5/28/2023 0 Comments Png to vmt“We definitely want to understand this massive American migration, which will have tremendous impact with people who are moving, changing their individual VMT footprints,” he added. And that’s the next thing that we really want to study,” Morzynski said, adding, StreetLight Data believes that “where you live is the biggest indicator of VMT.” Also, what to make of migration, as urban dwellers give up expensive city apartments, opting for life in rural or small towns, now that many can essentially work from anywhere. The research also presents new questions to consider, such as whether the sharp uptick in on-demand delivery and e-commerce is here to stay, and how to develop transportation planning to serve these demands. Some of the policy areas to consider, in light of the new transportation data, could point to altering transit operations and schedules so they are more in line with the patterns and destinations of critical workers, said Morzynski. “People drove much less when the pandemic started and we locked down, but vehicle miles traveled have climbed back up in the ensuing months," said Shikany. Indeed, both Shikany and the KPMG report warn VMT could boomerang back to pre-pandemic levels or beyond if Americans abandon public transit in favor of driving alone, or abandon cities, opting for more suburban living. We can both have a thriving economy with public health protections while also transitioning to smart transportation alternatives.” “This will require smart policies to provide people with environmentally friendly alternatives to driving, for example, fast transit and safe walking and biking infrastructure. “Our challenge now is to reimagine our cities as places where people can get where they need to go without polluting the air or struggling to keep up with car payments,” said Shikany. This is an opportunity to revisit transportation policy, and how Americans engage with their city, said Ann Shikany, state and federal policy advocate at the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC). All told, when considering changes to daily commutes, shopping and other trips, VMT has the potential of falling more than 9 percent annually, according to KPMG figures. In a separate survey of VMT, KPMG concluded that continuing home-based work could reduce commuting by 70 billion to 140 billion miles per year, translating to a decline in current-level VMT of 2 percent to 5 percent per year. “It’s still not back to normal in large stretches of California and the Northeast,” said Morzynski. These are also regions with large numbers of office and professional workers. These places also tended to enact coronavirus-related shutdowns early and reopen later compared against parts of the South and Upper Midwest. Some of the steepest drops occurred in large coastal metros like the San Francisco Bay Area and New York City region. “And that speaks to our collective ability to keep back at least the peak rush hour.”Īll told, VMT in July was down 16.3 percent nationwide, compared to a year ago, according to StreetLight Data figures. “So if you could impact that, you can certainly have an impact on the environment, for example,” said Morzynski. workforce could continue to work from home. KPMG, an international business consulting firm, predicts in another recent study that 10 percent to 20 percent of the U.S. in all the major metros,” he added.Ī survey by PricewaterhouseCoopers found that 77 percent of office employees are still working from home at least one day a week, and 55 percent expect to continue this trend post-COVID, which could lead to large, long-term reductions in traffic - known in transportation parlance as vehicle miles traveled (VMT). “And what’s interesting is it’s happening all across the U.S.
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