Transportation
US Driving and Congestion Rates Are Higher Than Ever
After a reprieve from car traffic in 2020, vehicle miles traveled have now surpassed pre-pandemic levels in almost every metro area.
Driving in NYC’s urban core has increased the most of any US city over the last 5 years.
Photographer: Jeenah Moon/BloombergLockdowns and the widespread adoption of remote work in the early days of the pandemic offered a rare glimpse of streets without the usual noise and air pollution from traffic. Four years later, though, both traffic and congestion exceed pre-pandemic levels across most of the US, according to a new report published Thursday by the transportation analytics firm StreetLight Data.
The total miles traveled by all vehicles, or VMT, jumped 12% between May 2019 and May 2024, reaching record levels.