Grappling with $4 Gas

A study of the 50 largest United States cities by Common Current ranks metropolitan areas by their readiness to deal with $4 per gallon gas prices. While public transportation was a major factor, the study also took into account degree of sprawl, rate of usage of oil for heating, and the percentage of people who telecommute. The top 10 are listed below.

1. San Francisco, CA

2. New York, NY

3. Chicago. IL

4. Washington, D.C.

5. Seattle, WA

6. Portland, OR

7. Boston, MA

8. Philadelphia, PA

9. Oakland, CA

10. Denver, CO

Milwaukee ranked 21st on the list, while newer cities, especially those in the Sunbelt, fared badly, as they developed in the suburb-loving 1950s – 1990s, when subdivisions and shopping malls grew like weeds on the American landscape.