If you saw yesterday’s chart that disaggregated the falling vehicle miles travelled (VMT) according to type of vehicle, here’s another compelling chart that shows potential future VMT trends, from the National Cooperative Highway Research Program. (Note: very official!)
The report (which is very wonky, by the way) has a range of scenarios from “tech triumph” all the way to “global chaos.” Here’s a taste:
In any case, the report suggests that VMT is going to be decreasing (probably significantly) in our lifetimes. It’s something to keep in mind when discussing freeway expansion, road maintenance, or infrastructure investments.
[Via the State Smart Transportation Initiative.]