Salt Lake transportation system best, Forbes says

SALT LAKE CITY — Utah's capital is the best in America for commuters, according to a new Forbes Magazine list.

Salt Lake City topped a list that featured Buffalo and Rochester, N.Y., and Milwaukee, Wis.

The magazine measured travel time, traffic delays and road congestion as it ranked the nation's 60 largest metropolitan areas.

Forbes credited the city's commuting experience to the state's investment in public transit systems, as well as the 20 percent of commuters who carpool in the city's 44 miles of HOV lanes or who ride buses and trains.

"Salt Lake City was a large part of the fastest-growing metropolitan area in the country last year and we see every promising sign of this trend continuing," Mayor Ralph Becker said in a statement Friday. "We are excited to be recognized nationally for our transportation vision and continue to strive to improve options throughout the city."

Also on Friday, city leaders said they will be initiating an independent review of the city's traffic signals to develop and implement timing plan changes. Results of the review are expected in 2012.