Seattleites are driving less
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I-5 in Seattle. Photo: Chona Kasinger/Bloomberg via Getty Images
Driving has fallen dramatically in Washington over the last few decades, and Seattle has the second-fewest miles driven among large U.S. cities, according to recent transportation data.
Why it matters: Transportation accounts for 60% of greenhouse gas emissions in Seattle, according to the city's 2023 Climate Change Response Framework.
- Seattle is looking to double the trips taken on transit, halve the number of trips taken in fossil fuel-powered vehicles by 2030 and achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.
Driving the news: StreetLight's 2024 Transportation Climate Impact Index looked at the daily average vehicle miles traveled between June 2022 and May 2023 in 100 of the largest metro areas to find where people were driving the least.
- At 12 vehicle miles traveled (VMT) daily per person, the San Jose area had the fewest vehicle miles traveled, followed by Seattle at 16, the Seattle Times reported, followed by Detroit; Oxnard, California; and Buffalo, New York.
- A separate analysis by mobility analytics firm Replica showed Seattleites driving around 23 miles per day, the sixth-lowest VMT.
- Replica looked specifically at private car trips made by adults in fall 2023, but its figures include taxis and ride-hailing cars.
The big picture: VMT per capita fell more in Washington than in any other state between 1996 and 2021, according to the nonprofit think tank Frontier Group.
By the numbers: According to the Frontier Group's 2023 analysis, the average Washingtonian drove 1,400 fewer miles in 2021 compared to 1996.
- That's in stark contrast to the average American, who drove 240 more miles in 2021 than in 1996.
- In Seattle, only 21% of workers drove alone to work in 2022, down from 35% in 2009.
State of play: Contributors to the state and city's success, according to the Frontier Group's analysis, include the 1991 Commute Trip Reduction law, which requires large employers to incentivize alternative commuting methods, and expanded investments in light rail and bus service.