From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishcommutercom‧mut‧er /kəˈmjuːtə $ -ər/ ●●○ noun [countable] TRAVELsomeone who travels a long distance to work every day► see thesaurus at travelCOLLOCATIONScommuter + NOUNa commuter train/plane (=a train or plane that people use to travel to work in a city)Several commuter trains were delayed because of the bad weather.commuter trafficThe new measures are aimed at reducing commuter traffic into the capital.a commuter serviceMore money is needed to improve commuter services in the region.a commuter town/village (=that a lot of people leave each day to travel to work)It’s a commuter town about 40 miles from London.a commuter line (=a railway line that commuters use)There’s a fast and reliable commuter line across Kent.a commuter route (=a road or railway line that commuters use)ADJECTIVES/NOUN + commutera daily commuterThousands of daily commuters pour into the city.a regular commuterHe was a regular commuter between Cambridge and London.a long-distance commuterThe fare increases will be bad news for long-distance commuters.a suburban commuterThe majority of suburban commuters were unable to get to New York. a morning commuterBy 7:30 the roads are jammed with the usual morning commuters.a rail commuter (=a commuter who travels by train)Rail commuters face severe delays because of engineering works.
Examples from the Corpus
commuter• We lived in Belleville, New Jersey, a commuter town at the northern fringe of Newark.• The impact derailed the leading carriage and commuters had to use buses between Bishop Auckland and Shildon.• Over the ensuing days traffic and commuters in London were seriously disrupted by hoax bomb warning calls which led to station closures.• Other things being equal, commuters prefer lower money costs and faster travel.• How much this will do for the hard hit Darlington to Hartlepool commuter is anyone's guess.• Each region has one organization controlling buses and operating its commuter trains.• If a strike does take place, commuters in the Northeast would be severely affected.• With the vast majority of suburban commuters unable to get to New York, brokerage firms were operating with skeleton staffs.• It was a small shop that catered to commuters and local workers. 