The Roads Less Traveled

Again in May:

Americans drove 9.6 billion fewer vehicle-miles traveled (VMT) in May 2008 than in May 2007, according to the Federal Highway Administration data. This is the largest drop in VMT for any May ... and is the third-largest monthly drop in the 66 years such data have been recorded.

Three of the largest single-month declines - each topping 9 billion miles - have occurred since December. VMT on all public roads for May 2008 fell 3.7 percent as compared with May 2007 travel, the Secretary added, marking a decline of 29.8 billion miles traveled in the first five months of 2008 than the same period a year earlier.

This continues a seven-month trend that amounts to 40.5 billion fewer miles traveled between November 2007 and May 2008 than the same period a year before, she said.

Next stop? Increasing the fuel tax.

That's because less travel=less fuel used=less fuel-tax revenues=unhappy RoadBuilders.

After all, if we're not USING the roads, then they must be repaired, right?

HT: Calculated Risk