Nationwide, the average daily driving rates increased more than 12% this past spring when compared to spring of 2019. That’s according to a new report from StreetLight Data, a transportation analytics firm that looked at the 100 biggest metro areas.
The largest increase was in McAllen, Texas, where driving rates skyrocketed 68%. Not far behind was Boise, Idaho, where driving surged 58%.
Other big jumps in the Mountain West came from Utah. Vehicle miles rose in the Provo-Orem metro (33%), Ogden-Clearfield (21%) and Salt Lake City (20%).
A rise in driving across major cities can affect public safety, public health, and the nation’s climate, said Emily Adler, director of content at StreetLight Data.
“Transportation is the biggest source of emissions in the U.S. And that’s, of course, driven by gas-powered vehicle driving,” said Adler, citing federal data that shows transportation accounts for nearly 30% of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions.
Adler said policymakers should be working to bring down driving emissions, which could mean more electric vehicle charging stations, sidewalks, bike lanes, and public transit.
Elsewhere in the Mountain West, driving rates grew slightly in Las Vegas (8%), Colorado Springs (8%), and Albuquerque (10%). The only major metro in the region that didn’t see an increase was Denver, where driving was flat compared to 2019.
No cities in Wyoming were included in the analysis.
This story was produced by the Mountain West News Bureau, a collaboration between Wyoming Public Media, Nevada Public Radio, Boise State Public Radio in Idaho, KUNR in Nevada, KUNC in Colorado and KANW in New Mexico, with support from affiliate stations across the region. Funding for the Mountain West News Bureau is provided in part by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.
