Slowly But Surely, Commutes Are Changing

Finding the answers to the questions posed by the latest transportation data from the American Community Survey will determine the best use of limited resources for infrastructure investment and planning.

1 minute read

September 19, 2017, 5:00 AM PDT

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


Commuter Traffic

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The "U.S. Census Bureau just released a trove of new data about Americans' daily work commute," according to Robert Puentes.

The data, generated by the American Community Survey,  reflect the epochal changes in transportation underway in the country, though "they may be happening slower than many assume."

So, for instance, in 2016, "the vast majority of Americans continue to drive to work alone in their cars," or 76.3 percent to be exact. In other signs of the automobile’s dominance on the American transportation landscape, Puentes reports that the number of vehicles people have access to has increased, and carpooling is continuing a downward trend.

There are a few countering narratives to report, according to Puentes’s analysis. Read more at the link below.

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