The Road…Less Traveled: An Analysis of Vehicle Miles Traveled Trends in the U.S.

Details

• Creators:
  Puentes, Robert ; Tomer, Adie
• Subject/TRT Terms:
  • Climate change
  • Greenhouse effect
  • Air pollution
  • Vehicle miles of travel
  • Traffic counts
  • Trend (Statistics)
• Resource Type:
  Research Paper
• Geographical Coverage:
  United States
• Corporate Publisher:
  Brookings Institution
• Abstract:
  This brief employs the latest federal data to construct a thorough picture of VMT patterns across the country, including roadway, vehicle, state, and metropolitan comparisons. It is intended to provide policymakers with a better understanding of American drivers' behavior—what roadways they use, what vehicles they use, and where they travel the most. First, we assess national trends over time, considering both the total change over time and individual driving patterns. This national analysis is then reinforced by national trend analysis within specific roadway types and vehicle types. We then reduce our geographic scope to statewide and metropolitan trends, paying close attention to individual behavior and differences in land use characteristics. Finally, we synthesize VMT-related factors and our five findings into a series of implications.
• Format:
  PDF
• Download URL:
  https://rosap.ntl.bts.gov/view/dot/18145/dot_18145_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 5.03 MB]
• Collection(s):
  Transportation Resilience and Vulnerability Collection
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha256:0b32ee30df8101f51e0c49e85ace35c8c79ec449e4b20eaf0882f97e3123ada2