Philly ranks third worst city for drivers, study says

In terms of traffic and infrastructure, driving safety, and more, Philly scores below other major cities across the country, according to a new study from personal finance website Wallethub this week.

The report, which looked at “2019’s best and worst cities to drive in” ranked 100 major U.S. cities by four main factors: the cost of owning and maintaining a car; traffic and infrastructure; safety; and access to vehicles and maintenance. Philly ranked 98th, followed only by Oakland and Detroit. Meanwhile Raleigh, Orlando, and Lincoln, NE took the top three spots.

The city ranked especially low in the owning and maintenance category (91st) and traffic and infrastructure category (96th). In safety, Wallethub put Philly at the 82nd spot, and in terms of access to vehicles and maintenance it ranked 34th.

But the study didn’t stop at those four categories. It also found the best and worst cities across the country in terms of other driving-related factors, and Philly fell short a few more times. The report ranked Philly as one of five cities with the highest accident likelihood versus the national average, and as one of the five cities with the highest parking rates.

While driving ease might not be the city’s strong suit, Philly has consistently ranked near the top of major metropolitan areas in the country for its walkability. Most notably, Walk Score, an offshoot of real estate website Redfin, has ranked Philly the fifth most walkable city in the country several years in a row. The same site has also ranked Philly near the top for transportation and bikeability.