Skip to Content
Streetsblog USA home
Log In
Streetsblog.net

Why Do “Best Places to Work” Rankings Overlook Commuting?

10:55 AM EST on March 6, 2014

You've probably seen one of those rankings for your city that tells people where the "best places to work" are locally.

A terrible commute can certainly impact worker well being, so why is it being ignored in "best places to work" rankings? Photo: Wikipedia
A terrible commute can certainly affect your well being, so why not factor it into "best places to work" rankings? Photo: Wikipedia
false

They tend to examine criteria like salaries, benefits, corporate culture. But as Jeff La Noue at Baltimore-based blog Comeback City points out, they usually ignore one very important factor: the commute. And that's a pretty serious omission, La Noue says:

Virtually every rush hour, one or more of our major regional highways is backed up when some unfortunate driver’s car is mangled in a so-called car-b-que. The DC area usually ranks among the highest in the nation for traffic congestion, while Baltimore isn’t far behind.

Beyond causing stress and eating up time, commuting by car can be dangerous. In 2010, Maryland had 493 traffic deaths. 296 were in passenger cars or light trucks vs one fatality in a bus. 383 fatal car crashes were on urban interstates.

Meanwhile, employers on the Baltimore Magazine list highlight commuting options with about the same frequency as company picnics and employer-paid pet insurance. Of the top 25, there are only eight employers with a walkscore rating over 70. A high walkscore can indicate whether an employee can walk to a place to eat, to live, or a central bus or transit line from their workplace.

La Noue goes on to list the best places to work in Baltimore by Walk Score ranking.

Elsewhere on the Network today: The Political Environment challenges the almost unquestioned notion that suburbanites have a right to speedy commutes through the city of Milwaukee. Vibrant Bay Area considers how to make gas stations fit comfortably into the urban environment. And Reno Rambler comments on the ideological divide between cyclists who advocate for better infrastructure and cyclists who advocate for behaving like drivers.

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Streetsblog USA

The Price Is Right for Tuesday’s Headlines

If congestion pricing works in New York City, City Lab predicts that other U.S. cities will quickly follow suit.

November 28, 2023

Top NJ Lawmaker Proposes Major Reforms to Fight Temporary License Plate Fraud

The new legislation follows a seven-month Streetsblog investigation that found widespread fraud involving temp tags, with car dealers abusing weak state regulations and selling paper plates illegally to drivers using them to evade accountability on the road.

November 28, 2023

DOT’s New Emissions Rule is a Big Deal, Even if It Doesn’t Punish States for Polluting

No states will face penalties for building needless toxic road projects — but they also won't be able to hide those impacts from the public.

November 27, 2023

Monday’s Headlines Need Less Oil

E-bikes are a great alternative for short trips, and they're actually saving more fossil fuels that electric cars.

November 27, 2023

Highway Boondoggles 2023: This Bridge is a Bridge Too Far

Presented by local transportation authorities as a simple bridge replacement, an expensive, oversized highway expansion threatens to worsen congestion in Vancouver and Portland

November 27, 2023
See all posts