Clevelanders are driving more than before the pandemic
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
Clevelanders are driving more than they did before COVID, a new analysis finds.
Why it matters: Driving plummeted during the lockdown period, giving cities a chance to get a lasting handle on transportation emissions.
- They didn't.
Driving the news: We're in the midst of the national Week Without Driving challenge.
- Local leaders, including Cleveland planning director Joyce Huang and public health director David Margolius, are commuting to work via bike and public transit to highlight the barriers non-drivers face.
The big picture: Average daily vehicle miles traveled (VMT) per capita increased 12.3% across the 100 biggest U.S. metro areas this past spring compared to the same period in 2019, per a new report from StreetLight Data, a transportation analytics firm.
- In Cleveland, it was an 8.7% increase.
- A separate study earlier this year found Clevelanders logged the 29th-highest rate of daily miles traveled (27.4) in the nation.
Between the lines: While higher VMT tends to mean more vehicle-related emissions, it can also be a sign of changes generally perceived as positive, like more economic activity.
- Lower VMT can be a sign of successful public transit or cycling projects — or an indication that people are still working hybrid or remotely.
Yes, but: "It's not just that [VMT] is back up, but we're actually seeing a bit of an acceleration compared to the previous couple of years," Emily Adler, director of content at StreetLight, tells Axios.
- "So that suggests that we're not peaking, that whatever efforts we've strived for to keep VMT down, they're not quite working — or they're not working yet."