AASHTO Journal, 26 August 2016
U.S. traffic volume reached a record 1.58 trillion vehicle miles in the first six months of 2016, up 3.3 percent from the previous record of nearly 1.53 trillion miles set last year, the federal Highway Administration said, in the latest report showing how demand on roadway infrastructure keeps growing.
The data from the FHWA’s latest monthly “Traffic Volume Trends” report also showed that drivers of all types of roadway vehicles covered 282.3 billion miles in June 2016 alone, for a 3.2 percent increase over June 2015.
“The increase in driving highlights the growing demands facing the nation’s roads,” the FHWA said, “and reaffirms the importance of the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation (FAST) Act” that Congress passed last year to authorize five years of surface transportation program funding levels. It included $226 billion for roads and bridges through fiscal 2020, the agency noted.
The June mileage total included 193.7 billion traveled on urban highways and streets, and 88.6 billion on rural roads, the report said.
The FHWA said U.S. drivers in June increased their mileage in all five geographical regions. Volume also rose in every state except for North Dakota, which was down 2.4 percent, the agency said. Hawaii had the largest vehicle miles increase with a gain of 8.6 percent from a year earlier, followed by Idaho and Utah at 5.1 percent each.