William Maley
Staff Writer - CheersandGears.com
October 9, 2013
Don't own a vehicle? You are not alone. In fact, the number of people who don't own a vehicle is increasing.
The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials released a brief that states the number of American households that don't own a vehicle has seen a uptick. Starting in 1960, the number of households that didn't own a vehicle declined steadily, reaching a low of 8.7 percent in 2007. But since that time, the share has been rising. In 2011, the latest year for which data is available, the share had risen to 9.3 percent.
While the economic fallout from the recession plays a key role, authors of the brief say there are other factors in play.
"Changes in alternatives to travel, such as communication substituting for travel and renewed interest in and availability of options such as transit, bike and walk, helped dampen interest in expanding auto ownership," the brief stated.
This correlates to data released back in February by Federal Highway Administration which showed the number of vehicle miles traveled peaked in the U.S. in 2004. Since then, the number of vehicle miles traveled has declined steadily.
Another factor in play is persistent narrative that Millennials don't own vehicles since they cannot afford one.
William Maley is a staff writer for Cheers & Gears. He can be reached at [email protected] or you can follow him on twitter at @realmudmonster.
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