Economic and demographic shifts driving Americans to drive less

6 consecutive declining months

Jay Blazek Crossley, Dec 13, 11.

Americans have driven less each month than the previous month for the past six months, the first such consecutive decrease since 2008, and this can be traced to a changing economy, increased transit use, and changing demographics, according to USA Today.

Driving in the US steadily increased during the 20th Century and over the last decade before reaching a peak of 3.04 trillion miles driven during the 12 month period ending September 30, 2007. The miles driven for 2011 at 2.97 are the lowest for the nation since 2004. This reflects structural changes to the American economy and demographics, according to USA Today:

The economy and gas prices are factors in the driving decline, but there are larger trends at work, too, says Robert Puentes, senior fellow at the Brookings Institution’s Metropolitan Policy Program.

“For years and years, people just drove more and more, and we got used to this increase in driving every single year,” he says. The rising numbers were related to societal shifts such as women joining the workforce, minorities moving to the suburbs and sprawling metropolitan growth. “But those macro trends have started to become less intense,” he says.
Among the other likely factors contributing to the driving drop:

•The 78 million aging baby boomers driving less. “The biggest factor is boomers are no longer raising children,” says Jana Lynott, AARP’s transportation expert. “Raising children in the suburbs, which is where the majority of boomers live, is one of the great generators of driving trips. Kids in the suburbs are very active and involved, and parents are generally taking them to and from places.”

•More people taking public transportation. Ridership on public transit increased 2% in July, August and September compared to the same period last year, according to the American Public Transportation Association.

•Teenagers driving less. A study in August by researchers at the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute found that, over the past 25 years, there has been a significant decrease in the percentage of young people with a driver’s license. In 2008, 31% of 16-year-olds had a license, compared with 46% in 1983, according to Michael Sivak and Brandon Schoettle.

Meanwhile Americans are using public transportation more as the economy begins to recover, according to another USA Today story.