IBM Releases "Commuter Pain Index"

A survey of over 8,000 commuters in 20 cities across 6 continents yields an alarming result. By and large, commuters in emerging economies face traffic conditions that are far worse than those who live in the U.S. and Europe.

1 minute read

September 10, 2011, 9:00 AM PDT

By Jeff Jamawat


Geographic location appears to be the determining factor that essentially bifurcates the cities on the pain index. Those that received a high index "score" mostly belong to BRIC nations (save Brazil) whereas the rest are located in developed, first-world countries.

Most miserable place for commuters, according to IBM? Mexico City.

There is a silver lining amid these despondent numbers, however. Melissa Lafsky quips, "Forty one percent of commuters globally said improved public transportation would help reduce stress. And that's in part out of desperation."

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