We're a car city
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The people of Raleigh are doing more daily driving than any other major metro in the country, a new analysis finds.
Why it matters: That's not exactly good news for our city's walkability or accessibility via public transit.
- We're also doing a lot of driving for a city that has one of the highest rates of remote work.
By the numbers: Daily per capita vehicle miles traveled (VMT) is 38.1 in Raleigh, the highest among the 50 most-populated U.S. metros.
- It's followed by Birmingham (36.1), Jacksonville (36) and Nashville (35.5).
- San Francisco (21.7), Philadelphia (21.1) and New York City (14.4) came up last — which makes sense, given their relatively well-developed public transit networks, walkability and density, Axios' Alex Fitzpatrick writes.
How it works: The numbers come via Replica, a mobility analytics firm that publishes traffic and other similar data based on factors like anonymized mobile device info, roadside sensors and transit agencies.
- For this analysis, Replica looked specifically at private car trips made by adults in fall 2023.
Caveat: The figures include not just personally owned vehicles, but also taxis and ride-hailing vehicles.
Between the lines: The city will resume fares for buses — its only form of public transportation — starting in July.
- Meanwhile, construction on Raleigh's long-awaited Bus Rapid Transit will likely be delayed, pushing the start of service back to late 2026 or even 2027, the News & Observer reported.
The bottom line: Some cities are car cities — and in Raleigh, that doesn't seem likely to change anytime soon.