Wiki Wednesday: Vehicle-Miles Traveled
Until recently, VMT had been rising steeply in the U.S.
In the second installment of our serialized tour through StreetsWiki, we turn to DianaD's entry on Vehicle-Miles Traveled:
Vehicle-Miles Traveled (VMT) is the total number of miles driven by allresidential vehicles within a given time period and geographic area.
We're seeing more about VMT in the national media as rising gas prices cause people to drive less. Largely absent from the coverage -- so far -- is a discussion about intentionally reducing VMT through policy. Will that change soon? It should: A built environment where people don't rely on a car for every trip is also one where expensive gas won't put such a crimp in household budgets. Diana's wiki entry highlights one avenue to explore in particular:
Land use -- namely sprawl development -- is the main culprit. Americansare living farther from work, school, shopping and basic services. Evenin higher density areas, where amenities may be closer to home, theroad framework can be punishing for pedestrians. It is nearlyimpossible to walk in areas that cater to cars instead of people.Autocentric street design therefore forces even more cars ontoroadways, which further impedes walkers and bicyclists. The viciouscycle continues and local governments turn to the only “quick fix” thatthey seem to know: build bigger highways (at enormous taxpayer expense)to accommodate the increased traffic.
Got more to add? Any member of the Livable Streets Network can edit a StreetsWiki entry.
Stay in touch
Sign up for our free newsletter
More from Streetsblog New York City
SEE IT: Cops Nearly Kill Teen on Moped on Brooklyn Greenway
The NYPD has a history of officers recklessly using their vehicles in chases. On Wednesday, its officers almost killed a moped rider.
Bus Advocates Target Anti-Busway ‘Hypocrites’ at Bronx Zoo and Botanical Garden
A petition drive by Bronx bus riders calls out the institutions for boosting transit on their websites, but then trying to undermine it in the real world.
‘Duped’: A Harlem 20-Something Blows the Whistle on an Illegal Temporary License Plate Business
Kareem found out the hard way that his Craigslist gig delivering temp tags was illegal. Now he's exposing the operation that employed him, revealing clues about his anonymous bosses that all trace back to the same place.
Day 3: These Hunger Strikers aren’t Paid Lobbyists — But Albany Can’t Tell the Difference
ALBANY — “They are putting every barrier in our way to not have to face us directly and look us in the eye and then make an unconscionable decision. This is Albany at its worst,” said Amy Cohen.
