U.S. October Road Traffic Continues Run of New Record Highs
AASHTO: Motor vehicle travel on all U.S. highways and streets increased 1.2 percent in October from a year earlier – adding 3.3 billion more vehicle miles – and continued a string of record-high volume levels. The Federal Highway Administration in its latest monthly “Traffic Volume Trends” report said motorists racked up an estimated 275 billion vehicle miles in October as demand for roadway travel kept growing. After traffic volume set an all-time yearly high in 2016, it is on pace for another record year in 2017.
The FHWA said that in the 10 months of 2017 through October, traffic has increased by 1.3 percent or by 34.6 billion vehicle miles. That is often reflected in increasing roadway congestion levels and public cries for greater investment in highway improvements and other mobility projects to lessen the time spent stuck in traffic.