Jobs Are Getting Further From People; That Means More Driving

For the first time since the postwar suburban boom started 65 years ago, it appears U.S. residents may be starting to drive less.

Analysts have noted a stagnation in annual vehicle-miles traveled, and a mix of changing behavior patterns and environmental concerns have led to rising use of alternative forms of transportation.

SEE ALSO: Growth In Mass-Transit Usage Outpaces Increase In Miles Driven In U.S. (Mar 2014)

Renewed interest in mass transit and new alternatives to car ownership like car sharing and ride sharing seem to point to decreased use of cars in urban areas.

Yet a new study claims that when Americans do drive to work, they are traveling farther than they used to.

Between 2000 and 2012, the number of jobs within typical commuting distance of major U.S. metropolitan areas dropped 7 percent, researchers with the Brookings Institute found.

The study The growing distance between people and jobs in metropolitan America (PDF), looked at the 96 largest metro areas--encompassing both cities and surrounding suburbs--in the country.

The number of jobs within typical commuting distance declined in all but 29 of those cities during the period studied.

DON'T MISS: Car Sharing Awareness Grows: 1 In 5 Americans Has Used It Now (Oct 2014)

"Typical commute distance" was defined in this case as the median commuting distance shown by census-tract data in a given area, as the crow flies.