A recent report published by StreetLight Data, a transportation analytics firm, found that driving rates are above pre-pandemic levels in almost every major U.S. metropolitan area.
According to the analysis, average daily vehicle miles traveled (VMT) per capita increased 12.3% across the 100 biggest American cities this past spring compared to the same period in 2019.
More regionally, VMT per capita has increased the most in McAllen, Texas (+67.6% VMT per capita); Boise City, Idaho (+57.8%) and El Paso, Texas (+42%).
However, metros with the biggest reductions in VMT per capita are concentrated in California, like Los Angeles (-16.6%), San Francisco (-13.2%) and San Jose (-12.3%). Other standouts include Springfield, Mass. (-6.1%), Memphis (-4.1%) and the Twin Cities (-2.9%).
Still, VMT is up 14% in the New York metro area, where a a first of its kind “congestion pricing” plan meant in part to reduce driving and garner funds for public transit was shelved indefinitely right before going into effect.
These increases in VMT are significant in comparison to the COVID-19 pandemic when driving plummeted as people sought to “stop the spread,” which presented a unique opportunity for cities to get a longterm handle on transportation-related emissions.
“It’s not just that [VMT] is back up, but we’re actually seeing a bit of an acceleration compared to the previous couple of years,” Emily Adler, director of content at StreetLight, tells Axios. “So that suggests that we’re not peaking, that whatever efforts we’ve strived for to keep VMT down, they’re not quite working — or they’re not working yet.”
Another aspect of these numbers is a sign of raised economic activity, as there is more money being spent on oil, gas, and vehicles.
“GDP now stands above 2019 levels even in the metros where VMT is still down,” StreetLight’s report states. “This is a signal that GDP growth can be decoupled from VMT growth.”
However, on the flip side of this, the rise in emissions from driving also has considerable environmental repercussions on the climate and atmosphere.
