RELATED: If it was easier to pay for transit, ridership would increase
NYC has longest commute time via car and transit, study says
At just 26 minutes, San Diego was named as the U.S. city with the shortest average commute time.

A new study from Geotab depicts varying travel patterns across America and identify the U.S. cities with the longest and shortest commutes.
Geotab

New York City has the longest commute time via car and public transit, according to a new study from Geotab. The study analyzed commuter sprawl across 20 major cities in the U.S.
The results depict varying travel patterns across America and identify the U.S. cities with the longest and shortest commutes. The interactive piece also ranks the least and most reachable city centers.
Utilizing the 2012-2016 CTPP tabulation of the American Community Survey, Geotab examined data from more than 14 million commuters, calculating mean commute times from census tract areas across the U.S. travelling into 20 of the biggest cities in America. The company then used this data to create detailed maps visualizing these complex travel patterns, highlighting the true commuter boundaries of each of these cities.
“These maps provide us with an alternative way of thinking about cities. A city doesn’t necessarily stop at the official city boundaries — instead, they continue to sprawl much further thanks to the commuters that travel in and out of these areas for work throughout each and every single week,” said Maria Sotra, VP of Marketing at Geotab.
According to the results of Geotab’s Time to Commute study, the U.S. city with the longest average commute was found to be New York City, with those commuting into the city spending 43 minutes travelling on average. Commuters in NYC also face the longest commute by transit (53 minutes) and the city was identified as America’s least reachable city, with only 4% of commuters able to travel into the city in half an hour or less. Additionally, only 28% of NYC commuters can access the city within 30 minutes by car, while just 6% of public transit users can access the city within 30 minutes.
At just 26 minutes, San Diego was named as the U.S. city with the shortest average commute time.The coastal Californian city also has the shortest commute by car (26 minutes) and was deemed as the most reachable, with 72% of commuters able to access the city within 30 minutes. While 77% of San Diego commuters travelling by car can travel to the city within half an hour, only 17% of public transit users can commute into the city within half an hour. The most reachable city for public transit users is Minneapolis, which 31% of commuters can travel into within 30 minutes.
“This research also highlights the need for ongoing investment in transportation infrastructure across the country,” added Sotra. “The stark contrast between how many cities are easily reachable by car versus those that are easily reachable by public transit suggests that there is still some way to go in ensuring that these cities can be accessed in a reasonable amount of time regardless of your mode of transport.”
More Management

Southern California's Metrolink Debuts Contactless Fare Payment Pilot
Customers traveling between Redlands and Los Angeles can now tap their preferred payment method, including a credit or debit card, mobile wallet, or wearable device, at station validators before boarding and again while exiting.
Read More →
California's BART Approves FY27 Budget While Maintaining Service Levels
The budget covers July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2027, a period when pandemic emergency funds run out, the District faces a structural deficit of $375 million, and a regional transit funding measure may appear on the November ballot.
Read More →
STL Metro Transit To Launch Next-Generation Fare Collection and Security Gates
The St. Louis transit agency will begin the phased rollout of gated station access and integrated fare technology to improve security and the customer experience.
Read More →
CATS FY27 Budget Prioritizes Safety, Service
New investments in security, service expansion, and rail development aim to improve the rider experience while keeping fares flat.
Read More →
Transit Agencies Nationwide Gear Up to Move World Cup Crowds
As millions of fans prepare to descend on host cities, transit leaders are turning a month-long global event into a proving ground for the future of customer experience, mobility, and crowd management.
Read More →
OCTA Approves $2 Billion Budget for FY 2026-27, Prioritizing Transit Investments
More than half of the agency’s upcoming spending plan is dedicated to transit as OCTA balances infrastructure investment with fiscal stability.
Read More →
Joshua Schank on Transportation Innovation, Risk, and the Future of Mobility
In this edition of METROspectives, Joshua Schank discusses lessons from launching LA Metro’s Office of Extraordinary Innovation, the challenges of advancing new mobility technologies, and much more.
Read More →
Reinventing Fleet Maintenance with Real-time Visibility and AI
Transit leaders need to know what needs fixing, where to look, who is responsible, when work is completed, and what it costs without having to chase information across disconnected systems.
Read More →
Alstom Acquires Delaware Site to Support Amtrak NextGen Acela Fleet
The company is investing more than $55 million to acquire and improve the property and will employ approximately 100 people at this site once it is operational.
Read More →
SamTrans Sets Priorities for Potential Connect Bay Area Revenue
The board-approved framework allocates future funding to maintaining service, rider improvements, equity initiatives, and infrastructure repairs.
Read More →