Will 2013 Continue the Downward Trend in American Driving?

[wtmusic]

"Predictions and prognostications are the stuff of the New Year--and why should driving trends be any different? Will 2013 see a continuation of what has now been a nearly 90 month drop in population-adjusted Vehicle Miles Travelled (VMT)?

The safe answer, of course, is 'well, we just don't know' (or, 'we just don't know until Nate Silver takes the questions on'). In fact, the most recent data from the Federal Highway Administration's Traffic Volume Trends Report (October 2012) shows an uptick in total VMT of about 0.6% over October 2011, with small increases in every region of the country, save the Hurricane Sandy-impacted Northeast.

Yet, it is unlikely that many of the broader factors that have led to VMT declines stark enough to give birth to the notion of 'peak car' will be changing in any significant way in 2013. In November of last year, the International Transport Forum of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development held a round-table on Long-Run Trends in Travel Demand. The panelists focused on just these demographic, behavioral and long-run economic factors, the trends that have the greatest impact on driving demand in the coming years."

http://switchboard.nrdc.org/blogs/jhorner/will_2013_continue_the_trend_o.html

[cantbeserious]

1. Given Stagnating Wages And Ever Increasing Gas Costs - The Trend Will Probably Continue

eom

[SheilaT]

2. I'm driving significantly less than I did a few years ago.

In my case I moved to a small city where I simply don't ever need to drive very far, and I've stopped taking the long road trips I used to take. However, I might resume some of those long road trips a couple of years from now, depending on other things in my life.