Vehicle Miles Traveled

Use of Gasoline Per Capita Remains Above the State Average

Why is it important?

The number of vehicle miles traveled on California state highways indicates trends in energy use and consumption as well as tourism and commuters. Road alteration and expansion contributes to the transfer of travel from older roadways to newer, more efficient ones. Also, air quality is directly related to vehicle travel—as emissions increase, air quality decreases.
The data shown represents the location of gasoline usage along California state highways rather than the location of purchase. Gasoline purchases are more likely to occur in urban areas where the fuel is cheaper.

How are we doing?

Vehicle miles traveled is projected to increase in the Sierra Nevada, while California travel miles should remain relatively stable. Travel will continue to be more extensive in rural areas. In particular, an almost doubling of vehicle miles traveled in the North Sierra between 1980 and 2005 may be due to more residential trips to neighboring communities and its increasing popularity with visitors. Travel miles in the North Central, South Central, and East Sierra remain well below the state average.

he use of gasoline per capita has remained above the state average between 1997 and 2002 in all areas except the South Central Sierra, where communities are located closer together than in other regions. In the East Sierra, gasoline consumption is significantly higher than in other sub regions. This, coupled with less than average vehicle miles traveled, means there is a greater concentration of truck, pickup, and SUV traffic by local residents and visitors from the Los Angeles area.    

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