Using VMT to Promote Sustainability

 

Exploring the Shift in the Transportation Planning Paradigm
October 13, 2023
Image showing the Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMT) as a Metric for Sustainability document

Using VMT to Promote Sustainability

 

Exploring the Shift in the Transportation Planning Paradigm
October 13, 2023

As planning strategies evolve from vehicle-centric to a multimodal, accessibility-focused approach, the focus is on moving people efficiently over vehicles. The new paradigm emphasizes sustainable transportation modes and underscores the significance of Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMT) as a crucial metric. VMT reduction benefits traffic flow, infrastructure costs, community well-being, pollution reduction, non-driver accessibility, and public health.

We’re excited to introduce ITE’s new technical brief, Vehicle-Miles Traveled (VMT) as a Metric for Sustainability. This resource, which includes contributions from our nationwide VMT expert Ron Milam, covers the shift from vehicle-based planning to accessibility-based planning, providing insights and case studies for transportation agencies and practitioners striving to enhance equity, safety, environmental sustainability, and community livability.

share this article

Explore More

Evacuation Travel Time Analysis

Evacuation Travel Time Analysis

The ability for a community to evacuate quickly continues to be a top priority for agency staff in California. Learn about our Climate Group’s proactive research to address new CEQA requirements for producing evidence-based evacuation travel time analysis for land use projects.

Prioritizing People in Multimodal Design

Prioritizing People in Multimodal Design

Discover how one city is redesigning their streets to make experiencing destinations safer and more enjoyable, and how their process and design typology can be adapted to streets across the US.

Quantifying VMT Reduction

Quantifying VMT Reduction

How can transportation agencies reduce overall vehicle miles traveled and still generate revenue? In a recent study, we evaluated the impact of making transit free of charge compared to implementing a VMT tax and whether the costs for travelers is equitable.