With Americans losing an average of $869 per year due to time spent in traffic, the personal-finance website WalletHub recently released its report on 2023’s Best and Worst Cities to Drive in.
To determine the most driver-friendly places in the U.S., WalletHub compared the 100 largest cities across 30 key metrics. The data set ranges from average gas prices to annual hours in traffic congestion per auto commuter to auto-repair shops per capita.
Best Cities for Driving
Corpus Christi, Texas ranked as the best city for driving, followed by Raleigh, NC at number two. The rest of the top 10 were: Boise, ID; Plano, TX; Scottsdale, AZ; Greensboro, NC; Laredo, TX; Lubbock, TX; Lincoln, NE and Jacksonville, FL.
Worst Cities for Driving
At the other end of the spectrum, four California cities ranked in the bottom 100 of worst cities for driving. Stockton, CA was at number 91, followed by Seattle, WA at number 92. Rounding out the bottom 100 states were New York, NY; Chicago, IL; Philadelphia, PA; Los Angeles, CA; Washington, DC; Detroit, MI; San Francisco, CA and rated as the worst city to drive in across the country, Oakland, CA.
Best vs. Worst
Henderson, Nevada, has the lowest traffic fatality rate (per 100,000 residents), 1.61, which is 23.3 times lower than in Memphis, Tennessee, the city with the highest at 37.53.
Gilbert, Arizona, has the fewest car thefts (per 1,000 residents), 0.58, which is 26.4 times fewer than in Oakland, California, the city with the most at 15.33.
Corpus Christi, Texas, has the lowest average gas price, $3.36 per gallon, which is 1.6 times lower than in Los Angeles and Long Beach, California, the cities with the highest at $5.35 per gallon.
St. Petersburg, Florida, has the lowest average parking rate, $0.60 per two hours, which is 69.8 times lower than in New York, the city with the highest at $41.87 per two hours.
To view the full report, visit: https://wallethub.com/edu/best-worst-cities-to-drive-in/13964
Expert Commentary
What money-saving tips do you have for drivers, as gas prices have been on an upward trend over the last few months?
“Be sure your tires are properly inflated, low tire pressures reduce fuel economy. Be sure you keep only what you need in your vehicle, extra weight reduces fuel economy. Be sure your vehicle is serviced and maintained regularly to work at top efficiency. Proper tires: Hybrid (HEV), Plug-In hybrid (PHEV), EVs (BEV), and Fuel Cell vehicles (FCEV) use low rolling resistance tires. Sometimes owners replace them with ‘Standard’ tires that will directly affect fuel economy/Range. Vehicles that require Premium fuel will have reduced fuel economy when using lower octane fuel because the vehicle’s computers will ‘De-tune’ the engine, and as a result the driver will accelerate harder, thus using more fuel. Plan trips to include multiple stops vs. making individual trips to run each errand when possible. Ease up on the right foot, a little more time saves money.”
Kurt Shadbolt – Instructor, Chabot College
What can local authorities do to reduce traffic and improve safety?
“Traffic is a manifestation of the demand for transportation. Thus, the most effective way to reduce is to induce changes in transportation demand. Using incentives to employers and commercial establishments to change the work hours could reduce traffic without much trouble to all involved. Ask yourself, why do 40 percent of travelers travel in the peak hours? Shifting the time of travel by 1-2 hours could have tremendous impacts on congestion, emissions, and accidents. The off-hour delivery project in NYC designed by our research by our research group and implemented by the NYC Department of Transportation, has succeeded in changing the time of delivery to the off-hours (7 p.m.-6 a.m.). These trucks produce 65 percent less pollution than the ones driving in the congested hours of the day.”
José Holguín-Veras, Ph.D., P.E., FASCE – Professor, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
What are some of the biggest infrastructure challenges in U.S. cities?
“Many cities have aged infrastructure systems, including bridges, roads, and water pipes, that are in disrepair and need of significant investment for maintenance and upgrades. Integrating emerging transportation technologies like automated vehicles, electric scooters, smart traffic management systems, and ridesharing services into existing infrastructure and regulations posed a challenge as well.”
Junfeng Zhao – Assistant Professor, Arizona State University
