[widdma]

> Different regions have dramatically different average commute times which don't directly correlate with population. Thus disproving your point.

Average commute time is not the desired metric here, see Duranton and Turner[1].

[1]: http://www.brown.edu/Departments/Economics/Faculty/Matthew_T...

[Retric]

Road miles driven has utility, but there feedback effects which make it a poor long term measure. Duranton and Turner have a biased view of the situation as which does not map to economic, social, or even environmental utility.