Detroit is one of just five big cities where transportation eats up a fifth or more of household costs – Detroit was third after Houston and Cleveland. According to the Surface Transportation Policy Partnership, as reported in Forbes magazine, Detroiters spend on average 20.5% of their income on transportation and spend 57 hours a year delayed by traffic. Forbes also reported that:
"The study also found a very high correlation between cities that had extensive train systems and those in which households spent the least on transportation costs. Four of the five cheapest commutes were rated as having large or extensive rail systems, and of the five most expensive commutes, only Cleveland was rated above having a small or non-existent rail system, according to STPP. Besides saving commuters money on parking, tolls and gas, rail systems are often seen as a way to manage sprawl as train stations create central and desirable points for living and working."