Transportation and the Next Generation

Two research organizations, Frontier Group and PIRG Education Fund, recently issued a report - -Transportation and the New Generation - - that looked at our car culture in the context of changing generational driving attitudes and habits.  The bottom line of the research - - young people are driving less and it will have broad ramifications for transportation policy. 

Driving habits in the U.S. are changing.  By 2011, the average American are driving six percent fewer miles than in 2004.  This reduction is most significant and noticeable with young people.  From 2001 to 2009, the average annual number of vehicle-miles traveled by young people (16 to 34-year-olds) decreased from 10,300 miles to 7,000 miles per capita - - a drop of 23%.  As the report noted, some of the reduction is related to the bad economy.  But the trend will be long-lasting for a variety of reasons - - higher long-term gas prices, new licencing laws, improvements in technology that support alternative transportation, and changes in Generation Y's values and preference.  All of these factors are likely to have an impact for years to come.

Key points in the study - -

• In 2009, 16 to 34-year-olds as a whole took 24% more bike trips than they took in 2001, despite the age group actually shrinking in size by 2%.
• From 2001 to 2009, the number of passenger-miles traveled by 16 to 34-year-olds on public transit increased by 40%.
• According to the Federal Highway Administration, from 2000 to 2010, the share of 14 to 34-year-olds without a driver's licence increased from 21% to 26%.
• Many young people choose to replace driving with alternative transportation - - the Zipcar is an alternative example.
• Many of America's youth prefer to live places where they can easily walk, bike, and take public transportation.
• Some young purposely reduce their driving in an effort to curb their environmental impact.
• Communication technology, which provides young people withe new social networking and recreational possibilities, has become a substitute for some car trips.
• Websites and smart phone apps that provide real-time transit data make public transportation easier to use, particularly for infrequent users.
• Technology has opened the door for new transportation alternatives, such as car-sharing.
• Public transportation is more compatible with a lifestyle based on mobility and peer-to-peer connectivity than driving.
• From 2001 to 2009, young people (16-34 years old) who lived in households with annual incomes of over $70,000 increased their use of public transit by 100%, biking 122%, and walking by 37%

The electric car could change these trends.  But if young people change their long-term driving habits, the implications will be far-reaching for developers, city planners, transportation engineers, and national and local governments.