Riverside, Calif., tops gas prices list

RIVERSIDE, Calif., May 17 (UPI) -- Forbes Magazine says Riverside and San Bernadino, Calif., have the highest U.S. driving costs thanks to a combination of high gas prices and long commutes.

The magazine's survey of which cities have the most "pain at the pump" was released Friday. Its authors say they arrive at the list by taking the country's 50 largest metro areas and factor for "congestion, fuel costs, use of mass transit and carpools and commuting distances to determine which were the most affected by rising gasoline prices, and calculate how much commuters pay each day to get to and from work."

Under those criteria, California's "Inland Empire" in Riverside County achieved the dubious distinction of being at the top of the list.

"Not only are gas prices $3.91 per gallon, one of the highest in the country," Forbes said, "but cities like Riverside and San Bernardino grew as part of the Los Angeles sprawl, where residents accepted the trade-off of cheaper housing for longer commutes."

Rounding out the Top Ten list of cities with the most painful gas prices were Atlanta, Washington, Miami, Chicago, Birmingham, Ala., Los Angeles, Raleigh, N.C., Houston and Sacramento, Calif.