Delawareans drive more miles in 2009

    Today’s economy may have forced most travelers to cut back on high cost flights, fancy hotels and lavish dinners this summer but the financial crunch doesn’t seem to have driven Delawareans away from the roads.

    Today’s economy may have forced most travelers to cut back on high cost flights, fancy hotels and lavish dinners this summer but the financial crunch doesn’t seem to have driven Delawareans away from the roads.
    In June of 2009, Delaware drivers drove a total of 19 million more miles than in June of the previous year, according to the latest federal highway data. This is the second consecutive month which shows Delawareans driving more than the same period last year.

    AAA Mid-Atlantic spokesperson Cathy Rossi says she attributes the state’s 2.1 percent jump to an increase in summer travel. “People spend more leisure time on the road during the summer,” Rossi said in a statement released today, “And the June increase in vehicle miles traveled numbers reflects that”

    The Federal Highway Administration is seeing these kinds of increases nationwide. This June, most states posted increases in total numbers of vehicle miles traveled, while only four states posted decreases. Pennsylvania and Maryland were among the majority of states reporting a spike in driving.

    • WHYY thanks our sponsors — become a WHYY sponsor

    Nationally, Americans posted a two percent increase of nearly 5 billion more vehicle miles traveled in 2009.

    WHYY is your source for fact-based, in-depth journalism and information. As a nonprofit organization, we rely on financial support from readers like you. Please give today.

    Want a digest of WHYY’s programs, events & stories? Sign up for our weekly newsletter.

    Together we can reach 100% of WHYY’s fiscal year goal