America transportation graphics of the day

The intensity of personal vehicle usage has been declining in the US. Average annual number of vehicle trips has been declining since 1995.

And the per capita vehicle miles driven too has been falling, diverging from income growth.

The reasons,

Among the reasons for the national decline are migration to dense urban areas; young adults’ preference to live close to their jobs or to use alternate modes of transportation; more online working, shopping and streaming; and a growing population of retirees who don’t commute to jobs anymore.

And this is interesting,

Evolving travel patterns have prodded urban planners to take steps that would have been unthinkable just a few years ago. They are reducing the number of lanes on city streets, intentionally slowing down traffic and making room for bicycles, pedestrians and public transit. They are eliminating parking requirements for new construction. And they are welcoming the proliferation of shared bicycle and scooter services.

But despite all this, the car remains the preferred choice, with slightly more than three-fourths of Americans still driving to work.