Houston among Forbes’s worst commutes

Ranks 8th-worst

Steve Hawley, Feb 19, 10.

The Houston region has the eighth-worst commute in the country, according to Forbes Magazine. Forbes ranked 60 of the largest cities based on factors such as travel time, road congestion, and sprawl.

Houston ranked 50th out of 60 in both commute time and travel delays. The one bright spot was that it ranked 26th in terms of so-called “green commuting” such as walking, bicycling, and taking public transit such as METRO’s bus and light rail system. The Main Street light rail line carries over 5,000 people per track mile, making it the second-most productive light rail line in the country.

Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington was ranked as the fifth-worst commute in the country. San Antonio was the 23rd best and Austin was 27th best.

The top five cities overall were Salt Lake City; Buffalo, NY; Rochester, NY; Milwaukee; and Albany. The four worst cities besides Dallas-Fort Worth were Tampa, Detroit, Atlanta, and Orlando.