New Report Shows Bay Staters Are Driving Less Bay Staters’ Driving Is Down 4.03% Percent, Ahead of National Trend

Boston, MA – Bay Staters have cut their per-person driving miles by 4.03% percent since 2004, mirroring similar reductions in 45 other states.  The Commonwealth’s and nation’s long term driving booms appear to have ended, according to a new report from the MASSPIRG Education Fund. Massachusetts has lower than average levels of driving per capita than the nation.  In 2011, residents of Massachusetts drove an average of 8,318 miles per capita each on average while nationally the average per-capita driving was 9,455 miles.  

“Bay Staters’ driving miles are down, just as they are in almost every state – only more so,” said Molly Wasielewski, North Shore Community MASSPIRG Organizer. “It’s time for policy makers to wake up and realize the driving boom is over. We need to reconsider expensive highway expansions and focus on alternatives such as public transit and biking—which people increasingly are using to get around.”

The report, “Moving Off the Road: A State-by-State Analysis of the National Decline in Driving,” is based on the most current available government data. Among its findings:

• In Massachusetts, people have reduced their driving miles by 4.03 percent per person since 2004.

·       This decline in driving is a national trend. Forty-five other states have reduced per-person driving since the middle of the last decade.

·       After World War II, the nation’s driving miles increased steadily almost every year, creating a “driving boom.” Driven by the growth of the suburbs, low gas prices, and increased auto ownership, the boom lasted 60 years. Now, in stark contrast, the average number of miles driven by Americans is in its eight consecutive year of decline, led by declines among Millennials.

·       The states with the biggest reductions in driving miles generally were not the states hit hardest by the economic downturn. The majority—almost three-quarters—of the states where per-person driving miles declined more quickly than the national average actually saw smaller increases in unemployment compared to the rest of the nation.

Governor Dukakis weighed in on the MASSPIRG study saying “[this] confirms what has been apparent to many of us for some time: people are sick and tired of wasting their time in traffic and want to live in communities that are close to their work with excellent public transportation systems.”

Massachusetts’ transportation system is antiquated and has gone underfunded for decades. If we are to build a modern transportation system, our limited tax dollars and political capital must be redirected to support projects like improving rapid transit service to the North Shore region.

“Given these trends, we need to press the reset button on our transportation policy,” said Wasielewski. “Just because past transportation investments overwhelmingly went to highway construction, doesn’t mean that continues to be the right choice for Massachusetts’ future.”

The full report, “Moving Off the Road: A State-by-State Analysis on the National Decline in Driving” will be available on our website later today and a pdf version will be sent to you directly. You will be able to see the infographic we created to illustrate the end of the Driving Boom.

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MASSPIRG Education Fund works to protect consumers and promote good government. We investigate problems, craft solutions, educate the public, and offer meaningful opportunities for civic participation. www.masspirgedfund.org