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.
Vehicle miles traveled in the United States still haven’t recovered to pre-pandemic totals, according to the most recent data calculating American’s automobile travel habits in 2022.
“Vehicle miles traveled (VMT) in the U.S. totaled 3.17 trillion last year, according to preliminary estimates from FHWA,” according to an article by the State Smart Transportation Initiative. “That is a one percent increase from 2021 and a nine percent increase from 2020—the height of the pandemic—but still nearly three percent lower than VMT in 2019.” Adjusting for population, the per capita driving rate is four percent lower than 2019, according to the article.
While much of the news about transportation habits after the pandemic has focused on transit ridership, which is still much lower than pre-pandemic levels relative to vehicle miles traveled, the latest data on driving indicates that even drivers are staying home more. Because Inrix has reported that congestion increased between 2021 and 2022 (the usual caveats about the Inrix congestion-reporting methodology apply), the State Smart Transportation Initiative suggests that the data suggest new travel patterns have shifted traffic volumes to more of the day—with longer periods of time now susceptible to congestion and a “new normal” continuing to solidify.
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UCLA Lewis Center for Regional Policy Studies
Mpact (formerly Rail~Volution)
Chaddick Institute at DePaul University
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