Beijing residents took an average of 43.6 minutes per day to get to work last year, according to a report released by Beijing Union University (BUU). The report said women need a little more time than men to make the trip.
The report involved a survey of 6,000 residents from across the city living in residential compounds.
It asked respondents to compare their commuting experience in 2005 to 2010. Statistics showed the average commute time increased by 5.6 minutes compared to the average 38-minute commute seen in 2005.
"There's rarely a commute time of more than 40 minutes in large Western cities where there are a lot more vehicles," said BUU's professor Meng Bin, who was in charge of the study. "In Japan, commute times actually have been reduced by 15 minutes compared to a decade ago."
The report blamed most commuting problems on city planning not keeping pace with economic development.
"Commuters living in the suburbs could easily be on the road for close to two hours, because residential areas and commercial zones are so far apart," said Ye Limei, a deputy director of the Research Institute of Urban Problems at the Beijing Academy of Social Sciences.
"The best schools and hospitals are also located downtown, a serious problem in city planning, so people have to make longer commutes when the traffic flow in the city is already under heavy pressure," said Ye.
In commutes of the same distance, statistics from both 2005 and 2010 showed men arrived at work one minute faster than women.
"We believe it's because more male commuters choose to ride bicycles or electric bicycles, which are more efficient ways during rush hour," said Meng.
Meng also said male commuters use scooters to commute because it helps reduce traffic-related stress.
"Traveling in Beijing can be a tough competition, like getting on a crowded metro train during rush hour. Women are often at a disadvantage for that as well, " said Ma Ning, a local male subway Line 10 commuter.
The research showed people in their 40s spent the most amount of time on the road.
Their average commuting time in 2010 rose to 44.1 minutes one-way, seeing an increase of 8.3 minutes compared to 2005.
"People of a wealthier economic status are willing to spend more on commuting costs, so they don't mind choosing an area with better schools and public facilities that is farther from work," said Meng.