StreetLight analyzed the 100 most populous metro areas from the 2018 U.S. Census list of core-based statistical areas (CBSAs). We scored the cities individually, per capita, by four StreetLight-derived factors: Vehicle miles traveled (VMT), bike commuting, pedestrian commuting, and circuity. We added two factors: density, calculated by dividing geographic area by population, and transit ridership, ranked according to the American Public Transportation Association’s per-capita ridership ratings.
StreetLight analyzes trips derived from location-based services (LBS) data, processed by our proprietary algorithm. Results were indexed values, not actual measurements, because StreetLight does not capture 100% of a city’s movements. Overall rankings were derived using each individual factor’s value scaled from 0 to a factor’s weight. A higher ranking indicates a better score, with a lower ranking indicating a worse score, relative to other cities.
We weighted factors as follows:
About StreetLight Data
StreetLight Data pioneered the use of Big Data analytics to help transportation professionals solve their biggest problems. Applying proprietary machine-learning algorithms to over four trillion spatial data points, StreetLight measures diverse travel patterns and makes them available on-demand via the world’s first SaaS platform for mobility, StreetLight InSight®. From identifying sources of congestion to optimizing new infrastructure to planning for autonomous vehicles, StreetLight powers more than 3,000 projects every month.
Learn More About the Climate Impact Index
Overview and The Top 10
The Complete List: Top 100 Metros and How They Rank
Best and Worst: Rankings by Key Indices
