Recent Streetsblog USA posts about VMT

While the Economy Grows, Americans Continue to Drive Less

By Angie Schmitt | May 28, 2014 | 32 Comments

The last time the average American drove this little, Bill Clinton was president and Seinfeld was the most-watched show in the country. Not since 1994 has per capita driving been as low as it is now, according to new data from the Federal Highway Administration compiled by economist Doug Short. Per capita driving has been on […]

Dueling Forecasts: Does the Energy Dept. Know Something U.S. DOT Doesn’t?

By Tony Dutzik | Apr 16, 2014 | 2 Comments

Tony Dutzik is a senior policy analyst with the Frontier Group. This article was originally posted on the Frontier Group’s blog. The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) — the data and analytical wing of the Energy Department — is out today with a fascinating analysis of changing driving trends and their implications for America’s energy future. The […]

Fitch Ratings: Failure to Invest in Transit Could Hurt the Whole Economy

By Angie Schmitt | Mar 27, 2014 | 25 Comments

One of the country’s leading financial ratings agencies is warning that if America doesn’t change how it invests in transit, the whole economy could suffer. “Public transportation investment strategies will need to transform if trends toward increased multifamily housing, declines in driving, and increasing public transportation usage continue over the long run,” Fitch said. In […]

The Fuzzy Math in the Road Lobby’s Memo to Congress

By Tanya Snyder | Mar 25, 2014 | 4 Comments

Don’t know what to make of the news that U.S. driving rates have dropped for the ninth year in a row? Looking for guidance about whether your state or city should be wantonly expanding roads or investing in transit, biking, and walking? The road lobby thinks you should turn to them for independent, unbiased analysis […]

Driving Declines Spell Big Trouble for Turnpikes

By Angie Schmitt | Mar 12, 2014 | 27 Comments

What the New Jersey Turnpike Authority did in 2005 was no different than what almost every other state and regional transportation agency was doing at the time. It predicted that traffic volumes would rise at a healthy clip every year for about 30 years into the future. Then it estimated its revenues based on those […]

Let’s Do the Time Warp Again: U.S. DOT Fails to Get Travel Forecasting Right

By Phineas Baxandall and Tony Dutzik | Mar 3, 2014 | 34 Comments

The U.S. Department of Transportation seems to be stuck in a bizarre time warp. For nine years in a row Americans have decreased their average driving miles. Yet U.S. DOT’s most recent biennial report to Congress on the state of the nation’s transportation system, released last Friday, forecasts that total vehicle miles will increase between […]

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