Vehicle Miles Traveled

FHWA: Driving on US Roads at All-Time High
The end of some remote work policies and lower gas prices led to a rise in driving last year.

Proposed New York Bill Would Align Transportation Projects With Driving Reduction Goals
If passed, the law would require all highway projects to show how they would reduce VMT or mitigate their impact.

California Poised to Lose Up to $4 Billion in Gas Tax Revenue
States must find other ways to fund transportation projects as the transportation sector moves toward decarbonization.

The Promise of Congestion Pricing
New York's long-awaited congestion pricing program could break open the controversial practice in the United States.

When it Comes to Vehicle Travel, Less is More
Motor vehicle travel provides many benefits, but also imposes large costs on users and communities. With better planning people can drive less, rely more on non-auto modes, enjoy more access, and be better off overall as a result.

Vehicle Miles Traveled as a Metric for Sustainability
Motor vehicle travel benefits users but also imposes large economic, social, and environmental costs. With better planning, our needs can be met with less vehicle travel. A new ITE report describes why and how to optimize the amount we drive.

Report: Bike Lanes Can't Make up for New Roads
If California wants to meet its climate goals, the state must stop funding its myriad road construction and expansion projects.

How to Reduce Excess Vehicle Travel
Some experts claim that remote work is the most effective way to reduce vehicle travel, but my research indicates that improving and encouraging walking, bicycling, and public transit can provide larger impacts and benefits.

Leveraging the Choice Not to Travel
The pandemic accelerated the growth of remote services and telecommuting. Now is the time for urban planners to leverage these new opportunities to reduce vehicle miles traveled.

New Bus Only Lane Overcomes Opposition in San Francisco
Local business owners and the local elected official opposed the Geary transit-only lane project, but compromise and wide public support got the project across the finish line.

What Is Transportation Demand Management?
When a government creates incentives or disincentives to influence how and when you travel—that's transportation demand management.

WTPP June Issue Spotlights Livable Cities, Essential Transportation Components
The June 2023 issue of World Transport Policy & Practice spotlights livable cities and features articles about three essential components of livable cities: public transit, bicycling, and reducing car use.

Driving Still Below Pre-Pandemic Levels in the U.S., Study Says
Congestion is increasing much faster than vehicle miles traveled, suggesting that the “new normal” of hybrid work and an influx of suburban residents is taking a toll on the nation's transportation system.

Connecting Land Use and Transportation Planning to Save the Climate
The United States will have to make major changes to long-standing land use and transportation paradigms to prevent the worst outcomes of climate change. How to make those changes was the subject of a recent podcast.

Opinion: Stop Trusting Elon Musk—on Tunnels, on Teslas, on Everything
Musk has leveraged social media intrigue and a hot streak on the market to become the standard bearer for autonomous vehicle technology. Trust Tesla at public peril, argues James Brasuell in this opinion piece.

Californians Could Get a Tax Credit for Not Owning Cars
The bill’s sponsors say it’s only fair to extend tax relief to Californians who don’t own cars as the state aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and decrease driving.

'Are Gas Prices Too High?'
Nominal gas prices have never been higher. But are they too high? The question was posed by the ranking member of the Senate Committee on Energy & Natural Resources to the Secretary of the Interior during a committee hearing on May 19.

Density and Driving: A Second Look
A common argument against more compact housing is that increased population density will only reduce vehicle miles traveled at moderate levels of density, as opposed to very low-density and very high-density areas. But this might not be so.

Planning for Congestion Relief
The third and final installment of Planetizen's examination of the role of the planning profession in both perpetuating and solving traffic congestion.

Day One of the National Planning Conference—Reunions, Pandemic Planning, Equity, and VMT
The American Planning Association gathers for its first in-person National Planning Conference since 2019. Planetizen is in attendance, and here is some of what we saw on the first day of the conference.
Pagination
City of Madera
City of Santa Clarita
Borough of Carlisle
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Chaddick Institute at DePaul University
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Colorado Energy Office
Pima County Community College District
City of Piedmont, CA
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.