How much do homes cost within a 30 minute commute radius of FAANG HQ?

This seems to be why senior executives are so out of touch on the issue. "I don't see what the big deal about commuting to the office is. Just buy a $12 million house in the middle of Palo Alto"

There's the rub. The salaries look huge but they don't take into account the mental cost of commuting or the negative externality placed on people whose environments are rearranged to accommodate people from outside that region. Of course, the salaries are the reason it's so expensive (fueled by the few who choose to live that close) but that indicates that the housing surrounding the HQs won't accommodate a workforce with a reasonable commute.

This isn't just some unimportant whining. It's the source of a large chunk of your carbon footprint. And electric or autonomous cars won't make that go away.

I commuted 1.5 hours each way, bike in summer and public transit in winter both took the same time. I loved biking but public transportation sucks.

Why?

Rent was triple what I was paying to be close, or double to cut the commute in half. And I had no job security.

I'm sure you did but again, that is not an average case. You've evidently chosen a different trade-off.

My point is that the economics of my salary and rent made the choice for me.

Ebike next time. Mod the motor. You can still pedal and sweat if you want.

Today, I’d do that or at least get a road bike instead of the mtb I had, but this wasn’t an easy option years ago.

Still ride a bike for transportation though! Love it.

The exercise is a large part of what is enjoyable about bike commuting.

You can pedal to your heart's content, but with the motor you will be going faster than you would otherwise.

Yes. It's a multiplier, you get exercise and more range than a traditional bike and it opens up a larger portion of a city to bike commuting.

That’s still an hour a day which i could spend cooking a nice dinner instead or working out