, San Francisco, and Hong Kong had bustling ferry routes that served thousands of workers every day. When the ferry arrived at the ports, the people would board the vessel and proceed to the passenger area or the indoor seating. Others would stand at the rail as the shore receded into the distance.

10. Taking the Trolley to Industrial Districts

In the 1960s, many cities in America and Europe used trolleys to transport workers to the sprawling industrial areas just beyond their beds, or at least just beyond where they slept. Before the first light of dawn, small clusters of individuals waited at small street stops, full of nervous excitement, awaiting the arrival of the trolley, which came rolling in along its tracks, made of steel, and ran along wires, carving a path directly through the city streets. In cities such as Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, and Cleveland, the trolley transported workers to the heart of the industrial area, where steel mills, factories, and docks awaited their arrival.

11. Parking at Park and Ride Lots

In the late 1960s, many cities introduced park and ride systems to help alleviate traffic congestion in city centers. People who lived at some distance from the city center would drive to large parking areas that were built near train or bus stations. These parking areas were built on the city fringe, so commuters could drop off their cars and use public transport for the remaining part of their journey. At the beginning of the day, these parking areas were filled with cars as commuters made their way to work from surrounding suburbs. People emerged from their cars with briefcases, coats, and some luggage, then went to the train or bus station to continue their journey to the city center.

12. Catching Early Morning Taxi Shares

In the hustle and bustle of city life in the 1960s, it wasn’t uncommon for sharing a cab to seem like a reasonable option for people traveling to work in the same direction. There were several towns that offered shared taxi rides during rush hours, and several people could split the cost of a cab to travel in the same direction. People stood in line on sidewalks or near business areas and signaled to cabs that had other riders traveling in the same direction. Cities like New York welcome these shared rides during rush hours to help alleviate traffic congestion. When a cab stopped, people got in and rode with strangers to travel in the same direction to nearby areas or business zones.

13. Taking School Buses to Part Time Jobs

During the 1960s, it was the norm for teens to have to balance school and a part-time job, especially in small towns and suburban areas. School mornings and nights would begin and end with the same school buses that took them to school; however, the buses would now be taking them to work before or after school. In some towns, the teens who had to go to work at the grocery store, the farms, or the diner in the mornings would board the buses that would go through the neighborhoods before taking the students to school. These buses would stop at designated points to pick up the students. In addition to their backpacks and lunch bags, the teens would wear small work uniforms to signal the start of the day at the workplace.

14. Commuting by Company Shuttle Buses

In the 1960s, some of the bigger companies operated their own shuttle buses to take workers directly from the neighborhoods or transportation centers to their workplaces. Factories and workplaces are often located in isolated areas, far from the central business districts of the cities they are in, and public transportation is not always accessible for workers. So, what did companies do? They operated buses on fixed routes to take workers directly to their workplaces in the morning. Workers would congregate at designated pick-up points, like parking lots, train stations, or familiar street corners, and when the shuttle bus stopped, they would board it and take a seat for the quick ride to the workplace.

15. Motorcycle Commuting Through City Traffic

Motorcycles had become a practical choice for commuting to work in the 1960s, particularly in congested cities. People enjoyed riding through the congested streets, where cars moved at a snail’s pace during rush hours. Brands such as Honda, Triumph, and Vespa gained popularity for their durability and fuel efficiency. Daily, the roar of their motors could be heard as they sped along the city’s streets to their offices, warehouses, or workstations. The fact that their bikes required little parking space was a great advantage in congested cities. Wearing helmets and jackets was also common, particularly as they remained vigilant, navigating their way carefully through the traffic. It was a feeling of independence, being in command every day.

16. Catching Interurban Electric Railways

In different parts of the world in the early 1960s, interurban electric railway systems were still in use, transporting and dropping off commuters in small towns and cities. These railway systems connected towns and cities that were too far for regular streetcars and too close for long-distance trains. People assembled in small railway stations or platforms along the way where the interurban electric railway would stop and pick up its scheduled passengers. In different parts of the world, such as in Indiana, Illinois, and California, interurban railway systems transported workers who commuted daily to industrial centers and administrative offices. They came in with a familiar hum of the electric motors as they drew power from overhead wires.

17. Traveling by Rural Pickup Trucks

In the 1960s, pickups were the main means of transportation to work in the rural settings of America. They were essential tools for those in the agriculture and building industries, as they needed to transport workers from their quiet homes in the countryside to their workplaces far away. At the crack of dawn, the pickups came to life, and the workers drove out on the quiet roads that connected the farms with the towns and cities. Often, the bed of the pickups was loaded with tools and other things needed for the day’s work. Sometimes, workers even shared rides, with many of them crowded into the cab of the vehicle, planning their day’s work as they drove along the quiet roads.

18. Taking the Elevated Train

Elevated railroads were a prominent feature in several large cities in the 1960s, running through the cities on tracks that enabled residents to travel quickly from one crowded area to another. In Chicago and New York City, these railroads became a prominent feature in the skyline of these cities. Every morning, residents climbed up stairs to access a platform elevated above a busy intersection in the city. As they waited for a train on these platforms, they would look out over the city grid in anticipation of the arrival of a train. As the metal cars came along these elevated tracks, residents would climb aboard a train and travel through the city with a view of the neighboring communities.

19. Taking Early Morning Airport Worker Buses

Airports expanded rapidly in the 1960s as air travel took off around the world. These air terminals needed thousands of workers in various capacities, from maintenance and security to airline staff. Airports designed special shuttles to transport workers from the surrounding neighborhoods to the airport and the airport’s service areas. Before the sun rose, workers assembled at designated pick-up points along regular routes, boarding buses with their uniforms, tools, and small luggage in hand. The buses took workers directly into the secured area of the airport where their shifts awaited. During the journey, workers discussed flight plans, weather conditions, and maintenance work to be done.

20. Walking Through Downtown After Transit Arrival

For many 1960s commuters, the final leg of the journey was a stroll through the downtown area after disembarking their train, bus, or subway. While the system had efficiently transported them to the city center, the final step to their jobs was a brief walk through the city streets. Each morning, hordes of commuters emerged from their stations and flooded the sidewalks, lined by office buildings and department stores. They carried briefcases, folders, and newspapers, walking at a steady pace to their daily destinations. Vendors set up small stalls along the sidewalks, selling cups of coffee, pastries, or newspapers to the flow of pedestrians.

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