Data from the Federal Highway Administration, a branch of the Department of Transportation, shows U.S. citizens drove a record 261.7 billion vehicle-miles-traveled (VMT) in March.
During the first quarter of 2015, Americans drove 720.1 billion VMT, the highest number for any year’s first quarter. The first quarter of 2006 set the previous record with 705.7 billion VMT driven. This year’s figure doubles the first quarter of 1982’s VMT, which stood at 345.5 billion.
This increase in VMT demonstrates how important it is for America’s roads to receive funding for transportation infrastructure.
Earlier in 2015, the Obama Administration decided to invest $478 billion in a six-year surface transportation reauthorization proposal, also known as the GROW AMERICA Act, to build and maintain roads in the U.S. The act would raise state funding levels to $317 billion, which is 29 percent more than current amounts. The act would allocate the funds for improved safety and efficiency, job support and long-term economic growth.
Further details are available in the latest “Traffic Volume Trends” report released by the Federal Highway Administration.
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