VMT
While the Economy Grows, Americans Continue to Drive Less
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.
May 28, 2014
Dueling Forecasts: Does the Energy Dept. Know Something U.S. DOT Doesn’t?
Tony Dutzik is a senior policy analyst with the Frontier Group. This article was originally posted on the Frontier Group's blog.
April 16, 2014
Fitch Ratings: Failure to Invest in Transit Could Hurt the Whole Economy
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.
March 27, 2014
The Fuzzy Math in the Road Lobby’s Memo to Congress
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 of these trends. Never fear, the road lobby says: Americans are driving more than ever. Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain. More lanes for everybody!
March 25, 2014
Driving Declines Spell Big Trouble for Turnpikes
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 figures and issued bonds for a $2.5 billion road widening project.
March 12, 2014
Let’s Do the Time Warp Again: U.S. DOT Fails to Get Travel Forecasting Right
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 1.36 percent to 1.85 percent each year through 2030.
March 3, 2014
As Driving Continues to Stagnate, Some States Finally Start to Adjust
Another year, another decline in per capita driving. For the ninth year in a row, the cumulative distance Americans drive is down, adjusting for population, according to new data from the Federal Highway Administration. Total driving by all Americans has fallen about 2 percent since 2007 -- or 7 percent per capita -- and is lower than it was in 2005.
February 25, 2014
2013: Another Year of Falling Per-Capita Driving in U.S.
This post was originally published on the blog of the Frontier Group, where the author is a senior policy analyst.
February 24, 2014
T&I Chair Bill Shuster Complicates Matters With Push for VMT Fee
All options may be on the table for funding transportation, but Bill Shuster has chosen his.
February 5, 2014
Transpo Agencies Are Terrible at Predicting Traffic Levels
Americans' travel behavior is changing dramatically. It seems like not a week passes without a new report about the decline in driving. But are state and local transportation agencies -- which are responsible for much of the nation's highway and transportation planning -- keeping up with the facts on the ground? A review of the evidence by the State Smart Transportation Initiative finds the answer is a definitive "No."
December 17, 2013