2 Bay Area cities make top 10 for worst car commutes
SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) — Drivers stuck in daily gridlock at the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge toll plaza might feel like they have the worst commute possible.
But a new study analyzing time spent traveling and commuting costs found six cities in America have even worse commutes than San Francisco and Oakland. For the “Top 10 Worst American Cities For Car Commuters” ranking, SF ranked 7th and Oakland ranked 10th.
Car subscription providers FINN said its study looked at “how much time and money is spent on commuting to work” Costs included price at gas pumps, car insurance, parking, and inflation.
Worst American Cities For Car Commuters:
1. New York City
Like San Francisco, traffic flows in and out of the Big Apple through bridges on some sides of the city. Bridges and tunnels funnel vehicles into bottlenecks.
The study wrote, “Driving in New York City is not for the faint-hearted, as it is the worst city to commute in. Even for the most confident drivers, New York City’s traffic-packed streets and fearless pedestrians can be intimidating. Commuters typically spend an extra $107 a year in fuel costs thanks to the levels of congestion.”
2. Los Angeles, California
California’s most populated city is known for its car-loving culture, epic commutes, and freeway gridlock. Traveling from one part of the sprawling city to another often requires hopping on multiple freeways. “Saturday Night Live” poked fun at it with “The Californians” skits, lamenting about how to avoid Interstate-10.
The study writes, “Los Angeles is incredibly car-centric, like many North American cities, and the idea of commuting around the city without a car is almost unheard of. The city is often struck with gridlock, congestion, and a whole lot of stress. Drivers in LA spend an hour or more in traffic every morning and disburse $74 a year in fuel costs due to it.”
3. Chicago, Illinois
“City traffic in Chicago is known to be some of the worst in North America, and trips to and from the suburbs regularly take 90 minutes or more. Moving anywhere in the city is equally as tiring. Due to recent road work and shifting traffic patterns, the issues have increasingly worsened, causing commuters to be pushed to their breaking point,” the study writes.
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4. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
5. Seattle, Washington
6. Washington, D.C.
7. San Francisco, California
8. Miami, Florida
9. Boston, Massachusetts
10. Oakland, California
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