NTL Record

Title The Case for Moderate Growth in Vehicle Miles of Travel: A Critical Juncture in U.S. Travel Behavior Trends
Record ID 33587
Personal Name
Creator
Polzin, Steven E.
Source 49p. in various pagings
Corporate Creator University of South Florida. Center for Urban Transportation Research
Publisher United States. Department of Transportation
Publication Date 20060400
Language English
Abstract This report hypothesizes that the United States has reached a critical juncture in terms of national mobility trends and underlying socio-demographic conditions and travel behavior that will result in more moderate rates of annual vehicle miles of travel (VMT) growth in the future. However, slower VMT growth may not portend lower rates of congestion growth. This report explores the major factors that influence travel behavior. The indirect factors are discussed first using primarily empirical data. These are divided into three major categories: socio-economic conditions, land use conditions, and transportation system conditions. This report concentrates most on the role of the socio-economic conditions and travel behavior followed by a discussion of the direct factors. Several of these factors appear to be undergoing historic trend reversals. In addition, new evidence suggests that congestion levels have reached the point where average travel speeds are declining. This declining speed may provide additional dampening of VMT growth. Two forecasts of future VMT are produced that build on the data and information presented in the body of the report. This report is intended to stimulate thinking about the future trends in travel demand and the underlying factors that influence those trends.
Rosap ID dot:18144
Rosap URL https://rosap.ntl.bts.gov/view/dot/18144
TRT Terms Climate change; Global warming; Greenhouse effect; Air pollution; Pollution control; Vehicle miles of travel; Travel behavior; Statistical trends
Classification NTL - PLANNING AND POLICY - Travel Demand;
NTL - PLANNING AND POLICY - PLANNING AND POLICY;
NTL - ENERGY AND ENVIRONMENT - ENERGY AND ENVIRONMENT;
NTL - ENERGY AND ENVIRONMENT - Environment Impacts
Geographical
Coverage
United States
TRIS Online
Accession No
986363
Resource type Research Paper
URL https://ntlrepository.blob.core.windows.net/lib/33000/33500/33587/The_Case_for_Moderate_Growth_in_VMT-_2006_Final.pdf
Format PDF
Database NTL Digital Repository