Vehicle Miles Traveled
Updated Using 2023 Data
Vehicle miles traveled (VMT) is the total number of miles driven by all vehicles on a roadway within a region.
Methodology: Vehicle Miles Traveled
The annual average daily traffic (AADT) obtained from traffic monitoring sites and Florida Department of Transportation’s (FDOT’s) Roadway Characteristics Inventory (RCI) Feature 111 are used to estimate the daily vehicle volume. The daily peak hour volume is the product of the AADT volume and the hourly factor for 5:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. For daily, the VMT is determined by summing the product of the AADT volumes and the segment length. For peak hour reporting, the VMT is determined by summing the product of the peak hour volumes and the segment length.
Calculation
Reporting Periods
Definitions: Vehicle Miles Traveled
- Annual Average Daily Traffic (AADT): The total vehicle volume on a roadway segment over one year, divided by the number of days in the year.
- Area Type
- Urbanized Area: An area with a population of at least 50,000 people.
- Non-Urbanized Area: An area with a population less than 50,000 people.
- Context Classification: A classification assigned to a roadway that broadly identifies the various built environments in Florida, based on existing or future land use characteristics, development patterns, and the roadway connectivity of an area. For more information about context class, please reference the methodology report.
- Facility Type
- Arterials: Signalized roadways that primarily serve through traffic, with intersections spaced two miles or less apart.
- Highways: Highspeed roadways with signalized intersections spaced more than two miles apart.
- Freeways: Multilane, divided highways with at least two lanes for exclusive use of traffic in each direction and full control of ingress and egress.
- Highway System: An integrated network of roads and highways for motor and non-motor transport. Multiple highway systems exist in Florida, with the following three maintained by the State of Florida with a little distinction:
- National Highway System (NHS): Roads designated by Congress as nationally important for inter-regional travel, including roads designated as connectors to NHS intermodal facilities, which are part of the State Highway System, and other NHS facilities.
- State Highway System (SHS): Roads under the jurisdiction of the State of Florida and maintained by the Florida Department of Transportation or a regional transportation commission; includes roads with Interstate, US, and SR numbers.
- Strategic Intermodal System (SIS): A statewide network of high-priority transportation facilities, including the state's largest and most significant airports, spaceports, deepwater seaports, freight rail terminals, passenger rail and intercity bus terminals, rail corridors, waterways, and highways. The FDOT Source Book reports roadway SIS facilities on the SHS or the NHS.
- Reporting Periods
- Peak Hour: 5:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. on a weekday. This hour is chosen to allow consistent comparisons among transportation modes. It may not be the hour of greatest travel for any given roadway, mode, or area. The majority of travel typically occurs during the afternoon (PM) peak hour resulting in more congestion in the PM peak than the morning (AM) peak.
- Daily: For the average 24-hour day.
- Segment: A portion of roadway defined by two boundary points.
- Traffic Volume: The number of vehicles crossing a section of road during a specified time period.
- Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMT): Estimated amount of travel for all vehicles in a geographic region over a period of time. It is calculated as the sum of the number of miles traveled by each vehicle.
Date of last refresh: 11/22/2024
SOURCES
FDOT - Traffic Characteristics Inventory
FDOT - Roadway Characteristics Inventory Feature 147 (Strategic Intermodal System)