New York would be one big traffic jam if residents drove as much as other Americans

If New Yorkers drove as often as the rest of America; the city’s five boroughs would be one big traffic jam.

A study being released today says there would be 4.5 million more cars on the road if New Yorkers racked up the same average mileage as residents of other big metropolitan areas.

According to the New York Daily News, parking that many cars would require a lot about the size of Manhattan - or about 25 square miles.

The city-commissioned study titled 'New York City's Green Dividend' argues that improved transit and pedestrian-friendly changes to the city's landscape would benefit not just the environment, but the economy.

The study’s findings include:

-- The average number of miles driven per person daily in New York City is 9, while the average per person in other large metropolitan areas is 25 miles a day.

-- Residents of the five boroughs save 19-billion dollars a year because they buy fewer cars and avoid many auto-related expenses such as gasoline and car insurance.

-- Much of that money is spent locally, helping the city's economy.

-- Nearly 57% of New York City workers commute by mass transit; 32% drive or take cabs; 10% walk, and 1.2% take their bicycles or use some other mode.