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

This paper reports on a study analyzing changing driving patterns in the United States. The measurement used to determine driving patters was vehicle miles of travel, between 1991 and 2008. Results of the study include the following: 1. Vehicle miles of travel began to plateau in 2004, and decreased in 2007, for the first time since 1980. 2. Urban and rural vehicle miles of travel have been decreasing since 2007 and 2004, respectively, even though total driving in both urban and rural areas increased between 1991 and 2008. 3. The highest per person driving takes place in low density Southwestern and Southeastern metropolitan areas, even though total driving on main arterial highways is concentrated in the 100 largest metropolitan areas. 4. Passenger vehicles had the highest share of national travel, though all vehicle types increased driving from 1991 to 2006. 5. Driving in the Pacific, Great Lakes, and Northeastern states grew at a slower rate than driving in the Intermountain West and Southeastern states between 1991 and 2006.

• Record URL:
  http://www.brookings.edu/~/media/Files/rc/reports/2008/1216_transportation_tomer_puentes/vehicle_miles_traveled_report.pdf
• 
• Corporate Authors:

  Brookings Institution

  1775 Massachusetts Avenue, NW
  Washington, DC  United States  20036
• Authors:
  • Puentes, Robert
  • Tomer, Adie
• Publication Date: 2008-12

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Web
• Features: Appendices; Figures; Tables;
• Pagination: 40p

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Arterial highways; Driving; Metropolitan areas; Passenger vehicles; Rural areas; Travel by vehicle type; Travel patterns; Trend (Statistics); Urban areas; Vehicle miles of travel
• Geographic Terms: United States
• Subject Areas: Highways; Society; I10: Economics and Administration;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01121998
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Feb 19 2009 2:42PM