Low or negative growth levels in mobility are also related to lower consumption levels, particularly in automobiles and related goods and services, and a new generation less inclined to use the automobile. The aging of the population may also be a factor at play, as well as the slow down in suburbanization. Another factor was the 2009-10 recession, where lower levels of economic activity negatively impacted ridership. Earn Double Miles at the End of Your First Year Best. Earn 70,000+ Bonus Miles & 2x Miles or Get 1.5x Miles & 0 Intro APR Until 2023 Enjoy 1.5X Miles per 1 Spent. has been visited by 100K+ users in the past month. Yet, as oil prices substantially declined afterward, there was no resumption of VMT growth they remained flat. 10 Best Air Miles Cards - 70,000+ Miles - Compare Now. One has been steadily increasing energy prices, particularly in the first half of 2008 when a third oil shock was unfolding. Several factors could explain the apparent peak in the total annual vehicle distance traveled. Since 2006, growth stopped and then reversed sharply, which could indicate that a peak level of car mobility may have been achieved, at least in developed countries such as the United States. While VMT growth rates in the 1980s were in the range of 4%, they declined to 2.5% in the 1990s and around 1% in the 2000s. The overall growth trend has steadily declined, which is common in all diffusion processes as the activity moves towards maturity. However, growth rates resumed immediately afterward to their previous levels. The drops attributed to the first (1973-74) and second (1979-80) oil shocks were particularly pronounced.

The growth of vehicle miles traveled (VMT) within the United States is punctuated by sharp periods of decline corresponding to recessions. Source: US Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration. Annual Vehicle-Miles Traveled in the United States and Year-over-Year Changes, 1971-2022

Vmt vehicle miles traveled