World's Worst Commutes

Beijing and Mexico City lead the way
By John Johnson,  Newser Staff
Posted Jul 2, 2010 11:31 AM CDT
World's Worst Commutes
Rush hour in Los Angeles.   (AP Photo/Reed Saxon)

IBM surveyed drivers in 20 of the world's biggest cities to find the worst commutes. The bottom 5 (based on a slew of factors including time stuck in traffic and stress) in the commuter pain index are:

  1. Beijing (99 on a scale of 100)
  2. Mexico City (99)
  3. Johannesburg (97)
  4. Moscow (84, with 2½-hour traffic jams common)
  5. New Delhi (81)

As for US cities, Los Angeles (with a score of 25) came in at No. 14, New York (19) at No. 17, and Houston (17) at No. 18. Most American drivers say things are getting worse, though 8 in 10 drive to work solo, notes Wired. This matters, writes Richard Florida in the Atlantic, because "every minute shaved off America's commuting time is worth an estimated $19.5 billion."
(More traffic jam stories.)

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