Report: Americans Are Driving More Than Ever

The reduction in driving brought on by the pandemic doesn’t seem to be a lasting effect, writes Linda Poon in Bloomberg CityLab. In fact, between May 2019 and May 2024, total miles traveled (VMT) in the United States grew by 12 percent to the highest level ever recorded, according to a report from StreetLight Data.

The report also suggests that VMT is rising faster now than it was when driving levels first rebounded from the pandemic in 2021 — a worrying trend for advocates working to reform transportation, the largest contributor to US carbon emissions.

VMT grew in almost every U.S. metro area and in most central city neighborhoods, including a 14.7 percent growth in New York City’s core, highlighting the potential benefits of the city’s now-canceled congestion pricing plan.

Across the country, famously car-centric Los Angeles saw a 17 percent decline in average daily VMT. “Other areas among the top five are also in California, including the Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura area with a 16% decline and the San Francisco Bay Area with a 13% decline — though the study does not dive into potential reasons for the dips.”

Brookings senior fellow Adie Tomer says more work is needed to understand why these changes happen. “Declines in VMT could be a result of deliberate urban planning and infrastructure changes to rein in driving. They could also be a consequence of remote work policies and population shifts, not only away from the metro area but within it.”