International Conference on Transportation and Development 2016: Projects and Practices for Prosperity

Generally speaking, compact development, with high population and employment density, good street connectivity, and access to transit have been shown to be associated with lower vehicle miles traveled (VMT). The objective of this study was to examine whether the latest published metric for evaluating the sprawl of metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs) is correlated with VMT and delay, as predicted by the relationships reported in the literature. Using linear regression analysis, the latest sprawl index was found to be negatively related to VMT, such that VMT decreased for less sprawling MSAs. The relationship suggests that on average those who live in less sprawling areas tend to drive less by almost 1.6 miles per day. The annual hours of travel delay was also found to be negatively related to the sprawl index, such that the annual hours of travel delay decreased for less sprawling MSAs.