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USA Today reports on an analysis by CEOs for Cities that finds that cities with compact development and lots of transit options can significantly reduce their dependence on oil and gas.

The average American driver logs 25 miles per day. Motorists in compactly developed cities that have extensive transit systems can drive nearly 50% less.

The way to cut back on driving miles in a city isn't by reducing commutes, says Carol Coletta, president and CEO of the group.

"What adds up is all those small trips, which are much shorter and not as necessary," she says. "The question is, how do we make the city a place where we don't have to drive as much or as often?"

The study looked at the 51 largest metro areas in the U.S., and found that if every driver in each of the 51 metro areas drove one less mile each day the savings would be $29 billion a year.

Here are the 10 cities where residents drive the fewest miles each day:

1. New Orleans (13.7 miles/day)

2. New York City (16)

3. Sacramento (18.4)

4. Portland, Ore. (18.7)

5. Chicago (19.1)

6. Philadelphia (20)

7. Buffalo (20.2)

8. San Jose (21)

9. Providence, R.I. (21.2)

10. San Francisco (21.3)

Photo: buzrael/Flickr

This post was originally published on Smartplanet.com