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Energy-related CO2 emissions per capita fell in every U.S. state from 2005 to 2023, per federal data.

That was largely because we burned less coal and more natural gas (which emits less CO2 comparatively), but wind and solar also played their part.

Why it matters: The numbers indicate some success in reducing emissions to curb climate change, but the Trump administration's pro-coal, anti-wind-and-solar attitude could jeopardize that progress as it gets harder to start new clean energy projects.

Zoom in: Florida saw a 32% decrease in energy-related emissions per capita, putting it among the states with the most amount of change. Maryland (49%), Washington, D.C. (48%) and Georgia (45%) saw the biggest declines.

Driving the news: Energy-related emissions per capita fell 30% nationwide in the time frame, according to U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) figures.

Raw emissions fell 20%, while the population grew by 14%.

Between the lines: The nationwide emissions decline was primarily a result of less coal being burned to generate electricity.

An uptick in natural gas use, plus clean wind and solar energy, "offset the decrease in coal generation," per the EIA.

How it works: The agency's state-by-state data reflects where power plants are located (even if their energy is sent to other states) and where transportation fuels are sold (even if vehicles burn those fuels to cross state lines).

What's next: EIA is predicting a 1% uptick in overall CO2 emissions this year, in part due to a surge in demand for power from data centers and heavy industry.

Energy-related CO2 emissions are falling in Florida

Energy-related <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="CO2 emissions" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2025/03/05/fossil-fuel-emissions-world-biggest-emitters" data-vars-content-id="062d3071-d284-4148-a3e8-db03bc3c3977" data-vars-headline="Energy-related CO2 emissions are falling in Florida" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2025/03/05/fossil-fuel-emissions-world-biggest-emitters" target="_self">CO2 emissions</a> per capita fell in every U.S. state from 2005 to 2023, per federal data.<ul><li>That was largely because we burned less coal and more natural gas (which emits less CO2 comparatively), but wind and solar also played their part.</li></ul>

Climate

Tampa Bay's roadways rank 50th among the country's largest metros in safety, according to StreetLight Data's new "U.S. Safe Streets Index."

Why it matters: Safe roads matter even more in a region with especially bad public transportation, where driving or walking is often the only option.

How it works: The rankings are based on five key factors: vehicle miles traveled, different speeds between vehicles, speed-based pedestrian risk, speeding in residential zones and truck activity.

Driving the news: Tampa Bay ranked 86th for speed differential risk, which measures speed variation among vehicles on the same roads, a factor that increases the likelihood of collisions. 

The region also placed 79th in speed-based pedestrian risk, a measure of how often people on foot encounter fast, high-volume traffic above 30 mph.

Tampa Bay scored best in vehicle miles traveled (25th), the highest weighted factor in StreetLight Data's rankings.

Threat level: More than 1,000 pedestrians are hit by cars each year in Pinellas and Hillsborough counties, according to the Tampa Bay Times. A pedestrian is three times as likely to die here than in New York City. 

From 2010 to 2023, 67 people died on Hillsborough Avenue in Tampa, per the Washington Post.

Report: Tampa Bay ranks 50th for safe streets

Safe roads matter even more in a region with especially bad public transportation.

Illustration of a road that winds and weaves around forming the shape of a brain. 

Tampa Bay&#x27;s roadways rank 50th among the country&#x27;s largest metros in safety, according to StreetLight Data&#x27;s new <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="&quot;U.S. Safe Streets Index.&quot;" data-vars-click-url="https://learn.streetlightdata.com/us-safe-streets-index-ebook" data-vars-content-id="0bdb25ff-77ae-4a79-b79d-41ee6f8fb4dd" data-vars-headline="Report: Tampa Bay ranks 50th for safe streets" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://learn.streetlightdata.com/us-safe-streets-index-ebook" target="_blank">&quot;U.S. Safe Streets Index.&quot;</a>Why it matters: Safe roads matter even more in a region with <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="especially" data-vars-click-url="https://www.wfla.com/news/local-news/tampa-bay-ranked-the-8th-worst-metro-area-for-public-transportation/" data-vars-content-id="0bdb25ff-77ae-4a79-b79d-41ee6f8fb4dd" data-vars-headline="Report: Tampa Bay ranks 50th for safe streets" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.wfla.com/news/local-news/tampa-bay-ranked-the-8th-worst-metro-area-for-public-transportation/" target="_blank">especially</a> <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="bad" data-vars-click-url="https://projects.tampabay.com/projects/2017/data/public-transportation-worst/" data-vars-content-id="0bdb25ff-77ae-4a79-b79d-41ee6f8fb4dd" data-vars-headline="Report: Tampa Bay ranks 50th for safe streets" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://projects.tampabay.com/projects/2017/data/public-transportation-worst/" target="_blank">bad</a> <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="public transportation" data-vars-click-url="https://wusfnews.wusf.usf.edu/transportation/2023-01-20/its-the-end-of-the-road-for-the-tampa-bay-regional-transit-authority" data-vars-content-id="0bdb25ff-77ae-4a79-b79d-41ee6f8fb4dd" data-vars-headline="Report: Tampa Bay ranks 50th for safe streets" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://wusfnews.wusf.usf.edu/transportation/2023-01-20/its-the-end-of-the-road-for-the-tampa-bay-regional-transit-authority" target="_blank">public transportation</a>, where driving or walking is often the only option.

News

Tampa drivers wasted an average of 57 hours stuck in rush-hour traffic last year, per the TomTom Traffic Index.

Why it matters: That's more than two whole days staring at somebody else's license plate, tail lights, and — if you're lucky — quippy bumper stickers.

By the numbers: This is not news to anyone who lives in the city or has the misfortune of commuting to it, but it could be worse.

