Trends in Personal Income and Passenger Vehicle Miles

摘要

For years, increasing income has been a principal factor contributing to the rapid growth of highway passenger travel. As incomes increased, the demand for additional transportation services manifested itself in a variety of ways: more individuals and households acquired personal vehicles; the proportion of multiple vehicle households grew; families moved to larger and more comfortable housing in the suburbs, thereby increasing commuting trip distances; and the number and length of discretionary trips increased. As a result, passenger highway travel, as reflected in vehicle miles of travel (VMT), increased rapidly.