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

stockfotoart / Shutterstock

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.

Monday, September 18, 2017 in U.S. News & World Report

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Get top-rated, practical training

Wastewater pouring out from a pipe.

Alabama: Trump Terminates Settlements for Black Communities Harmed By Raw Sewage

Trump deemed the landmark civil rights agreement “illegal DEI and environmental justice policy.”

April 13, 2025 - Inside Climate News

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

April 16, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Black and white photos of camp made up of small 'earthquake shacks' in Dolores Park in 1906 after the San Francisco earthquake.

The 120 Year Old Tiny Home Villages That Sheltered San Francisco’s Earthquake Refugees

More than a century ago, San Francisco mobilized to house thousands of residents displaced by the 1906 earthquake. Could their strategy offer a model for the present?

April 15, 2025 - Charles F. Bloszies

People walking up and down stairs in New York City subway station.

In Both Crashes and Crime, Public Transportation is Far Safer than Driving

Contrary to popular assumptions, public transportation has far lower crash and crime rates than automobile travel. For safer communities, improve and encourage transit travel.

April 18 - Scientific American

White public transit bus with bike on front bike rack in Nashville, Tennessee.

Report: Zoning Reforms Should Complement Nashville’s Ambitious Transit Plan

Without reform, restrictive zoning codes will limit the impact of the city’s planned transit expansion and could exclude some of the residents who depend on transit the most.

April 18 - Bloomberg CityLab

An engineer controlling a quality of water ,aerated activated sludge tank at a waste water treatment plant.

Judge Orders Release of Frozen IRA, IIJA Funding

The decision is a victory for environmental groups who charged that freezing funds for critical infrastructure and disaster response programs caused “real and irreparable harm” to communities.

April 18 - Smart Cities Dive