Drivers in New York (125 hours), San Francisco (116 hours), Honolulu (88) and Boston (86) practically lived bumper-to-bumper in 2025.

Zoom in: Tampa drivers in 2025 spent 23 minutes on a 10-mile drive during the morning rush and 30 minutes during the evening, according to TomTom. 

The city's average highway speed fell to 43 mph last year, down about 1.3 mph from 2024. During rush hour, it slowed to 22.1 mph.

The Tampa Bay metro area fared better, averaging about 40 hours stuck in rush-hour traffic, with average rush-hour speeds of 26 mph.

The big picture: Worldwide congestion rose five percentage points from the previous year, the company found.

"Rising levels of congestion globally lead to more emissions, higher fuel consumption, reduced productivity, and growing pressure on urban infrastructure."

Report: Tampa drivers lose 57 hours per year in rush hour traffic

That's more than two whole days staring at somebody else's license plate.

Heavy traffic moves along Interstate 4 toward Tampa after Hurricane Milton.

Heavy traffic moves along Interstate 4 toward Tampa after Hurricane Milton. Photo: Giorgio Viera/AFP via Getty Images

Tampa drivers wasted an average of 57 hours stuck in rush-hour traffic last year, per the <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="TomTom Traffic Index" data-vars-click-url="https://www.tomtom.com/traffic-index/" data-vars-content-id="316cc963-1bcd-4133-a518-e286f96b55b8" data-vars-headline="Report: Tampa drivers lose 57 hours per year in rush hour traffic" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.tomtom.com/traffic-index/" target="_blank">TomTom Traffic Index</a>.Why it matters: That&#x27;s more than two whole days staring at somebody else&#x27;s license plate, tail lights, and — if you&#x27;re lucky — quippy bumper stickers.

Tampa residents really like living here, per a new survey measuring satisfaction rates in 27 U.S. cities.

Why it matters: "Satisfaction" is broad but works as a general vibe check on how people are feeling about job opportunities, housing costs, safety and other key urban issues.

By the numbers: Tampa is ranked 9 on the list with about 72% of survey respondents reporting they're "satisfied" or "very satisfied" with their city, according to the report from design and architecture firm Gensler.

San Antonio (78%) tops the list while Baltimore (50%) fell at the bottom.

Tampa residents like living here, survey finds

"Satisfaction" is broad but works as a general vibe check on how people are feeling.

A bar chart showing the share of U.S. residents who say they are satisfied with their city as a place to live, from a 2024 survey of 27 cities. San Antonio leads at 78%, followed by San Diego with 76%. Baltimore trails at 50%.

Tampa residents really like living here, per a new survey measuring satisfaction rates in 27 U.S. cities.Why it matters: &quot;Satisfaction&quot; is broad but works as a general vibe check on how people are feeling about job opportunities, housing costs, safety and other key urban issues.

Data: Texas A&M Transportation Institute; Note: Includes metro areas with at least 500k residents in 2024, and passengers who typically travel during peak periods; Map: Kavya Beheraj/Axios

The average Tampa Bay car commuter spent 64 hours stuck in traffic last year, a new report finds.

Why it matters: The findings put some hard data behind a common feeling among many drivers: Traffic has been getting worse — or at least different — since the COVID-19 pandemic.

Driving the news: Congestion is once again growing in many cities after a pandemic-era dip, while driver behavior has also changed, per the Texas A&M Transportation Institute's 2025 Urban Mobility Report.

Traditional rush hours are returning. Yet there's also been a "noticeable rise in midday congestion," the report finds, possibly tied to remote and hybrid work changing people's schedules and travel behaviors.

Thursday has overtaken Friday with the highest share of weekly delay — perhaps "because some of the Friday travel is not associated with commuting, whereas Thursday has more of a typical commute pattern."

Delivery trucks are adding to traffic woes as well.

The big picture: The average U.S. car commuter spent a record 63 hours stuck in traffic last year, per the report.

That's the most since 1982, when the dataset begins, per the report.

What's next: The report lays out several potential solutions based on local needs, including roadway expansions, better public transportation, new traffic-management technologies and more.

Reality check: Expanding a highway doesn't necessarily reduce traffic delays, researchers have found.

Instead, more drivers show up to try to take advantage of the increased supply of roadway, and the traffic problem continues.

Tampa Bay spending more time stuck in traffic

The average Tampa Bay car commuter spent 64 hours in traffic delays last year.

Illustration of a line of cars forming a spiral.

The average Tampa Bay car commuter spent 64 hours <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="stuck in traffic" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2025/01/08/slowest-driving-cities-america-list" data-vars-content-id="a1b9375b-f49c-421f-af9e-a123160b6eb6" data-vars-headline="Tampa Bay spending more time stuck in traffic" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2025/01/08/slowest-driving-cities-america-list" target="_self">stuck in traffic</a> last year, a new report finds.<ul><li>That&#x27;s 11 more hours than in 2019.</li></ul>

Transit

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AA choropleth map of U.S. counties showing estimated population change from July 2024 to 2025. The U.S. overall grew by +0.5%. Kaufman County, Texas, grew the most of any county with a population over 100,000: +5.7%. Pinellas County, Florida shrank the most of any county with a population over 100,000: -1.2%. 

Estimated population change, July 2024 to 2025

Data: U.S. Census; Map: Erin Davis/Axios Visuals

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A map of the United States showing the estimated driving time to the nearest election office, without traffic, as of March 2026. Distance varies significantly by state. Much of New England, Wisconsin and Michigan are within 30 minutes of an election office. However, the closest election office can be three or more hours away in parts of the West.

Axios Visuals: 2026-03-26-save-distance

Data: OSRM, Federal Voting Assistance Program; Note: No data areas are those with no or extremely sparse roads; Map: Erin Davis/Axios Visuals

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