Vehicle Miles Traveled

What is This Indicator?

Vehicle Miles Traveled
(source: Chittenden County Metropolitan Planning Organization)

While VMT has dropped slightly over time due to a number of factors, per capita annual VMT remains high.

Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMT) is a measure of how much the highways in a community are being used.  One unit of VMT is equal to one vehicle traveling 1 mile on a highway.    Factors that impact VMT include the location of your home and job, road conditions and congestion, gas prices, and access to alternative transportation options such as transit, car-pooling, biking or walking. 



Drivers can accumulate high numbers of miles traveled depending on the choices they make.   The chart above shows recent per capita VMT estimates for residents of Chittenden County.  The chart indicates a slight drop in VMT over time, which is consistent with other parts of Vermont and the rest of the nation. This is likely a result of several factors including high gas prices, decreased economic activity due to the current recession, and efforts already being undertaken by people to use alternatives to single occupancy vehicle travel.

Currently 30-40% of the VMT for Chittenden County is made up of trips originating outside of Chittenden County in the adjacent regions; these trips are primarily commuter trips related to work and commerce. 

Why is it Important?

Driving uses significant amounts of energy and in a rural state like Vermont. Thirty-one percent (31%) of statewide energy use is in the transportation sector in Vermont compared to 25% nationwide.  Also as the chart below shows, more than 70% of people are driving to work alone, which increases vehicles miles traveled, consumption of gas and carbon emissions. 

Within Chittenden County there are a variety of opportunities for residents to reduce the number of vehicle miles they travel each day.  Through choices on where they live, work, and shop as well as the use of alternatives to driving alone, such as car-pooling, ride sharing, walking, biking, taking the bus, telecommuting, and combining trips to cut down on travel, area residents can reduce their miles traveled annually, thus reducing energy consumption in our region.