New figures from the Federal Highway Administration (FHA) show that all five U.S. regions experienced declines in vehicle miles traveled for July 2022 compared to July 2021, with the reduction totaling nearly 10 million miles.
The administration’s traffic trends for July 2022 show a 9.9 billion decrease in vehicle miles, or 3.3%, over July 2021. Overall travel for the month is reported at 286.6 billion vehicle miles and 266.5 miles when seasonally adjusted. The former includes 93.1 billion vehicle miles on rural roads and 193.5 billion vehicle miles on urban roads and streets, while the latter figure marks a 0.4% decrease, or 1 billion vehicle miles, when compared to June 2022.
Cumulative travel in 2022 changed by 1.8%, or 33.6 billion vehicle miles. The cumulative estimate for the year is 1,873.9 billion vehicle miles of travel, according to the administration.
However, all five regions in the U.S. saw declines in estimated vehicle miles of travel. The Northeast experienced a 1.4% decrease from July 2021 to 38.8 billion miles in July 2022.
All five regions in the U.S. saw declines in estimated vehicle miles of travel from one year prior. The Northeast experienced a 1.4% decrease from July 2021 to 38.8 billion miles in July 2022.
The South Atlantic recorded approximately 61.5 billion miles for a 2.9% decrease over July 2021 figures. North Central saw a 4.1% decrease with 63.8 billion miles traveled, and the South Gulf a 3.2% decrease with 57.8 billion miles clocked. The West’s figures saw the sharpest decline at 64.7 billion vehicle miles, a 4.3% decrease over the same time last year.
The chart below was provided by the FHA and features estimated vehicle miles of travel by region for July 2022 (in billions).
| Region | Total Travel | Percentage Change |
| Northeast | 38.8 | -1.4% |
| South Atlantic | 61.5 | -2.9% |
| North Central | 63.8 | -4.1% |
| South Gulf | 57.8 | -3.2% |
| West | 64.7 | -4.3% |
Pingback: Vehicle Miles Traveled Fall by Nearly 10M from July 2021 - Interest Rate News