U.S. mileage increases for 18th consecutive month

The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) said Friday that drivers logged 277.3 billion miles on U.S. roads in August, posting the 18th straight month that mileage has increased.

The FHWA, part of the US Department of Transportation (USDOT), released the data in its “Traffic Volume Trends” report for August.

The report, a monthly estimate of road travel within the U.S., contains data that was seasonally adjusted by the USDOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics. These adjustments allow vehicle miles traveled (VMT) comparisons that are accurate with various other months in the year.

There was a total of 263.3 billion seasonally adjusted VMT by drivers in August, a 3.6 percent rise in VMT compared to August 2014.

The estimates include miles traveled by passenger vehicles, buses and trucks.

The figures show an increasing demand on U.S. highway systems and emphasize the need to raise federal investments for transportation infrastructure.