Report Names El Paso 5th Best City To Drive In And We’re Confused
When we saw this new report, we wondered where these people were driving. Can't be the west side.
Unlike other countries, Americans are known for relying on our vehicles to get to and from work, travel and for everyday life. According to the Bureau of Transportation Statistics, 87% of people's daily trips are in personal vehicles. People are traveling to and from work as well as weekend trips in their own cars. There's lots of reasons people enjoy having their own vehicle, and it helps that gas prices are currently at the lowest in 12 years. While all of these things are a positive, there are some serious negatives too. Americans lose together $124 billion a year in wasted time and fuel by being stuck in traffic or dealing with congestion.
In a new report by WalletHub, they decided to name the Best Cities to Drive In. In a complete shock to anyone I know that has been on Mesa Street during rush hour, they named El Paso the 5th Best City To Drive In.
Driving in El Paso (1=Best; 50=Avg.):
- 23rd – Annual Hours Spent in Congestion per Auto Commuter
- 27th – Accident Likelihood in City vs. National Avg.
- 9th – Rate of Car Thefts
- 23rd – Avg. Gas Prices
- 17th – Avg. Parking Rates
- 32nd – Car Dealerships per Capita
They looked at things like the average gas prices, annual hours stuck in traffic, accident likelihood in the city versus the national average, car theft rate, auto repair shop availability as well as car washes, auto-maintenance costs and parking rates.
If we are really going to name El Paso one of the best cities to drive in, I think they should be looking at other things that negatively affect traffic in the city. El Paso is NOT one of the best cities to drive in and there are several things they should have looked at to see really what city is the actual best:
- Amount of construction in the city
- Amount of closed streets or even on and off ramps to the freeway
- Ease to drive around the city
- Congestion during peak times, as well as during events
There is probably a lot more that I am not thinking of but to be honest, a car wash isn't going to really help me drive around the city.
Read more about this at WalletHub.