The Bay Area is an outlier when it comes to miles driven in a post-pandemic world.
Why it matters: The COVID-19 pandemic, when driving plummeted as people sought to "stop the spread," was a unique chance for cities to get a lasting handle on transportation-related emissions.
Driving the news: Driving rates are above pre-pandemic levels in almost every major U.S. metro but not here in the Bay Area, according to a new report from StreetLight Data, a transportation analytics firm.
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.
VMT fell in just 12 of the metros, including in San Francisco and San Jose.
Zoom in: The metros with the biggest reductions in VMT per capita are concentrated in California, like Los Angeles (-16.6%), San Francisco (-13.2%) and San Jose (-12.3%).
Lower VMT can be a sign of successful public transit or cycling projects โ or an indication that lots of people are still working hybrid or remotely.