Most efficient route to work

This is a very interesting and worthwhile experiment. Theoretically, the gravitational field is conservative and so intermediate elevation changes don't matter. If you believe that for driving, though, I have this bridge for sale...

I have only two practical routes to/from work. The longer route, 31 miles, has fewer traffic lights but less consistent elevation changes. The shorter route, 30 miles, is almost all uphill or downhill, but has a number of unpredictable traffic lights. Because of that and, as you point out, temperature and other seasonal variables, I think it would take a lot more than a week or two of each route to get accurate results, especially since the difference is likely to be small. Even so, it would be good to know such things, so thanks for volunteering!

Richard

 

Serious fuel-economy types collect data for a full year before drawing conclusions. There are any number of cases on the site of people who fool themselves badly by considering only one tank or one month's worth of driving. External variables over which you have no control, mostly the temperature and wind, have very large effects. And people often forget to check the tire pressures often enough. For a good test you would need to do it every day and keep them constant.

Just checking, now: you do mean "fuel economy" and not "MPGs", right? Consider a 100 mile drive at 50 MPG and a 10 mile drive at 20 MPGs. The longer drive has better MPGs but the shorter drive has better fuel economy (it uses less fuel).

 

Numbers shouldn't be the only criteria. Elapsed time, stree & traffic are also important. I switched from highway to county road because there is much less traffic, mostly just a slightly lower posted speed limit, and it's just more fun to drive.

It probably won't take long for you to figure out what is best for you. Drive them all. Make all familiar.

Either way, knowing alternate routes can save hours of being stuck in traffic and you don't want to find one in the pouring rain at night after a full day at the office.

 

Without having more details I think the 17.8 mile (route 4) for traveling to work:
- Short
- Few stops and lights
- After the initial climb is mostly a gradual downhill. Prius loves a gradual descent.

However, it does have the big climb only 1 mile into the route which could work your cold engine hard.

Route 2, with its reduced elevation changes might be better, especially for the return leg, since it would have a downhill start, which is great during warm-up. There are lots of lights though, so I guess it depends on whether you can time or smart-brake your way through.

However, as others mentioned different routes have different stress levels. There are different road conditions and all stops are not created equal: there's a big difference between an easy right onto a lightly-traveled back road and a left turn close to a blind corner onto a busy high-speed road.

 

I've noticed that in my neighborhood, there are times of day, particularly in the morning where daily traffic is dramatically different with just a few minutes difference. If I reach the major road 2 miles away from home at 645am, I'm first in line at the light. If I'm there are 650, I'm WAY in back. Closer to 7am and it clears up again.

 

Instead of driving each one for a week, how about each one once a week. That way you will approach an answer rather than waiting 5 weeks for one.