New York City ranked most sustainable in North America for transportation

New York City is the most sustainable city for transportation in North America, according to Arcadis' recent "sustainable cities mobility index."

The index ranks sustainable transportation practices across 100 cities worldwide. The index takes into account more than 20 mobility elements that are essential to a city's competitive advantage, economy and sustainability, Arcadis officials said in a press release.

San Francisco ranked second on the index, while Vancouver, British Columbia, placed third.

New York City earned the top spot for North America because of its expansive and heavily used public transit system that operates around the clock. However, the city ranked 23rd globally on Arcadis' index.

Due to their car-centric culture, North American cities in general ranked lower compared with equivalent European or Asian cities. Also many U.S. cities "lack an extensive transit network due to years of reduced public investment," Arcadis officials said.

"While some North American cities enjoy well-funded and comprehensive transit systems, most rely heavily on private vehicles and lack developed public transit options," said Arcadis President of Infrastructure Wassim Selman. "We need to be bold in implementing nontraditional approaches and leveraging technology to meet the mobility needs of our communities today and into the future."