Well that's the theory. What ends up happening is always up in the air. I did read somewhere that the average "commute" has stayed constant throughout history

Well that's the theory. What ends up happening is always up in the air. I did read somewhere that the average "commute" has stayed constant throughout history - about 45 min - be it walking, omnibus, trolley or car. So you're probably right, things will shift to fill up the free time