By James Pilcher
The Cincinnati Enquirer

When it comes to being driver-friendly, Greater Cincinnati is the best in this part of the country.

But the area is just a little better than the norm when compared with the rest of the nation.

A new survey of the nation's 77 biggest cities ranked the Tristate 29th when it came to being a "drivable city," based on a combination of gas prices, climate, road conditions, ease of travel and commuting times.

Bert Sperling, the same survey expert who does the research for Money magazine's "Best Places to Live" annual article, did the survey.

Cleveland ranked 48th, Columbus was 36th, Indianapolis was 46th, and Louisville was 38th.

Corpus Christi, Texas, ranked first, with Los Angeles-Long Beach last.

The survey was commissioned by the Pep Boys auto parts and repair store chain, and did not say how individual cities fared in the different categories.

As a region, the South fared well because of low gas prices and its warm climate, while several Northeastern cities were near the bottom of the list because of their weather. Detroit also found itself near the bottom of the list, primarily because of its poor roads.

E-mail jpilcher@enquirer.com