Millennials in Motion: Changing Travel Habits of Young Americans and the Implications for Public Policy

Over the last decade—after 60-plus years of steady increases—the number of miles driven by the average American has been falling. Young Americans have experienced the greatest changes: driving less; taking transit, biking and walking more; and seeking out places to live in cities and walkable communities where driving is an option, not a necessity. Millennials (those born between 1983 and 2000) are the nation’s largest generation, making their transportation needs particularly important. They have the most to gain or lose from the transportation investment decisions made today, as they will be affected by those investments for decades to come. If Millennials drive fewer miles than previous generations as they age—and if future generations of young people follow suit—America will have an opportunity to reap the benefits of slower growth in driving. These include reduced traffic congestion, fewer deaths and injuries on the roads, reduced expenditures for highway construction and repair, and less pollution of the air and climate. This paper—an update of the authors’ 2012 report on changing driving trends among Millennials, Transportation and the New Generation—summarizes the growing body of knowledge about the changes that have occurred in young Americans’ transportation attitudes and behaviors over the past decade. It is intended to help policy-makers and the public make better informed and more responsive transportation decisions.

• Record URL:
  http://uspirg.org/sites/pirg/files/reports/Millennials%20in%20Motion%20USPIRG.pdf
• 
• Supplemental Notes:
  • © 2014 U.S. PIRG Education Fund.
• Corporate Authors:

  U.S. PIRG Education Fund

  44 Winter Street, 4th Floor
  Boston, MA  United States  02108

  Frontier Group

  44 Winter Street, 4th Floor
  Boston, MA  United States  02108
• Authors:
  • Dutzik, Tony
  • Inglis, Jeff
  • Baxandall, Phineas
• Publication Date: 2014-10

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Digital/other
• Features: Figures; Photos; References;
• Pagination: 51p

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Attitudes; Automobile driving; Consumer preferences; Mode choice; Transportation policy; Travel behavior; Trend (Statistics); Young adults
• Geographic Terms: United States
• Subject Areas: Planning and Forecasting; Policy; Transportation (General); I72: Traffic and Transport Planning;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01544645
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Nov 24 2014 3:28PM