Vehicle Miles of Travel Has Reached New Highs
October 3, 2016
From 1992 through the end of 2007, U.S. vehicle miles of travel (VMT) rose at a fairly brisk and steady pace to exceed three trillion miles per year (measured in 12-month running totals). During the Great Recession VMT began a downward trend that leveled off just below three trillion miles until the middle of 2014. From June 2014 to June 2016, VMT rose from 3.00 trillion miles to a new high of 3.18 trillion miles—an increase of about 46% since 1992.
Vehicle Miles of Travel, 12-month Running Totals, January 1992 – June 2016
Note
Although the data labels are annual, the data graphed are monthly data, ending with June 2016.
Source
U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration, Traffic Volume Trends, June 2016, Figure 1.