What major United States metro area has the worst commuter impact on the climate?
If you guessed New York City, Los Angeles, or San Francisco, you’re wrong.
According to the 2020 U.S. Transportation Climate Index report from Streetlight Data, a transportation analytics firm, the worst metro area is Dallas, followed by Phoenix and Houston.
Streetlight Data ranked the 100 largest metro areas to see how transportation systems contribute to greenhouse gases. The rankings took into account six per capita categories and reviewed highways, public transit, bike lanes, and sidewalks.
The cities got ranked by population density, public transit, miles traveled by vehicle, bike commuters, pedestrian commuters, and how direct was a traveler’s route.
Commuting is a significant issue for society. It harms people who must travel a long way each workday. And with all the cars, buses and trains moving people around, the impact on the environment continues to get worse.
What the rankings found was that congested cities are not the worst greenhouse gas contributors for commuting. Cities that are facing issues with sprawl lead the way for the biggest commuter polluters.
Read more: How Commuter Benefits Can Help With Congestion Pricing
Here are the top 5 and bottom 5 regions. The top 5 are New York City, San Francisco and Oakland, Madison, Wisc., Philadelphia, and Boston.
The bottom 5 are Dallas, Phoenix, Houston, St. Louis, and Kansas City.
One way to lessen the impact on the environment when commuting is to take public transportation when possible. A great way to do that is with commuter benefits.
Commuter benefits allow commuters to save up to $270 tax-free each month for use on public transit, rideshares, or qualified parking. Employers save about $41 per month for each employee who enrolls in a commuter benefits program. A company with 50 employees can save $24,000 annually.
If you want to learn more about commuter benefits, download the 101 Guide below
