BIKEPGH MESSAGE BOARD ARCHIVE

Great news, but there are more people in 2014 than there were in 1956. From 1995 to 2013, transit ridership rose 37 percent, well ahead of a 20 percent growth in population and a 23 percent increase in vehicle miles traveled, according to the association’s data. Still somewhat good news, but VMT increased by 23%. That's 3% above population growth which doesnt make me feel so good.

It looks better if you pick a more recent reference point than 1995 though: http://www.ssti.us/2013/02/per-capita-vmt-ticks-down-for-eighth-straight-year/ Per capita VMT peaked in 2004 and has declined each year since then for a total decline of 7.5 percent (Figure 1). At 9,363, VMT per capita in 2012 reached its lowest level since 1996.