Denver Post via Getty ImagesThe recent increase in coronavirus cases in regions reopening their economies is likely responsible for a slowdown in recovery, as measured in Vehicle Miles Traveled — VMT for short, a statistic that’s just like it sounds, measuring how much people drive. The firms said Vehicle Miles Traveled bottomed out in early April, due to coronavirus-related stay-home orders and business shutdowns. Mileage rebounded in rural counties, but urban counties saw both a bigger drop, and a slower rebound, the study said. According to the FHWA, travel on all U.S. roads was 213.2 billion vehicle miles in May — the latest month available — down 25.5% vs. May 2019. Augustin Wegscheider, a partner with Boston Consulting, said the decline in rural counties is probably related to people driving less in their spare time, since business and commercial trips didn’t decline that much in rural counties, even during coronavirus shutdowns.

Source: Forbes July 27, 2020 19:15 UTC